Results of a State Incentive Program on the Supply and Distribution of National Board Certified Teachers

Abstract

Investment in state incentive policies to support National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) prompt consideration of their distribution and retention. This study examines the results of a state’s incentive program for NBCTs, including a targeted bonus for those working in high-poverty schools. A quantitative analysis was conducted of state data using a longitudinal, multi-year design. The analysis included a comparison of NBCTs in high-poverty schools and in schools not identified for an additional bonus. Findings suggest that the proportion and overall supply of NBCTs in high-poverty schools increased over the three-year period. Policy implications regarding the use of incentives are discussed.

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/nlps.

Notes

1. 1. The Washington Initiative was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and Washington Mutual.

2. 2. Prior to 2009, most candidates who applied also were awarded a scholarship to pursue certification. However, in 2009–10, the scholarship was changed to a conditional loan.

3. 3. At the time of this study, the school demographic data were not uniformly available for the final year of analysis (2009–10); consequently, some data elements are not reported for Year Three.

4. 4. We recognize that some NBCTs certified in 2007 may have been in the pipeline in 2006, due in part to the fact that financial incentives have been in place since 2000. In order to understand the increasing numbers, it should be noted that 316 WA NBCTs obtained certification in 2005, 416 in 2006, and 489 in 2007. The largest increase was from 2007 to 2008, when the number of newly certified NBCTs jumped from 489 to 922.

5. 5. “Stayers” are teachers assigned to the same school(s) in the initial school year and also in the subsequent year. “Movers in” are teachers who moved to other schools in the same district, or changed assignment (other than a classroom teacher) within the same district. “Movers out” are teachers who moved to other districts, either as a classroom teacher or in some other role. “Exiters” are teachers who exited the Washington education system, either temporarily or permanently.

6. 6. In 2009–10, the majority of NBCTs (91%) were in classroom teaching positions for at least a portion of their assignment, while the remaining NBCTs worked in other support, specialist, or administrative roles, such as counselor, library media specialist, or administrator.

7. 7. Based on school locale codes as defined by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

8. 8. By examining the percentage of students scoring at or above grade level in reading and math, we found a difference of 9 percentage points in reading and 7 percentage points in math between the proportion of NBCTs serving in these schools compared with other Washington teachers. Unfortunately, this data set does not allow us to examine the distribution of NBCTs within schools at the student level. At the time of this study, it was not possible to measure the extent to which NBCTs or other classroom teachers were associated with gains made by the students they taught.

9. 9. Among the schools on the state’s school improvement lists (persistently lowest achieving schools identified as Tier I or II), all 26 Tier I schools and 19 of the 21 Tier II schools also were identified as challenging schools. In our analysis of the challenging schools, very few of the schools served students who scored at or above the state mean on 4th, 7th, or 10th grade reading or mathematics assessments in any given year.