Date of Graduation

5-2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Human Resource and Workforce Development (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

Advisor/Mentor

Kit Kacirek

Committee Member

Kenda Grover

Second Committee Member

Janet Penner-Williams

Keywords

National Board Certification, Professional Leadership, Professional Practice, Quality, Student Achievement, Teacher

Abstract

This study assessed the perceived impact of the National Board Certification program on Arkansas teachers, relative to their professional practice, leadership practice, and students' achievement. An electronic survey was sent out to 2144 Arkansas National Board Certified Teacher (AR NBCTs) and received a 53% response rate. The survey asked AR NBCTs demographic information and questions to determine the factors that influenced them to pursue NB certification. They responded to Likert scale questions about their professional practice, leadership practice, and student achievement, ranking how they perceived each was affected by their participation in National Board Certification. The study found that AR NBCTs are highly influenced by the financial bonus they receive for their certification. They are active teacher leaders who share their content and pedagogical knowledge with other teachers in a variety of ways. Most (94%) remain teaching in the district in which they certified and take on leadership roles. AR NBCTs feel self-reflection was the teaching practice most affected by their participation in the National Board Certification process. They perceived that the National Board Certification process has "highly affected" their professional practice (M = 4.1), and has "moderately affected" their students' achievement (M = 3.99) and professional leadership

(M = 3.7).

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