59 more isle teachers earn National Board certification

An additional five dozen Hawaii public school teachers have earned an advanced teaching credential this year, joining more than 100,000 teachers nationwide who have obtained the prestigious National Board certification, the state Department of Education announced Monday.

Fifty-nine Hawaii teachers recently earned the certification after a rigorous testing and evaluation program, bringing the state’s total of National Board-certified educators to 469. That represents just over 4 percent of classroom teachers in the isles — higher than the national average of 3 percent for school districts.

The DOE said that over the past three years, Hawaii has seen the fastest growth in the number of so-called National Board Certified Teachers in the nation.

As part of the certification process, teachers need to analyze their teaching context and students’ needs, submit videos of their teaching and provide student work samples that demonstrate growth and achievement, according to the nonprofit Arlington, Va.-based National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

The certification — which costs about $2,500 and involves a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process — is considered the highest mark of accomplishment in the profession, the DOE said.

Studies have shown that students of National Board Certified Teachers outperform students of non-board-certified teachers on achievement tests. In one study these learning gains were equivalent to an extra two months in school.

The 2012 study by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University found that students of National Board-certified teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District made learning gains that, on average, amounted to two months of additional math instruction and one month of additional English language arts instruction.

Wil Okabe, president of the 13,500-member Hawaii State Teachers Association union, praised the teachers’ efforts.

"Teachers care and often work beyond the classroom to improve the practice of teaching that leads to improved student learning and produces real results. The rigorous National Board certification process is one way teachers can work to analyze their practice, improve their own skills, and share best practices with others in the profession," he said in a statement to the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser.

The HSTA; the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, which licenses teachers; and Kame­ha­meha Schools provide administrative and technical support to teachers interested in seeking the credential.

The names of this year’s class of teachers are expected to be released today.