The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) (www.nbpts.org) was founded in 1987 to set standards for accomplished K-12 teachers and create a voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards. The standards, representing a consensus of teachers, teacher educators, and professional organizations in a given teaching field, articulate the critical skills and knowledge that distinguish effective teaching in their field.

The National Board approved standards for teachers of World Languages Other than English (WLOE), paving the way for teachers in this field to engage in a rigorous professional development process leading to a National Board Certificate. In April 2002, National Board Certification became available for teachers of Latin and Japanese, in addition to Spanish, French, and German.

Because of assessment validity and reliability, NBPTS needs 50 secondary school teacher candidates by December 31 in any given language to make certification possible in 2003-2004. NBPTS will not offer certification if the number is lower. World Languages Other than English (WLOE) is considered a Low Demand Certificate, and some parts of the existing Spanish, French, and German certification programs are already on hold or have been discontinued. For information on Low Demand Certificates see www.nbpts.org/candidates/lowdemandcerts.cfm.

If a Japanese certificate cannot be offered this year, it may be eliminated for good.

Although candidates need to be from middle/high school levels, this certificate has a great impact on the whole field of Japanese language education. More Japanese programs will survive budget cuts if teachers are proved to be competent and certified. The availability of certification will also attract bright college students to teaching. Most importantly, teachers who have gone through the certification process unanimously attest that the process helped their students improve their learning and performance. ATJ members at the college level can encourage K-12 colleagues to apply and offer mentorship support.

If you teach in middle/high school, you will find that many states and school districts offer financial support to candidates who apply for certification; some also promise salary increases or bonuses to certified teachers. National corporations and foundations also provide scholarships. One of many examples is a program of financial assistance from the Japan Foundation. The details of this scholarship along with more information can be downloaded from www.jflalc.org/newsletter/bz/BREEZE28.pdf as well as from the NBPTS web site www.nbpts.org.

At the upcoming ACTFL conference in Philadelphia, the Japan Foundation will invite Martie Semmer, NBPTS WLOE advisor, and Toni Theisen, a National Board Certified teacher in French, to its luncheon on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Also at ACTFL, the Professional Development SIG will meet on Friday, Nov. 21, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. in Conference Rooms 414-415 of the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel. Those interested in professional development/teacher training are welcome. Discussion will include support for NBPTS candidates. A detailed agenda for the meeting will be sent through the JPD-L list in November and posted on the SIG webpage at www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj/SIG/prodev.

If you are interested in attending this meeting or joining the SIG, please send email to Y.-H. Tohsaku at ytohsaku@ucsd.edu.

If you know a teacher who is a candidate for certification or considering becoming one, please encourage him or her to attend NBPTS-related sessions at the ACTFL Conference. These include an NCJLT sponsored-session titled "Pursuing Accomplished Teaching: Preparing for National Board Certification" on Friday, Nov. 21, 4:30-5:45 p.m. There is also a pre-conference workshop entitled "W-10 National Board Certification: Processes For Supporting Accomplished Teaching" on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 20.

News of the Alliance

Summer Institute Planned for 2004

The Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, will conduct a four-week Language and Technology Institute in Japan during Summer 2004.

Up to 20 non-native-speaking teachers of Japanese in US K-12 schools will receive intermediate and advanced-level Japanese language instruction in an immersion environment; visit schools, museums, and other cultural sites; collect authentic materials for classroom use; receive training in the use of new media technologies; and collaborate in creating media-based materials (films, videos, computer programs) for use in their classrooms and for dissemination to colleagues across the US at conferences, workshops, and other venues.

Participants will spend three weeks studying at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute in Urawa; visiting schools and other cultural sites; and collecting materials for use in preparing classroom units. In addition, they will attend a three-day pre-departure workshop in Los Angeles, receiving orientation and training in classroom technology, and three days at a post-return workshop (also in Los Angeles) developing and completing media-based classroom projects.

Completion of this institute will entitle participating teachers to receive continuing education credits (6.5 quarter units or 4.33 semester units) from the University of California at Los Angeles. The cost of these credits (estimated at $350) will be borne by participants; other costs of the program will be covered by the Japan Foundation and by the Alliance.

The exact dates of travel to Japan and of the pre- and post- workshops are tentative and contingent upon grant funding. The expected start date is June 30, and the ending date is August 4, 2004.

The deadline for applying for this program is January 15, 2004. An application for this program is enclosed with this issue of the Newsletter. Copies are available from the ATJ/ Alliance office upon request (atj@colorado.edu). Please let colleagues in K-12 programs know about this professional development opportunity.