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We are pleased to announce and recognize twenty dynamic teachers that
have received national recognition for accomplished teaching through
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

The National Board Certified Teachers® 2006 - 2008

A Rewarding Professional Development
Program for Teachers

1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
5. Teachers are members of learning communities

NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IN NEW JERSEY

The New Jersey candidate Subsidy Applications are being accepted for January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.  The total cost of the National Board Certification process is $2500.00. 
State funds in the amount of $625.00 will be allocated to candidates who apply during this period.  $625.00 must be paid by the candidate when completing and submitting the National Board Application and the New Jersey Candidate Subsidy Application (http://www.nbpts.org/UserFiles/File/NJ_Application.pdf).  
Please note:  In accordance with federal appropriation guidelines, federal funds of $1250 may not be available to candidates during the time period of January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.  Should a candidate obtain the National Board Certification (within the 36 month timeframe as outlined by the National Board), state funds in the amount of $625.00 will be reimbursed to the candidate at that time, or in the instance where a school district paid the $625.00, the district would receive the reimbursement.

Guidelines for Application

1. Contact the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Academic and Professional Standards, for a National Board Application and a New Jersey Candidate Subsidy Program Application by calling (609) 292-0189 or email at victoria.duff@doe.state.nj.us.
2. To learn more about this exciting high-quality professional development opportunity, it is suggested you attend an upcoming National Board Awareness and Recruitment session sponsored by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Business Coalition for Educational Excellence. For more information please contact the chamber at (609) 989-7888 or visit the National Support Network web site for dates, locations and registration information at http://www.nbsupportnetwork.org/. The National Support Network provides awareness sessions about the National Board program, the application process and how to obtain graduate school credit (for additional fees) through Thomas Edison State College. National Board Certified Teachers are available to mentor teacher applicants during the certification process.
3. For teachers interested in becoming an Assessor for National Board, please visit the National Board Web site at http://www.nbpts.org/ or call 1-800 - 22-TEACH.
4. For more information, contact:

   Victoria Duff, NBPTS Subsidy Coordinator
   New Jersey Department of Education
   Division of Educational Programs and Assessment
   Office of Academic and Professional Standards
   100 River View Plaza, Third Floor
   P. O. Box 500
   Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0500
   Phone: (609) 292-0189
   Fax: (609) 292-7276
   Email: victoria.duff@doe.state.nj.us

To qualify for National Board certification at the time you apply, you must meet the following criteria:

• Baccalaureate degree
• A minimum of three years teaching or school counselor experience
• Possession of a valid state teaching/school counselor license for those three years

In instances where a license is not required, a candidate must have taught in schools recognized and approved to operate by the State. Some certificates may also have specific requirements that candidates must follow to document teaching performance.

T here are currently twenty-seven certificates available. Please review the following certificates to determine the area applicable to you.

27 Certificates

Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Health Education
Early Childhood/Generalist
Middle Childhood/Generalist
Early Adolescence/Generalist
Early and Middle Childhood/Art
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Art
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Career and Technical Education
Early Adolescence/English Language Arts
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/English Language Arts
Early and Middle Childhood/English as a New Language
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/English as a New Language
Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Exceptional Needs Specialist
Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Library Media
Early Adolescence/Mathematics
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Mathematics
Early and Middle Childhood/Music
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Music
Early and Middle Childhood/Physical Education
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/Physical Education
Early Adolescence/Science
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science
Early Adolescence/Social Studies-History
Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Social Studies-History
Early and Middle Childhood/World Languages Other than English
Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/World Languages Other than English
Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/School Counseling
Early and Middle Childhood/Literacy: Counseling reading-Language Arts

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Candidate Subsidy Support Sites

The purpose of the candidate support site is to provide critical technical assistance for teachers as they develop their National Board portfolios, classroom videos and prepare for the assessment. We anticipate and encourage you to attend a support site in your area. Please contact the candidate support leaders to determine hours of operation.

For More information visit http://www.bcee.org/National%20Boards/Home.htm

There are a total of 110 National Board Certified Teachers in the state of New Jersey.   National Board Certified Teachers, having received the highest honor the profession can bestow, serve as role models and spokesperson in the effort to strengthen the teaching profession.  National Board Certified Teachers play a key role in their districts and the state to restructure curriculum, assist new teachers, redesign programs and help to implement innovative teaching strategies.  We commend the efforts of New Jersey's National Board Certified Teachers.

F Click here to search for candidates.

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How was the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards established?

RESPONSE:
The National Board was established in 1987, as a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit organization. Its mission is to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The goal of the board is to develop and operate a national voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet those standards and to advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools.

Why has the state of New Jersey embraced the National Board Certification program?

RESPONSE:
In September 2000, New Jersey implemented a continuing education initiative for teachers and educational services personnel. All licensed teachers and educational service personnel are required to complete 100 hours of professional development every five years. The National Board certification experience represents an excellent professional development opportunity for teachers. The National Board would be an excellent program for teachers to consider to satisfy this new requirement.

What is the length of time that it takes for a teacher to complete the program?

RESPONSE:
The portfolios are designed to take at least four months to complete. Teachers report they spend about 200-400 hours to complete the certification process. The assessment center day, typically consists of six 30-minute sessions, with different prompts or questions administered during each session.

What advice would you provide to those who seek National Board Certification?

RESPONSE:
Dedication is important. The program is very rigorous. The National Board candidates that have attempted national certification can attest to the fact that the process is difficult, yet very rewarding and allows teachers to reflect upon their individual styles of teaching.

What is the percentage of persons who actually earn National Board Certification?

RESPONSE:
The percentage of candidates who actually attain National Board certification is about 50%. A procedure is available to retake certain sections of the assessment to obtain a higher score if needed. It may be significant to note that attending local candidate support sites would be beneficial in providing support in the area of portfolio development and assistance with assessment questions.

What are the incentives, or benefits, of earning National Board Certification?

RESPONSE:
Numerous teachers have testified to the impact that the National Board certification program has had on their own teaching and learning experiences. For many teachers, the program represents the first time that they have systematically analyzed both what they teach and why they teach the way they do.

What is the duration of the certification?

RESPONSE:
National Board certificates are issued for a period of ten years.

When will I be notified whether or not I have been successful in earning National Board Certification?

RESPONSE:
A final scaled score will be computed only for candidates who have submitted responses to all of the entries and exercises. To achieve national certification, candidates are required to meet the performance standard of 275 points.

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The National Board certification process is accomplished in two parts. The first part consists of the development of a portfolio which is completed by each teacher within the context of the classroom setting. The portfolio includes student work, videotapes and other teaching artifacts. (For example, a photograph might show students displaying a finished project. Additionally, copies of journal entries written by the students after the project ended may reveal additional information about what the students learned during that lesson.)
The portfolio consists of several different entries, each of which requires direct evidence of some aspect of the teacher's work and an analytical commentary on that evidence.

There are typically four different classroom-based entries which ask candidates to videotape classroom interactions (one of which has the class organized into small groups), and ask candidates to collect student work of particular kinds. In addition to completing the classroom-based entries, candidates are required to document their work with families, community, and colleagues.

The assessment process consists of a full day of assessment exercises that are focused on content and pedagogical knowledge. The assessment center exercises are designed to complement the portfolio and are organized around challenging teaching issues. The exercises may be simulations of situations to which teachers typically must respond or explore particular questions on content topics and issues. The assessment center exercises are administered at more than 230 testing centers across the United States during the summer. Candidates are provided with the opportunity to complete their assessment using a word-processor to produce responses to the assessment center exercises.

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