Prospective applicants for 2004-2005 National Board candidate state fee support must attend ONE of the orientations scheduled during the 2003-2004 school year. The application deadline for state fee support is July 1, 2004. A registrant uses the appropriate registration form based on the choice of location and orientation date. The format is identical for all orientations.
Orientations are scheduled in education service cooperatives (ESC) as listed below and in Little Rock. Separate registration forms for the Little Rock and ESC orientations are attached to this memorandum. Details concerning the orientation are found on the registration forms themselves, but attendance requires commitment of a full day. A registrant must use the appropriate form and send it to the correct place.
ESC orientation dates follow. Hours for the ESC orientations vary, and that information is available from the area ESC. The ESC registration form lists the fax numbers to which registrations should be faxed for each specific ESC hosting an orientation. DO NOT SEND THE ESC REGISTRATION FORM TO ADE.
Arch Ford December 10, 2003 Crowley’s Ridge February 26, 2004
Dawson January 30, 2004 DeQueen Mena December 4, 2003
Great Rivers October 3, 2003 North Central March 2, 2004
Northeast Ark. October 30, 2003 Northwest Ark. September 25, 2003
Ozarks (OUR) October 23, 2003 South Central February 10, 2004
Southeast April 30, 2004 Southwest January 22, 2003
Western February 17, 2004 Wilbur Mills November 25, 2003
The Arkansas Department of Education offers the following for National Board candidates accepted for state support: candidate fee payment of $2,300 and three days of substitute pay for portfolio preparation. The Department funds neither substitute pay nor travel expenses related to orientation attendance. An annual incentive bonus for Arkansas National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) is awarded as long as the NBCT meets eligibility criteria to receive the bonus.
ONLY ATTENDEES AT ONE OF THE ORIENTATIONS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR STATE FUNDING OF THE NBPTS CANDIDATE APPLICATION FEE. The deadline to apply for state fee support is July 1, 2004.
A teacher qualifies to seek state fee support only if he or she is licensed as an Arkansas teacher, has taught in an Arkansas public school system at least three years prior to candidacy, currently teaches in an Arkansas public school classroom, and attends an orientation. This requirement does not preclude school counselors applying for state funding. There are other criteria, but these are basic to any candidacy. Unsuccessful candidates must repay state funds as must certified teachers who do not comply with any legal requirements concerning teaching tenure following certification. National Board certified teachers state that a conservative estimate of the time required by this process is 250-300 hours.
There are approximately twenty-five different areas of certification. This information can be accessed through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards web site at http://www.nbpts.org/candidates/guide/2_certglance.html. Additional information about the state support program is available on the ADE web site at http://arkedu.state.ar.us/teachers/national_board_cert_p1.html.
Questions about the state support program can be directed to Barbara Patty, Professional Quality Enhancement, bpatty@arkedu.k12.ar.us or 501-682-1146. Orientation dates and registration deadlines for the Little Rock meetings as well as for the ESC sessions are listed in attachments. If a registrant is confirmed at a Little Rock orientation, does not attend, and does not cancel, the registrant will automatically be placed on a waiting list and included in an orientation only after the deadline has passed should he or she apply for a future Little Rock orientation. No-show registrants have cost NBPTS funds approximately $4,000 over the past three years in unnecessary lunch and meeting room costs.