Common sense and research both tell us that good teachers are the single most important variable in student achievement. That is why the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requires states to ensure that all kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers are "highly qualified" by 2006 -- meaning they must hold at least a bachelor's degree, have a state certification or pass a state licensure exam, and demonstrate competence in each subject they teach.
In general, the best teachers continue to work in the best schools -- the suburban schools that middle-class and affluent students attend -- not the struggling urban schools where disadvantaged kids are heavily concentrated. The Bush administration has done little to help steer good teachers to the schools that need them most. John Kerry has proposed an innovative plan to pay teachers more, but ask more of them in return, and to reward teachers for teaching in the schools and subjects where we need them most.
There is a pool of more than 32,000 talented teachers and a state funding stream of at least $100 million per year that could help turn that around. The teachers are those who have earned "master teacher" certifications from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The money is what 30 states and the District of Columbia are paying them every year in salary bonuses. My home state of Delaware, for example, offers a 12 percent salary increase for board-certified teachers.
States should take a fresh look at those board-certification incentives to make sure they are aligned with the goal of improving struggling schools. Ideally, states should start tying bonuses directly to full-time service in high-poverty or low-performing schools. But short of that, states could condition some bonuses on part-time service in schools that need improvement. For example, board-certified teachers who work in high-performing schools could mentor teachers in lower-performing schools or lead professional development activities during the summer.
The NBPTS is an independent nonprofit organization that receives funding from the federal government and private sources to set and maintain advanced standards for teachers. Under the system the board has developed, master teachers must have at least three years of experience and pass a qualification process that includes both a written test and a portfolio of evidence showing their teaching skills. Research shows that this system successfully identifies highly effective teachers. A study conducted by the University of Washington and the Urban Institute found that board-certified teachers have a greater impact on student achievement than teachers without board certifications, or teachers who seek board certifications but do not earn them.
But research also shows that few board-certified teachers work in the schools that really need their skills. Struggling schools that serve disadvantaged and hard-to-teach children have the least experienced, least prepared teachers. And when teachers in those schools gain more experience and improve their skills, they often leave for more lucrative and enjoyable jobs in the suburbs.
If state and local policymakers are going to meet the school improvement goals set by NCLB, they need to counter those trends. Overhauling the incentive structure for board-certified teachers would help.
States can take several approaches.
By more heavily targeting incentives toward teachers who are working in the schools that need them most, policymakers can also make those incentives more attractive. In California, for example, board-certified teachers who work full time in low-performing schools receive a $20,000 bonus that is paid out over four years. In New York, board-certified teachers who teach in low-performing schools and mentor new teachers receive annual bonuses of $10,000 for three years. Both of these incentives are larger than those offered in most other states -- and teachers are only eligible if they work in low-performing schools.
States can also draw on board-certified teachers to serve on school improvement teams or take part in other efforts to help low-performing schools improve, even if they do not work in those schools full time. In Illinois, all board-certified teachers are eligible for a $3,000 annual incentive, but those who mentor teachers in low-performing schools receive an additional $3,000 a year.
Because of strong union and philanthropic support for national board certification, states may also have the opportunity to stretch incentives by partnering with unions, philanthropies, and the private sector to generate matching funds.
Board-certified teachers cannot be expected to turn around failing schools or solve the nationwide teacher quality problem on their own. But policymakers can use state policies and incentive programs to make them an important part of the solution.
