Browse Studies

The Impact of National Board Certified Teachers on Low-Performing Schools

Institution:
SRI International

Principal Investigator:
Humphrey, D.C., Koppich, J.E., Hough, H.J.

Date:
November 2004

Study Overview:

It is a commonly understood problem in education that many highly qualified teachers tend to gravitate toward higher-performing schools, including schools with lower minority enrollments and lower incidence of poverty. This project explores the distribution of a subset of teachers- National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) - and asks: To what extent do these teachers' assignment choices mirror the pattern of their non-certified colleagues and to what extent are they different?

Part of a larger study of NBCTs in lower-performing schools, the research examines the distribution of NBCTs in the six states: California, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina. The research finds that, with the exception of California, NBCTs are not equitably distributed across schools that serve different populations of students. In five of the six states examined, poor, minority, and lower-performing students are far less likely to benefit from the teaching of an NBCT than are their more affluent, majority, and higher-performing peers.

The study explores some possible explanations for the California distribution pattern as well as the kinds of incentives provided across the states for teachers to seek Board Certification and for those who achieve it. The authors conclude with a rationale and a set of policy suggestions for realigning the distribution of NBCTs.

Main Research Questions:

1. How can educators identify the contributions of NBCTs among the many influences and mitigating factors associated with the school-change process?

Publications:

• Full text of study (PDF - 455 kb)

Subject Area:
NBCT Impact On Low-Performing Schools