3 teachers earn national board certification

With three added to the ranks this week, the School Board of Highlands County now has a total of 55 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT).

That number of new nationally certified teachers in the county is down considerably from the peak last year, when 11 teachers earned national board certification.

The latest teachers who successfully completed the rigorous voluntary assessment program are:

• Donna Crain of Memorial Elementary School, certified in literacy, reading/language arts in early/middle childhood.

• Raquel Melendez of Avon Elementary School, certified in literacy, reading/language arts in early/middle childhood.

• Cheryl Moffat of the Career Academy, certified in science/adolescence and young adulthood.

Florida continues its progress in advancing the National Board Certification education reform movement with 651 new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) this year. The state ranked fifth nationwide in the number of teachers achieving board certification this year and ranks second in the total number of NBCTs over time (13,281).

But with the faltering economy, the state no longer pays for 90 percent of the $2,500 application fee, which has led to a drop in the number of teachers seeking national certification. The state had 1,826 new National Board Certified teachers last year.

Teachers who choose to pursue national certification take a series of tests and submit a portfolio with videotaped classroom lessons. The process takes one to three years and fewer then half of those who apply are awarded with national certification.

Those who do achieve national certification are eligible for an annul bonus of nearly $5,000 for 10 years.

In a congressionally mandated report, the National Research Council (NRC) confirmed that 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.

The national certification is awarded by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization. It was formed in 1987 to advance the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards.