• About National Board Certification
• Current National Board Certified Teachers In The Brandywine School District
• Support for Candidates
  

National Board Certification® measures a teacher's practice against high and rigorous standards. The process is an extensive series of performance-based assessments that includes teaching Portfolios, student work samples, videotapes and thorough analyses of the candidates' classroom teaching and student learning. Teachers also complete a series of written exercises that probe the depth of their subject-matter knowledge, as well as their understanding of how to teach those subjects to their students.

Using the core propositions as a foundation, NBPTS Standards further detail what constitutes accomplished teaching in every subject and for students at all stages of their development. For individual teachers, NBPTS standards provide a career-long learning curriculum for accomplished teaching. For the nation, these standards are the keystones in efforts to improve teaching and thereby improve student learning.

Teachers who have participated in National Board Certification have overwhelmingly stated it is the most powerful professional development experience of their careers. They say the experience changes them as professionals and that through the process they deepen their content knowledge and develop, master, and reflect on new approaches to working with their students.

National Board Certification is voluntary and open to all people who have a baccalaureate degree and three years of classroom experience in either a public or private school. It is valid for 10 years, after which a teacher must seek renewal. The fee for National Board Certification is $2300. Three graduate credits will be issued upon completion of the certification work. Six will be issued upon successful completion of the certification. Application for these credits can be found on the NBPTS website.

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• Information meetings are held at the beginning of each year.

• Financial assistance is available.

• A mentor is assigned to support the candidate as they work through the process.

• Upon successful completion of the certification, a 12% increase is given on the state portion of the teacher's salary.

Brandywine School District Support for Candidates:

• Upon successful completion of the certification process, application fee reimbursement is as follows:
  • 2005-2006 --- $2,100
  • 2006-2007 --- $2,300
  • 2007-2008 --- to be determined
• Three Professional Development Days are provided for candidates working on their portfolio completion. Candidates must apply for these professional absences within their building by first getting their principal’s signature, sending their completed form to district office. Candidates must arrange for substitutes if needed.
• Videotaping and microphone assistance can be found by asking the building level technology department.
• BSD National Board Certified Teachers will conduct local support meetings in September, October, November, and December on the following topics:
  
  • Getting started - organizing a timeline
  • Understanding each entry
  • Clarifying the rubrics
  • Videotaping
  • Computer Questions
  • Packing the box
  • Assessment Preparation
  • For more information contact:

Patricia Bigelow, DOE
(302) 739-4686
pbigelow@DOE.k12.de.us