This practical book presents a comprehensive blueprint for preparing teachers to achieve National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification. An outgrowth of the authors' more than five years of experience working with teacher candidates, the approach described here enlists the collaboration of both university educators and professional staff development personnel. The book includes a detailed outline of a seminar to introduce teachers to the NBPTS process, complete with written samples and reproducible overhead transparency masters. Also featured are chapters contributed by Board Certified Teachers, who share portfolio samples and activities in four certification areas. Supported by research-proven best practices in professional education, the book includes extensive reference lists and helpful hints for facilitators.

Adrienne Mack-Kirschner's work with the National Board program makes her the ideal person to advise certification candidates.

This valuable guide gives educators pursuing National Board certification and those supporting candidates in their efforts a thorough, accessible examination of all aspects of certification for First Time candidates, Take One! Candidates, Retake (or Advanced) candidates, and National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) working on Renewal. With Understanding Board Certification as their guide, educators will deepen their understanding of the National Board standards, become fully prepared to be successful National Board candidates, and enhance their growth as educational professionals. Included are extensive references to relevant research and a helpful Appendix, Providing Candidate Support.

Teachers make a difference. The success of any plan for improving educational outcomes depends on the teachers who carry it out and thus on the abilities of those attracted to the field and their preparation. Yet there are many questions about how teachers are being prepared and how they ought to be prepared. Yet, teacher preparation is often treated as an afterthought in discussions of improving the public education system. Preparing Teachers addresses the issue of teacher preparation with specific attention to reading, mathematics, and science. The book evaluates the characteristics of the candidates who enter teacher preparation programs, the sorts of instruction and experiences teacher candidates receive in preparation programs, and the extent that the required instruction and experiences are consistent with converging scientific evidence. Preparing Teachers also identifies a need for a data collection model to provide valid and reliable information about the content knowledge, pedagogical competence, and effectiveness of graduates from the various kinds of teacher preparation programs. Federal and state policy makers need reliable, outcomes-based information to make sound decisions, and teacher educators need to know how best to contribute to the development of effective teachers. Clearer understanding of the content and character of effective teacher preparation is critical to improving it and to ensuring that the same critiques and questions are not being repeated 10 years from now.

The only book you need to achieve National Board Certification! What is an accomplished teacher? The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has developed standards that define quality teaching in every subject and grade level. Consequently, many states and districts have invested heavily in National Board Certification, offering pay raises, bonuses, and paid leave for portfolio preparation. Navigating the National Board Certification Process is a step-by-step guide for teachers who are interested in pursuing or are currently applying for National Board Certification. Filled with activities, checklists, and other practical tools, this comprehensive resource leads teachers through each stage of the certification process to ensure that no deadlines are missed and that they meet all the requirements for applications, the portfolio, and the content assessments. Arranged around the five core propositions of the NBPTS, this invaluable guidebook includes Worksheets, scenarios, writing tips, and time management strategies Advice on videotaping and preparing portfolio artifacts Stories and experiences of other National Board Certification hopefuls A Frequently Asked Questions section at the end of every chapter This book is designed to help teachers understand the components of accomplished teaching as defined by the NBPTS, determine their readiness to enter into the National Board Certification process, and provide them with the skills needed to move through that process with confidence. Hopkins′s years of experience with the pitfalls and obstacles of National Board Certification will help teachers avoid the dreaded "If I′d only known" syndrome. Tailored to both teachers who are considering certification and those in the midst of the process, this practical manual is also an indispensable resource for principals, staff developers, and professors who support teachers through the certification process.