Joseph Murphy, professor of education at Peabody, is serving as chairman of a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ steering committee overseeing a national effort to develop an advanced certification for educational leaders. This initiative will include an advanced certification for both principals and teacher leaders.
The National Board, the organization that provides advanced standards and certification for classroom-based teachers and other educators, is creating national core propositions and standards for what educational leaders should know and national evidence-based assessments to measure educational leaders against those standards.
“Effective leadership is a critical factor in school success,” Murphy said. “Advanced certification for principals and teacher leaders will support excellence within the profession and, most importantly, promote student success.”
The certification effort is supported by policymakers, administrators, principals and teachers and is expected to launch in 2011.
“The National Board has built strong standards and assessments for advanced teacher certification, which places our organization in a unique position to carry out the same for educational leaders,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, National Board president and CEO. “You can have accomplished teachers in a school building, but creating a collaborative culture of learning and achievement requires the support and leadership of an equally accomplished principal and other teacher leaders.”
In a recent National Board survey, 83 percent of school leader respondents and 69 percent of district leader respondents expressed interest in advanced principal certification. Both school- and district-level leaders were most interested in a certification that would better prepare principals to lead systemic instructional improvement.
National Board certification for K–12 teachers is part of a growing education reform movement that is reshaping the country’s public schools. In a congressionally mandated report, the National Research Council of the National Academies confirmed that National Board certified teachers advance student achievement and learning, stay in the classroom longer, support new and struggling teachers and assume other school-based leadership roles. The research council acknowledged that students taught by National Board certified teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by non-board certified teachers.