We Do Know How Good Teaching Looks (Part 1)

MYTH: "We don't know what makes a good teacher!"

The truth is we do know a great deal about what makes not only a good teacher, but a highly accomplished one. Highly accomplished is how the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) defines teachers who achieve National Board Certification.

For over twenty years, NBPTS has worked to develop what has become the "gold standard" for quality teaching. At the heart of the National Board certification process are over 25 sets of standards for educators in every subject area and grade level, including counselors, library media specialists, and now principals.

I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the NBPTS, and I have the privilege of co-chairing its Certification Council, the body which oversees the development and updating of the Standards. I'm not sure how many people in the education reform arena understand just how intense the NBPTS Standards development process is. More important: I don't believe enough people interested in quality education have taken the time to read the Standards themselves and realize how much information we actually do have on what is good teaching. 

In a country where 1 in every 8 of us is a teacher, 92,000 have so far attained National Board Certification status. Joyfully, there are many more who qualify, but have not gone through the process. Woefully, many states are unwisely cutting the support for teachers to get National Board Certification at a time when increasing teacher quality is a vital for our children.

As in other professions, those who are the recognized leaders in their fields are used as the models for establishing standards. Look at the teachers whose students have had the greatest success, the ones who consistently bridge achievement gaps, the ones that parents, supervisors, students, and peers point to as outstanding--and ask what is it they do that other teachers do not, or at least not consistently.

That is step 1 in the NBPTS standards development process.

Standards are developed by a committee of outstanding educators who are broadly representative of accomplished professionals in their field. While the majority of each committee is made up of classroom teachers, other members may include experts in child development, teacher education and relevant disciplines. The committee provides recommendations to the National Board and advises those involved in developing the corresponding assessment.  ---(NBPTS.org/The Standards/Standards Development)

This drafting process may take several months to a year. The standards go through several methodical steps including public review and comment. This allows an even broader range of persons with expertise and interest in the standards to contribute to their final form. I know from experience that every comment read and considered, many times leading to further investigation or discussion, and possible revision.

Standards are also reviewed and updated on a regularly scheduled rotation to keep them reflective of the most advanced research and developments in each field. The results are the best summation of teaching that truly makes a difference for students.

The greatest testament to the quality of the standards; however, comes from the tens of thousands of teachers who have studied them, and used them as a gauge of their own classroom practice. Increasingly, teacher education programs, accreditation agencies, and some states are looking to the National Board standards as guidelines for their work.

I'm devoting a series of blogs to exploring some of the NBPTS standards, and challenging the myth that what constitutes good teaching is mystery. The real mystery is why the education profession and policymakers charged with providing public education have not rallied more strongly behind these standards and encouraging more teachers to become certified?

Comments

[Keira]

Well said, Renee. NBCTs have been found to be among the more effective teachers, it's true.

(PS - I wanted to send a message privately but couldn't find a way - you may want to edit the very last sentence of the piece - the presence of both "hasn't" and "have not" is a little confusing.)

[TeachMoore]

Thank you for the comments (and for the edit advice). The research done so far supports that NBCTs are in fact more effective based on the performance of their students. My goal in the series is to highlight just how complex teaching as defined by those who do it best.

[Allan Trimble]

I am aware of many of the services this organization offers, but I do not understand why you do not establish State offices and become the NATIONAL PROFESSINAL organization for the teaching PROFESSION. by that I mean Like Law and Medicine establish the requirements for credentials, issue the certificates, and monitor the behaviors of educators. If education is ever to improve we need to get State and Local Govcernment out of the business of dictating to teachers, this is what a professional education Association does.

[TeachMoore]

Allan,
That's an idea that's gaining traction right now. Many people have that view for NBPTS. It would be the next logical step in its organizational development, particularly since it already has strong working relationship with most of the other professional education organizations (subject area, unions, research organizations, etc..). However, it would mean a major shift in structure and funding for NBPTS.

Still, I agree it is past time for teachers to take charge of our own profession.

[Bonitadee]

Teachers taking charge of our own profession sounds exactly right to me. We need to do that. It would end the bad teacher-tenure arguments overnight and allow us to concentrate on quality of education.

I have two questions, though, on NBCT. I thought about going through the certification process years ago, but then a teacher (very poor teacher IMO) got his certification, and I was left wondering whether everyone who "finishes" gets certified? That brings down the value of board certification, in my mind. The other question is about research. I would have to go look it up, but I remember there being research that showed board certified teachers did not show higher value (ie test scores) from non-board certified teachers. Perhaps things have changed? I am talking about instances from more than 8 years back.

[TeachMoore]

Bonitadee,
Apologize for the delay in responding to your questions.

The majority of teachers who attempt Board certification do not achieve it on the first attempt. You're not the only person to complain that they know someone who didn't appear to "deserve" certification. The Certification process is very rigorous, but of course, any system developed by humans can also be gamed by other humans. That has not been a widespread problem with NBC. What I have noticed more often, however, is teachers who demonstrate ability to do highly accomplished teaching, who for various reasons then choose (or prevented) from doing it on a regular basis in their schools. I routinely advise administrators with NBCTs on their faculty to encourage and expect these teachers to do highly accomplished work, and to utilize their skills in the best possible ways.

As to your second question, most recent research, shows a measurable correlation between NBCTs and student achievement. I plan to talk about this more in a later post. Thanks so much for your questions.