Contact: Maridith Geuder
A state-supported effort to increase the number of national board-certified teachers in Mississippi is improving instruction, increasing parental involvement and enhancing awareness of teaching as a profession.
Those are among the conclusions found in a recent Mississippi State study conducted by Peggy A. Swoger and Jack Blendinger that examined the impact of 1997-2000 state legislative policies on schools, teachers and students. Swoger directs the university's World Class Teaching Program, while Blendinger is a professor of educational leadership.
Mississippi, which just announced its 2002 list, ranks among the top 10 states nationally in the number--more than 1,400--of National Board of Professional Teaching-certified teachers. State legislative incentives for certification include a $6,000 annual supplement, reimbursement of fees for candidates who complete the effort and a statewide mentoring program available at MSU and five other universities.
The year-long voluntary process for K-12 teachers is rigorous, requiring the development of an extensive instructional portfolio and the completion of a written test. During the time period covered by the MSU study, more than 1,000 Mississippi teachers earned certification.
Titled "An Investigation of National Board Certification in Mississippi, 1997-2000," the report also drew on data from the state Department of Education and the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.
Swoger said MSU was the initial mentoring location for certification, with subsequent expansion to other state universities. She has headed MSU's program since 1996.
Using a mixed research design that incorporated descriptive and qualitative data, the analysis by Swoger and Blendinger drew on more than 360 questionnaires, as well as personal interviews with principals, superintendents and national board-certified teachers.
"By involving teachers and administrators in the survey, we had several clear goals in mind," Swoger explained.
Blendinger said the project was designed specifically to:
--Gauge the impact of school district participation and support for certification;
--Quantify the relationship between district performance levels and the number of board-certified teachers;
--Examine the role of the statewide mentoring program and changes in teaching practice; and
--Measure the impact of certification on professional leadership and student development.
Swoger said, among other things, their survey finds that:
--More than 30 percent of board-certified teachers are in districts deemed "excellent" by the state. Conversely, those districts on probation or "warned" status have only 1 percent of board-certified teachers and show little involvement in the certification process.
--More than 80 percent of school districts have participated in the effort and currently employ at least one national board candidate. Overall, 66 percent of candidates succeeded in gaining certification, with some 90 percent of this group having received university mentoring.
--Approximately 96 percent of those certified continue to teach, with more than 90 percent of this group reporting improved personal teaching methods and practices.
--Nearly 90 percent of those certified hold one or more leadership roles in their district, including the mentoring of other candidates or first-year teachers, among other capacities.
While the study provides encouraging numbers, Swoger said "there remains much that can be done to ensure the skills of national board-certified teachers are used to expand opportunities for improving teaching in all of the state's school districts."
Looking to the future, the study recommends, among other things, continued legislative funding for incentives, increased opportunities for certified teachers to partner with administrators in decision-making, formulation of state certification recruitment policies for under-represented teachers and districts, and creation of an informal state network of certified teachers.
For more information about the study, contact Swoger at (662) 325-7070 or pswoger@preps.msstate.edu. To access a PowerPoint presentation of the study, visit http://www.educ.msstate.edu/wctp/index.html and select "Slide Show."