6 teachers become nationally certified

By Harold Gwin

Ohio has nearly six times as many certified teachers as neighboring Pennsylvania.

YOUNGSTOWN — Six area school teachers have earned the highest credential awarded in the teaching profession.

The teachers, four from Ohio and two from Pennsylvania, have been named National Board Certified Teachers by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

They are among 9,600 teachers nationwide named as members of the Class of 2008, bringing the number of teachers in the United States who have achieved the National Board Certification to more than 74,000.

This year’s class includes 175 teachers from Ohio and 123 from Pennsylvania.

Studies have shown that students taught by National Board Certified Teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by teachers who have not applied and those who did not achieve certification.

“National Board Certification is a sound investment, a force in student achievement and a factor in teaching excellence that is reshaping teaching and learning in our schools,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, president and chief executive officer of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. “At a time when policymakers, educators and the public at large are looking for ways to improve education, a critical element begins with the quality of the teacher in the classroom.”

Certification is a voluntary process involving an intensive, performance-based assessment that takes more than a year and sometimes as many as three years to complete. It measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.

Candidates must submit portfolios of pupil work, classroom videotapes, evaluations and other documentation to affirm their knowledge of the subject they teach, as well as their ability to teach effectively and measure pupil learning.

The process also includes a lengthy comprehensive exam focusing on classroom practices, pupil assessment and the teacher’s subject area. Certification candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree and have at least three years of classroom experience.

More than two-thirds of the states provide salary incentives and cover the cost for teachers who pursue and achieve this advanced credential.

The certification fee is $2,500 and runs for 10 years.

Ohio, with 2,932 certified teachers, provides $2,200 in scholarship support to first-time candidates and $700 for teachers retaking the certification. The state also provides an annual stipend of $2,500 for up to 10 years for those achieving certification.

Pennsylvania, with 496 certified teachers, provides $2,500 in combined federal and state assistance for first-time candidates and $700 for repeat candidates, but no annual incentive.

gwin@vindy.com