American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence

American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
Name	American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2001
Founder	Bill Bennett
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia
Area served	United States
Mission	Teacher certification alternative

American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a nonprofit organization formed in 2001 to provide alternative pathways to teacher certification and licensure in the United States. The organization operates nationally and interacts with state education agencies, teacher preparation programs, and school districts to place candidates in classrooms. It has been connected with federal and state policy debates involving certification, workforce development, and alternative credentialing for career changers.

History

The organization was founded in 2001 by William J. Bennett and others during debates influenced by policymakers from the George W. Bush administration and education reform advocates like Arne Duncan and Michelle Rhee. Early operations involved collaboration with state legislatures such as the Ohio General Assembly and the Texas Legislature to recognize alternative routes similar to programs promoted by Teach For America and the New Teacher Project. Over time the board engaged with agencies including the U.S. Department of Education and state departments such as the California Department of Education and the Florida Department of Education to align its assessments with varying licensure frameworks. Notable interactions include discourse with national organizations such as the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers during the expansion of certification reciprocity efforts.

Purpose and Mission

The board's stated mission centers on creating expedited certification pathways for prospective teachers, particularly career changers and veterans from organizations like the United States Army and United States Air Force, and for paraprofessionals transitioning from roles in districts such as New York City Department of Education and Los Angeles Unified School District. It frames its aim in terms familiar to policymakers who reference reports from institutions like the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation, and it situates its work amid initiatives by foundations such as the Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The organization positions itself alongside alternative providers like Relay Graduate School of Education and certification schemes discussed by Education Week and the National Education Association.

Certification Programs

Programs offer assessment-based certification in subject areas comparable to traditional routes undertaken at institutions like Columbia University's Teachers College or Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. Pathways typically include online coursework, content assessments, and clinical placements coordinated with school districts such as Chicago Public Schools and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The model has been compared to other alternative pathways including Teach For America corps training, residency models promoted by Stanford University researchers, and state-based emergency certification policies used in places like Arizona and Nevada. Collaborations with higher education bodies such as the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education occasionally appear in discussions of program design.

Standards and Curriculum

Assessment instruments and curriculum materials are aligned with subject frameworks and professional standards referenced by bodies such as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (now part of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. Content examinations reflect standards used by state testing programs like the Praxis Series administered by the Educational Testing Service, and incorporate competencies emphasized in reports from RAND Corporation and The Brookings Institution. The curriculum emphasizes subject mastery for areas taught in schools overseen by districts like Houston Independent School District and Philadelphia School District, with modules developed to mirror expectations found in licensure frameworks adopted by the New Jersey Department of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Accreditation and Recognition

Recognition has varied by state; some licensing bodies such as the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction have accepted alternative certification routes, while other jurisdictions maintained traditional university-based prerequisites exemplified by policies in Connecticut and Massachusetts. National organizations including the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities figure into debates about program quality and reciprocity. Federal engagement, including commentary from congressional committees and exchanges involving the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, influenced recognition trends in the 2000s and 2010s.

Impact and Outcomes

Proponents cite placements in districts such as Denver Public Schools and Baltimore City Public Schools and highlight career changers from corporations like Microsoft and Bank of America entering classrooms through the program, paralleling outcomes tracked by organizations such as the National Center for Education Statistics and researchers from Harvard University and Stanford University. Evaluations compare retention and student achievement metrics against traditional preparation programs studied by Education Week and the American Institutes for Research. Outcomes reported in policy analyses by the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution have been used in state legislative testimony and district hiring decisions.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics have raised concerns similar to those directed at alternative providers like Teach For America and commercialization debates involving entities such as Pearson PLC and McGraw-Hill Education, questioning preparation depth relative to traditional routes at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and University of California, Berkeley. Labor groups such as the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have contested the effects on workforce standards and collective bargaining in districts including Chicago Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District. Academic critiques from scholars at Teachers College, Columbia University and University of Michigan have focused on methodological robustness of outcome studies and alignment with professional standards advocated by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Category:Education in the United States