September 13, 2002

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

I know many of you support the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) as a vehicle for teacher professional development and for the recognition of accomplished teachers. I also know many join in our concern that there is virtually no research indicating NBPTS certification enhances teacher effectiveness.

With that in mind, several months ago J.E. Stone, of East Tennessee State University, sent me a study that sharply criticized NBPTS and questioned whether the extra salary paid to Tennessee teachers who have received NBPTS' advanced teacher certification is worth the added cost to the state. (You can view Dr. Stone’s study online at http://www.education-consumers.com/briefs/stoneNBPTS.shtm). If the study was sound, it would have significantly diminished confidence in NBPTS. I asked that the study be reviewed and evaluated by a panel of four nationally prominent researchers, and that the results of its evaluation be shared with you. I have enclosed that report.

Susan Fuhrman, dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, led the review panel. Other members included Dominic Brewer, director of education at the RAND Corporation; Robert Linn, professor of education at the University of Colorado at Boulder and co-director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing; and Ana Maria Villegas, professor of curriculum and teaching at Montclair State University.

Let me emphasize this was a truly independent review. The stature and professionalism of the panel members would have permitted nothing less. The final report, written by Dr. Fuhrman, is a summary of the independent reviews submitted by all four panelists.

You will find the panel concluded that Dr. Stone’s study is based on inadequate data and provides no evidence either for or against the efficacy of NBPTS. The reasoning supporting the panel’s conclusion is discussed within the report, and I hope you will read it carefully.

Even though this review means we have not made new progress toward establishing a solid base of research upon which we can assess the effectiveness of NBPTS, we have had our belief reinforced that research bearing on the important issues facing educators and policymakers must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny prior to its dissemination. We also learned ECS can play a potentially valuable role in ensuring that necessary reviews and analyses occur independently and under the highest of professional standards.

I hope you find the enclosed material valuable. It represents the kind of service ECS is willing to provide as the occasion arises, but we need to know if it is a service that is truly important to you. I can be reached via e-mail (tsanders@ecs.org) or at 303.299.3624 and would greatly appreciate your comments.

Cordially,

Ted Sanders

ECS President