The Certified Difference

Interesting news coming of the NYTimes today, in regard to a study performed by the National Research Council that found students taught by educators certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards make bigger gains on standardized tests than students taught by other teachers.

''I would sure look for the credential,'' Milton Hakel, a Bowling Green State University psychology professor who headed the committee that conducted the council review, told the NY Times. ''The fact that the signal is there is something that's useful to superintendents, to hiring committees, to districts.''

It is not clear from the research whether the process of getting certified by the national board makes teachers better or if those who get certified were already top performers, according to the report. More research is needed to try to determine that, Hakel said.

For me this is sort of a “no-duh” situation. We’ve long said that board certification (including subject-area tests, submitting on-the-job videotapes and samples of student and teacher work) is a terrific indicator of teacher quality. And does it matter if these teachers are supposed “top performers?” Either way, they are demonstrating a commitment to their craft and students and becoming a leader to their peers. This is certainly evident in the words and stories of our guest teacher bloggers, Pamelia Valentine and Molly Berger.

Unfortunately, just 64,000 teachers have earned the accreditation nationwide, which amounts to a mere three teachers in every five schools, according to the report. And Washington state holds a mere 1,313 accredited teachers out of a nearly 56,000 educator workforce—behind the scenes, however, groups like the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession are working to change this.

For more information on National Board Teacher Certification in Washington visit our Teacher Quality section.