National Teacher Certification: Lots of Money and Fuss for Little Benefit

Since 1994, North Carolina has been providing millions in state funds to teachers who apply for and receive National Board Certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The program, started by former North Carolina Gov. James Hunt (D), seeks to improve the quality of teachers and thereby student learning. North Carolina offers teachers seeking certification up to three days paid leave, an upfront payment of $2,500 for test preparation fees and 15 continuing graduation credits. When a teacher receives full National Board Certification, he or she is also immediately eligible for a 12 percent increase in salary.

For the past 12 years, North Carolina has led the nation in the number of National Board Certified Teachers. According to a December 16 press release from the Department of Public Instruction, 15,695 North Carolina teachers are now National Board Certified. In the past year, an additional 1,509 teachers received certification.  

What are the benefits of NBPTS? According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Web site, certification “improves teaching and student learning.” The site also mentions, “National Board Certification was recently recognized by the National Research Council as having a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention and professional development.”  Bill Harrison, chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Education, has said, “When teachers work this hard to build their skills and knowledge, our students reap many rewards from their efforts.” 

While education officials have been quick to tout the benefits of national board certification for teachers, direct improvements to student learning have been hard to find. ¹

Proponents of national certification readily point to results of a 2008 study conducted by the respected National Research Council . They say the study – which focused primarily on teachers in Florida and North Carolina, two states with high numbers of nationally certified teachers – shows that students of nationally certified teachers do better than students whose teachers do not have the credential.

However, it seems that advocates of national certification are “cherry picking” the NRC study.   While the NRC study acknowledges a difference in learning, the measured language of the NRC report hardly qualifies as an endorsement. It reads, “We see a relationship between board certification and student achievement, although the relationship is not strong and is not consistent across contexts.”   

While researchers indeed detected a difference in student learning between groups taught by teachers with and without national certification, researchers seemed to be at odds over the magnitude and impact of the difference. ²

After looking more closely at the data, researchers said the actual difference on test scores for North Carolina teachers and students came down to a point on a test with a mean score of about 150.³ The NRC final report reflected these shortcomings when it stated:

“Our review of the research, however, suggests that there is not yet compelling evidence that the existence of the certification program has had a significant impact on the field, teachers, students, or the education system.”

Another element pertinent to the discussion over national certification is what happens to teachers once they acquire the credential? Again, researchers who analyzed North Carolina data found when teachers gain certification, they actually change jobs at rates higher than applicants who do not have the certification. In addition, researchers also found that NBPTS teachers usually end up teaching in schools that have higher levels of student achievement and lower poverty.⁴ For a listing of NBPTS teachers in North Carolina by county click here.  

Last week, the Department of Public Instruction reported the number of teachers making application for national certification had risen from 2,303 in 2008 to 5,885 in 2009, an increase of 155 percent (Jonathan will make the PDF link here). The dramatic increase is likely traceable to a couple of factors. First, the economic downturn has fueled an increase in the number of teachers pursuing certification; possibly as a faster route to a significant pay raise. Second, next year a new state law takes effect which ends state reimbursement for applicant preparation costs. Beginning in 2010, applicants will either have to pay the costs out of their own pocket or apply for a state loan to help with costs.  

These changes come with significant fiscal impacts. In 2009, North Carolina appropriated only $3.2 million to reimburse application costs. However, actual costs will reach $14.7 million. Upon receiving certification, teachers receive an immediate 12 percent increase in salary. Last year, on average, NBPTS teachers received approximately $527 per month more in salary than the average teacher.⁵ Utilizing the data in the table listed below, we can calculate 11,314 teachers earn approximately $62.4 million in supplemental pay as a result of national certification. With nearly 1,509 new teachers added to the certified ranks in 2009, total costs are sure to rise.

The economic downturn heightens competition for every public tax dollar. While improving teacher quality is an important way to raise student learning, North Carolina should rethink its commitment toward funding a costly program that fails to demonstrate consistent benefits or a strong link to enhanced student achievement. 

NBPTS History in North Carolina6
Year	Teachers	Experience	NBPTS Pay	Average Salary
2003	4,775	16.3	$474.71	$4,429.35
2004	6,002	16.4	$475.76	$4,437.48
2005	7,399	16.6	$480.61	$4,485.65
2006	8,582	16.7	$493.34	$4,604.88
2007	9,604	16.9	$527.47	$4,923.06
2008	10,478	16.9	$545.91	$5,095.18
2009	11,314	17.0	$552.16	$5,153.49

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