Transference of National Board Certification Capabilities and Mind-Sets to Teacher Leader Roles

• In Event: Multiple Pathways to Teacher Leadership: Elevating the Profession

Abstract

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has certified over 112,000 accomplished teachers through a set of evidence-based portfolios and examination exercises. It is less clear, however, how these teachers have been used systematically to lead the profession, an original vision of the Board. This exploratory interview-based study explored the intersection between National Board Certification and formal teacher leader roles. Forty-three mentors, coaches, and Peer Assistance and Review consulting teachers said that they developed or demonstrated instructional capabilities and mindsets that they subsequently transferred to their work as teacher leaders. Contextual factors, they reported, influenced how they were able to work with teachers to develop similar skills. The study includes implications for policy, practice, and further research.

Author

• Kelly Cannard, Harvard University (alum)