STEM Educators Attain Gold Standard of Teaching Certification
Moorestown, N.J., Jan. 26, 2015 – The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) today announced that five of its Fellows achieved National Board Certification in the 2013–2014 assessment cycle. Administered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards(NBPTS), National Board Certification is an advanced credential developed for and by teachers.
Built upon National Board Standards and the Five Core Propositions, National Board Certification requires completion of a stringent, performance-based, peer review process that is much like board certification in the field of medicine. To achieve Board certification, candidates must submit a portfolio of classroom practice that includes samples of student work and video-recorded instruction. Additionally, candidates must successfully complete an assessment of content knowledge.
“KSTF is committed to developing leadership capacity in the teaching profession and supporting teachers to be primary agents of educational improvement,” stated Nicole Gillespie, KSTF Executive Director. “Supporting Fellows to pursue National Board Certification is an important piece of our mission.”
Designed to support high school science and mathematics teachers from the onset of their careers, the five-year KSTF Teaching Fellows Program provides stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials and opportunities for leadership and mentoring. Additionally, KSTF supports National Board candidates by offering financial assistance and participation in a one-year program that includes one-on-one and group meetings, as well as writing support. Each year, the program is run by a Board-certified Fellow who has completed the NBPTS Candidate Support Provider (CSP) Training Program.
“I achieved tremendous professional growth as I worked towards becoming a Board-certified teacher,” commented Alison Espinosa, leader of KSTF’s 2013–2014 National Board support group. “The process of mentoring other Fellows on that same journey has proven to be mutually beneficial.”
The following KSTF Fellows achieved National Board Certification:
– Meg Gildea, Todd Beamer High School, Federal Way, Washington
– London Jenks, Hot Springs County High School, Thermopolis, Wyoming
– Sangeetha Lakshminarayanan, Oakland Unified School District, Oakland, California
– Kirstin Milks, Bloomington High School South, Bloomington, Indiana
– Matthew Randall, Lindberg High School, Renton, Washington
Across the nation, there are more than 110,000 National Board Certified teachers, working in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia. A total of 23 KSTF Fellows have achieved National Board Certification since 2008.
