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SUPTS. MEMO. NO. 153
October 10, 1997 |
| TO: | Division Superintendents |
| FROM: | Richard T. La Pointe
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
| SUBJECT: | National Board Certification |
During the 1996 General Assembly session, funding was appropriated to establish an incentive grant program for teachers seeking certfication from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The appropriation includes $75,000 for each year of the biennium. This funding will provide seventy-five $1,000 grants to pay half of the $2,000 cost of applying for National Board certification. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, created in 1987, is designed to complement, not replace, existing state licensure procedures for teachers. The National Board certification system involves three elements: standards (establishing professional consensus about what teachers should know and be able to do), assessment (providing a valid and accessible means to evaluate teachers against the standards), and professional developmemt (providing teachers with the opportunity to strengthen their practice through self-examination). During the 1997-1998 school year seven certificates will be offered by the National Board. Three of the certificates are generalists:Early Childhood/Generalist, Middle Childhood/Generalist and Early Adolescence/Generalist. The other four certificates offered are for teachers of specific subject areas--Early Adolescence/English Language Arts; Early Adolescence through Adulthood/Art; Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Mathematics and Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science. Individuals interested in seeking an incentive grant must have an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, have completed three years' teaching experience, and be employed as a teacher in Virginia. Teachers who are interested in seeking National Board Certification may complete the attached form to receive information to apply for the $1,000 grants. The forms should be mailed or faxed to Thomas A. Elliott, Assistant Superintendent for Compliance, Department of Education, by November 1, 1997. Contact Dr. Elliott at (804) 371-2522 for further information regarding National Board certification. RTL/sa Attachment: A hard copy of this memo and its attachment will be sent to the superintendent's office.