Durham Public Schools Chief Joins National Effort to Bolster Advanced Certification for Educational Leaders
For Immediate Release
Contact: James R. Minichello, 703.465.2171, jminichello@nbpts.org
ARLINGTON, VA – March 3, 2009 – Carl Harris, Superintendent of Durham Public Schools, is part of a national effort to develop advanced certification for educational and business leaders. This initiative will include an advanced certification for both principals and teacher leaders.
Harris has been appointed a member of a steering committee of The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. NBPTS provides advanced standards and certification for classroom-based teachers and other educators and is creating national core propositions and standards for what educational leaders should know. NBPTS also is crafting national evidence-based assessments to measure educational leaders against those standards.
“Effective leadership is a critical factor to the success of students, teachers and schools,” said Harris. “As yet, there is no consistently reliable method to measure the performance of these school leaders, nor to recognize and reward their accomplishments. Advanced certification for principals and teacher leaders will support excellence within the profession and, most importantly, promote student success.”
Supported by policymakers, administrators, principals and teachers, the ACEL program is expected to launch in 2011.
“The National Board has built strong standards and assessments for advanced teacher certification, which places our organization in a unique position to carry out the same for educational leaders,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, NBPTS president and chief executive officer. “You can have accomplished teachers in a school building, but creating a collaborative culture of learning and achievement requires the support and leadership of an equally accomplished principal and other teacher leaders.”
In a recent NBPTS survey, 83 percent of school leader respondents and 69 percent of district leader respondents expressed interest in advanced principal certification. Both school and district-level leaders were most interested in a certification that would better prepare principals to lead systemic instructional improvement.
NBPTS launched a public comment period on its ACEL core propositions on Feb. 13, 2009. Teachers, principals, administrators and anyone interested in improving education were invited to provide feedback on the ACEL program by accessing www.nbpts.org. Survey responses were accepted through Feb. 22, 2009.
In December 2008, NBPTS announced a record 9,600 teachers nationwide achieved National Board Certification. This achievement brought the total number of NBCTs to nearly 74,000, including approximately 250 in Durham Public Schools.
National Board Certification for K–12 teachers is part of a growing education reform movement that is reshaping America’s schools. In a Congressionally mandated report, the National Research Council of the National Academies confirmed that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers advance student achievement and learning, stay in the classroom longer, support new and struggling teachers and assume other school-based leadership roles. The NRC acknowledged that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by non-board certified teachers.
National Board Certification is recognized as a model of pay-for-performance and is supported by teachers and administrators nationwide. Many states and local school districts provide salary incentives and cover the cost for teachers who pursue and achieve this advanced teaching credential.
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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
NBPTS is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization. NBPTS advances the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching; creating and administering National Board Certification, a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards; and integrating certified teachers into educational reform efforts. Today, nearly 74,000 National Board Certified Teachers are making a positive difference in the lives of students across the nation.
© 2009 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. All rights reserved. NBPTS, NBCT, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certified Teacher and National Board Certification are registered trademarks or service marks of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective organizations.
