Teacher effectiveness has become one of the most critical issues facing America’s schools today.  Teaching excellence in Dillon School District Two has taken a step forward following the announcement by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) that Ashley Hardee, a 4-K Teacher at East Elementary and Dana Hayes, a PEC Teacher at South Elementary has achieved National Board Certification in 2010.
A voluntary assessment program designed to develop, recognize and retain accomplished teachers, National Board Certification is achieved through a performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete.  While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each sate, National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices.
“For more than a decade, National Board Certified Teachers have been transforming our nation’s schools by demonstrating effective teaching practice.” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, NBPTS president and chief executive officer.
“I am proud that Ashley Hardee and Dana Hayes are among a select group of excellent teachers nationwide who have achieved National Board Certification.  These outstanding educators are making a positive difference in the lives of students.”
“Like board-certified medical doctors, National Board Certified Teachers have met high standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review,” added Aguerrebere.
NBCTs consistently receive top teaching honors while representing about two percent of the nation’s teaching population.
In the most rigorous and comprehensive study to date about National Board Certification, the non-partisan National Research Council found that students taught by NBCTs make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by other teachers.
National Board Certifications is recognized as a model for identifying accomplished teaching practice and is supported by teachers and administrators nationwide.  All 50 states, the District of Columbia and hundreds of local school districts recognize National Board Certification as a mark of distinction.