What Can We Do to Support NBPTS in Our School?

A Timeline for School Leaders

Recruiting / Candidate Support / Retake Candidate Support / NBCT Leadership
Your role: Build awareness, provide resources, strategically target teachers to seek NBC, and offer public support for NBC. / Your role: Allocate time for candidates and NBCT mentors to work together, enable candidates to access the facilities and resources, provide encouragement and public validation. For retake candidates, it is also critical to validate their teaching prior to and at the time of the announcement and to encourage those who do not succeed to continue their commitment. / Your role: Provide NBCTs opportunities to participate in PD and serve as leaders, mentors, professional development providers
August / Share information about NBC with all staff and PTA/PTO. / Arrange for technical assistance for candidates.
Communicate with parents to support candidates and sign video release forms. / Arrange a meeting between principal and NBCTs.
September / Hold informational meetings to recruit fall candidates.Make final arrangements for candidate support. / Meet with candidates to ask what they need for support. / Meet with principal/NBCT Team to arrange for NBCT-led PD, mentoring, and committee leadership.
October / Disseminate information about National Board Certification. / Meet or send encouraging notes/emails to current candidates. / Meet with Candidates-in-Waiting to offer support once they are notified by NBPTS in November. / Plan December celebration for those who will achieve in November.
November
/ Identify groups of teachers to target for spring recruitment. / Meet or send encouraging notes/emails to current candidates.Provide substitutes for candidates to work. / As NBPTS notifies candidates, meet or send messages to candidates noting their accomplishment support for their accomplished teaching. / Meet with NBCTs to finalize the celebration for those who achieved certification.
December / Plan Recruitment Strategies for Spring beginning in February. / Attend mentor session with NBCTs and candidates to learn about the work of the candidates. / Meet with retake candidates to offer support and validate teaching. / Host a celebration for newly named NBCTs
January / Send messages about spring recruitment. Ask NBCTs/candidates to speak at a faculty meeting about the value of NBC process to teaching/learning. / Offer to be a host site for candidate support next year.
Arrange substitutes for first-time candidates to work. / Meet with retake candidates to offer support.
Arrange substitutes for retake candidates to work. / Meet with NBCTs to plan awareness sessions at faculty meetings, department and grade level meetings.
February / Host awareness informational sessions to recruit candidates. / Meet or send notes or emails to support current candidates. / Meet or send notes or emails to support current candidates. / Meet NBCTs about effectiveness of leadership roles.
March / Follow up recruitment with announcement of application process and support for becoming a candidate. / Celebrate with candidates as they pack portfolios. Meet to identify assessment center needs. / Celebrate with candidates as they pack portfolios. Meet to identify assessment center needs.
April / Host additional informational meetings or arrange release time for NBCTs to talk with potential candidates. / Meet or send emails/notes to candidates as they prepare for the Assessment Center. / Meet or send emails/notes to retake candidates as they prepare for the Assessment Center. / Meet with NBCTs to identify successes and needs in PD for candidates and teachers.
May / Disseminate information and continue to recruit candidates.
Meet with newly recruited candidates to kick-off and identify needs for next year. / Arrange substitutes for current candidates to prepare for assessment center.Meet with NBCTs to arrange a Jumpstart Session to help candidates prepare in the summer. / Meet or send emails/notes to retake candidates as they prepare for the Assessment Center. / Meet with NBCTs to plan leadership opportunities for next year.
June / Meet with NBCTs to arrange recruitment activities for August and September. / Host a Jumpstart Session. Arrange next year’s schedules and support for candidates.Contact candidates to celebrate assessment center. / Contact candidates to celebrate assessment center completion.

Adaptations Made by Dr. Lynn Gaddis for Statewide Distribution 2008

From “Building Teams of National Board Certified Teachers” sponsored by the Chicago Public Education Fund