National Board Certification Available for Teachers of World Languages Other than English

In November 2002, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards granted the designation of National Board Certified Teacher to the first 137 pioneering teachers of World Languages Other than English. These accomplished teachersŐ achievements have met the benchmarks for quality teaching in the field. Only two years ago, the National Board approved standards for teachers of World Languages Other than English, paving the way for teachers in this field to engage in the rigorous professional development process leading to National Board Certification. Assessments for teachers of Latin and Japanese are now available, in addition to the previously introduced assessments for teachers of Spanish, French and German.

Research demonstrates that quality instruction from highly qualified teachers is important; accomplished teachers help students to reach high standards of learning. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards¨, founded in 1987, is taking the lead by setting standards for accomplished teachers and creating 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.

Why go through National Board Certification?
Teachers who have been through the rigorous process of National Board Certification often comment that it is one of the best professional development experiences in their teaching careers. The process allows teachers to engage in analytic study of their classroom practice as teachers. Teacher reflection becomes an embedded habit as a result. For some teachers, the intrinsic rewards of this opportunity are an end in itself. Others are recognized with financial incentives that substantially enhance their salaries. Districts often are able to retain high quality teachers in the classroom with financial incentives, alleviating the attrition of good teachers to other positions in and out of teaching. National Board Certification can open the doors to many teacher leadership opportunities while allowing these teachers to continue to do what they do best: teach. NBCTs speak at professional conferences, support professional growth in other teachers, work as part of their school communities to enhance student outcomes, and promote teaching as a professional career.

A recent study comparing National Board Certified Teachers to teachers who had not achieved this distinction concluded that National Board Certified Teachers significantly outperformed the comparison group on eleven of thirteen key dimensions of teaching expertise (UNC, Greensboro, 2000). With such promising findings, there are powerful reasons to encourage teachers to engage in this process. Students derive the benefits from the expert teaching of National Board Certified Teachers, teacher education programs can confidently place interns in the classrooms of these model teachers, and new teachers can count on knowledgeable mentoring from these accomplished colleagues.

What is included in the portfolio?
National Board Certification is a performance-based assessment, where teachers demonstrate how they meet National Board Standards for their teaching field through a portfolio of their work. The portfolio consists of four separate entries, each of which calls for standards-based evidence of different elements of their teaching practices. Three of the entries ask candidates for National Board Certification to showcase specific aspects of their classroom instruction. Teachers submit videotapes, student work samples, and other materials from their classroom teaching and a detailed commentary that gives context for the evidence they submit. The fourth entry is a documentation of accomplishments, in which candidates describe how their work with families, the community, and other professionals have impacted their studentsŐ learning.

What do the Assessment Center Exercises involve?
The assessment center, a second portion of the certification process, consists of six thirty-minute exercises and assesses selected content knowledge. Assessment center exercises involve content recognized by foreign language organizations to be essential proficiencies for all educators in world language instruction: knowledge of the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communicative modes and the linguistic system; and knowledge of language acquisition.

To demonstrate oral proficiency, teachers will respond on tape in the target language to scenarios presented in English, providing accurate and full responses about contextualized social, practical, professional, and abstract topics. This exercise is scheduled separately from the other five exercises, and is completed in the presence of a test administrator, who does the recording. For the remaining five exercises, candidates go to Prometric Testing Centers where prompts are delivered by computer. Candidates are given up to 30 minutes per exercise to handwrite or type constructed responses to exercises that require them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills relating to interpretation of spoken language, written language, communication in writing, language acquisition theory, and knowledge of how languages work.

Where can I learn more?
Presentations on National Board Certification for teachers of World Languages have been offered at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, as well as each of the regional conferences. In addition, a number of the member language organizations have held sessions on National Board Certification specific to teachers of the World Languages represented by their organizations. In addition, a number of listservs have been initiated by those interested in supporting teachers through the three-year process of certification.

Am I eligible?
Teachers are eligible to enter the National Board Certification process if they hold a baccalaureate degree, have taught for a minimum of three years and have held a valid state teaching license (if required) during those three years. The National Board Certification process is an opportunity for teachers to reflect upon their practice, analyze student work and describe their deliberate and intentional instructional decisions based upon their understanding of student learning. The portfolio assessment allows educators to showcase how they meet National Board Standards in visible and multifaceted ways. Teachers actively practicing in the field score all assessments.

How can I apply?
Applications for National Board Assessment are available online and by mail. Fee support is available to help defray the $2300 application cost. For more information about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, fee support, or for an application contact:

Telephone: 1-800-22 TEACH
Web site: www.nbpts.org

* This project is funded in part with grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Through September 2002, NBPTS has been appropriated federal funds of $119.3 million, representing approximately 45 percent of the National Board Certification project. More than $143.0 million (55 percent) of the project's cost will be financed by non-governmental sources.

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