EdTechBytes

Most research examining the effectiveness of National Board certification rely on data from standardized tests. These tests vary by state and many would argue are no more than simple multiple choice tests that fail to assess higher level thinking skills. This raises many questions. Do these standardized tests capture the teaching quality of teachers who can help students learn content on a much deeper level? How generalizable are the findings of the research when making decisions on a local or school level?


From an academic point of view, this ambiguity is terrific for justifying more research. For practioners, this ambiguity may lead to confusion, misunderstanding, or maybe even misrepresentation.


David Cohen writes a good summary of the presentation here on Teacher Magazine.

For those of us who work in technology, late May/ early June is online testing month for our students. And for most teachers pursuing National Board, May and June is typically the time most take their online assessment. To any teachers who want some informal  practice, I made this site a few years ago to help the candidates in my prep courses. 

So best wishes to all those taking those online tests.