Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/EmilyAnthony

This paper describes the results of a study of the relationship between teacher certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and elementary-level student achievement. Researchers examined whether NBPTS assesses the most effective applicants, whether its certification indicates teacher quality, and whether completing the NBPTS assessment process helps increase teacher effectiveness. Although the findings indicate that NBPTS identifies the more effective applicants and that National Board Certified Teachers are generally more effective than teachers who never applied to the program, the magnitude of the "NBPTS effect" differs significantly by grade level and student type. There is no evidence that the NBPTS certification process itself increases teacher effectiveness.

In this paper, we describe the results of the first large-scale study, based on a unique data set from North Carolina, assessing the relationship between the certification of teachers by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and elementary- level student achievement. Our findings indicate that NBPTS is successfully identifying the more effective teachers among applicants, and that NBPTS-certified teachers, prior to becoming certified, were more effective than their non-certified counterparts at increasing student achievement. The statistical significance and magnitude of the "NBPTS effect," however, differs significantly by grade level and student type. (Publication updated on web 4/7/05)

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) represents a major effort to elevate the field of teaching, but its certification efforts have come under fire due (in part) to a lack of consensus on the best way to improve teacher quality. This brief, part of a multistage evaluation, looks at who is applying for and gaining NBPTS certification.

National Board Certification represents one of the most significant reform efforts in the area of teacher quality in the last two decades. Since the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certified its first round of teachers in 1995, approximately 24,000 teachers have become certified at a cost to the country of well over $200 million, yet no large-scale quantitative research exists on the candidates of the program and their effectiveness in educating children. Since 1995, we have seen significant growth in NBPTS application and certification rates. In this paper, we describe the results of a study of teachers in North Carolina assessing the factors associated with the decision to apply to NBPTS and the factors associated with successful certification. We find that with all else equal, those teachers who are African-American, and/or female, score higher on standardized tests or are younger are more likely to apply for certification. With respect to NBPTS certification, we find that African-American and male teachers are less likely to be certified. Finally, we find that teachers who score higher on standardized tests are more likely to be certified.

This report describes implementation of the DC 21st Century Community Learning Center (DC 21st CCLC) program during the summer of 2001, with a particular focus on the use of computer technology to improve academic achievement. The report is based on direct observations of activities, document reviews, interviews with program coordinators and facilitators, and focus groups with student participants. The investigation revealed that the technology appears to have been well implemented, with large numbers of well-functioning machines in almost all observed classrooms and generally positive reactions from staff and students. Student enrollment is somewhat lower than hoped, and observations suggest that the use of the Internet, pretests, and aides could be improved to better support student achievement.

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