Study shows National Board Certification improves student academic performance

National Board Certification is the highest credential available in the teaching profession. The USC study, which was commissioned by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement and the State Department of Education on the instructions of the General Assembly, compared the 2004 PACT performance of students whose teachers had received National Board Certification with the performance of students whose teachers had not received National Board Certification. The study focused on grades four through eight.

The study found that in English/Language Arts, students of teachers with National Board Certification had higher levels of performance than did students whose teachers did not have the certification. The differences were noted primarily among students who did not receive subsidized meals. The same pattern was found in math, although the differences were not large enough to be statistically significant.

"Teachers who have worked to obtain National Board Certification continue to tell me that it’s the most rewarding professional development they’ve ever done," said State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum. "A number of national research studies confirm what our teachers are saying, so it’s encouraging that this early South Carolina-based research also found a positive impact on student learning."

Tenenbaum said that because South Carolina pays salary stipends to National Board Certified teachers, additional research beyond the initial study is warranted to confirm that value of the state’s investment. "The early news is positive, but it would be useful to track the impact across a longer period of time, with a larger sample of teachers."

All South Carolina school districts now have National Board Certified teachers in their classrooms. Nearly 600 South Carolina teachers became National Board-certified in 2005. With 4,444 National Board Certified Teachers, the Palmetto State ranks third in the nation for its number of National Board Certified teachers and second overall in the percentage of teachers completing the rigorous process.

Teachers seeking National Board Certification undertake a two-part process that takes from one to three years to complete. The process requires candidates to reflect on their classroom practices, their understanding of subject material and their preparation techniques. In addition to preparing a portfolio with videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflective essays, teachers must complete assessment center exercises based on content knowledge that proves they have mastered the subjects they teach and also know how to teach them.

The USC education researchers noted two concerns with their study – sample size and the scope. They recommended that additional investigation be conducted on the effects of National Board Certification for high school students as well as elementary and middle school students. Also, they suggested that the impact of leadership, student effect, teacher retention and classroom climate be explored.

Since 1999, legislators have supported this advanced professional development as a tool to retain high-quality teachers in classrooms while increasing student achievement. In South Carolina, National Board Certified teacher incentives include a $7,500 annual salary supplement for every year that they teach after receiving certification, for the 10-year life of their certificates.

There have been more than 150 studies, reports and papers commissioned on the National Board Certification process. An independent review committee made up of the nation’s leading measurement experts and statisticians monitors the measurement quality of the National Board’s assessments. In 2002, the National Board for Professional Teaching standards hosted more than 220 of the nation’s top researchers to identify a broad range of research issues and studies about the National Board process.

Research studies continue to illustrate the connection between teachers who model self-assessment and ongoing learning and the positive impact this method of professional development has on raising skill levels in their students. Recent research has included:

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