The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has just issued a memorandum concerning pilot testing in selected certificate areas as part of its ongoing assessment development effort. An opportunity to be part of the effort is open to teachers who are in the classroom working with students, both those interested in the certification process and those who are classroom-based National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT). It is not open to teachers who are currently in any phase of the candidacy process.
Teachers will be assigned to pilot one of the portfolio entries in an appropriate certificate area and will have approximately one to one and one-half months to complete the entry. Upon completion, the teacher will submit the entry to be scored. If the teacher scores at the accomplished level for National Board certification and is a prospective candidate, he/she will be able to “save” the score and use it if undertaking the certification process in the 2002-2003 school year only. A performance which scores less than accomplished will not count in any way should the teacher become a future National Board candidate.
The ultimate result is an opportunity for potential candidates to try out the National Board certification process and to receive an honorarium of $150. Participation in this effort does not guarantee Department of Education funding of the National Board fee upon application, but it does make a statement about a teacher’s level of interest in the process. It also allows current NBCTs to revisit the certification process although there is no carryover for renewal purposes.
Further information including an application form and pilot certificate areas is found on the National Board web site at www.nbpts.org. Use the search function with the descriptor of “pilot testing” to locate the correct part of the site. If there are difficulties with the site, contact Melissa Straccia at Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The preferrred application deadline is January 17, 2002, but ETS will accept applications until January 24, 2002 since information about this opportunity could not be released earlier. For more information, please contact Melissa Straccia at mstraccia@ets.org or 800-779-3339, ext. 5312.