Studies Find NBCTs Increase Student Achievement

The third consecutive study has found that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) increase student achievement. The study, conducted by Linda Cavalluzzo of the CNA Corporation (a non-profit research firm), found that students of NBCTs performed significantly better on the math portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, used a large source of student and teacher data from the Miami-Dade County (FL) Public Schools. It revealed that the district’s math teachers who had earned National Board Certification produced much higher gains than those who tried, but did not earn certification. The study demonstrated that NBCTs were especially effective with minority students and those with special needs. Cavalluzzo also found that teachers who possessed regular state teacher certification, in comparison to those who are on an emergency, alternative, or other substandard license, produced much higher test scores. This finding confirms other evidence that teacher education and certification do make a difference for student learning. Although a large number of other teacher quality indicators also predicted student achievement, none had the “effect sizes” of National Board Certification.

This study, along with the previous research conducted by Leslie Vandevoort, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, and David Berliner, published by Educational Policy Analysis Archives, and by Dan Goldhaber and Emily Anthony, published by the Urban Institute, speaks powerfully to the importance of professionalizing teaching to close the achievement gap in America. Given that the study focused on high school math, while the other studies focused on reading and math at the elementary level, the Cavalluzzo study adds significantly to the evidence for investing in National Board Certification.

Read the studies:

Cavalluzzo, L. (2004). Is National Board Certification an Effective Signal of Teacher Quality? Alexandria, VA: CNA Corporation.

Goldhaber, D., & Anthony, E. (2004). Can Teacher Quality be Effectively Assessed? Seattle, WA: Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington.

Vandevoort, L.G., Amrein-Beardsley, A., and Berliner, D (2004). National Board Certified Teachers and Their Students’ Achievement. Educational Policy Analysis Archives.