The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, often referred to as the American Board, was launched with a $5 million federal grant from the
U.S. Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
in 2001.
[Archibald, George, "Paige backs reform in certification of teachers, Washington Times (March 19, 2003) http://www.udel.edu/educ/whitson/897s05/files/Paige%20backs%20reform%20in%20certification%20of%20teachers.htm] The non-partisan,
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
's mission is to certify subject experts, experienced professionals, career changers, and military veterans as teachers and was endorsed by U.S. Education Secretary
Rod Paige.
Shawn Arévalo McCollough serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer.
The online,
alternative teaching certification
Alternative teacher certification is a process by which a person is awarded a teaching license even though that person has not completed a traditional teacher certification program. In the US, traditional teacher certification is earned through com ...
program is approved in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
,
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, and was launched in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
as the Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation in 2013. Former Arizona Governor
Jan Brewer
Janice Kay Brewer (''née'' Drinkwine, formerly Warren; born September 26, 1944) is an American politician and author who was the 22nd governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Brewer is the fourth woman (and was ...
endorsed the program,
which addresses the shortage of math and science teachers in the state.
[Reuters](_blank)
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Mission
The American Board is dedicated to preparing, certifying, and supporting individuals who want to improve their communities by becoming a teacher. The training and certification program is designed to inspire career changers to become a teacher and give them a rigorous and efficient process to achieve their goals.
How it works
The program is entirely online and self-paced. Candidates have 12 months to complete the program, though the average amount of time it takes most candidates is between 7 and 10 months. A bachelor's degree is required for acceptance into the American Board teaching certification program, and participants must pass a background check. Candidates enrolled in the program study for and take two certification exams- one that covers Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) and one that covers subject area knowledge. The program is online, giving candidates the flexibility to work towards earning their certification on their own time. Once candidates earned their certification, they will receive their Passport to Teaching.
Acceptance of certifications
American Board certification is recognized in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Utah. Many charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
and private school
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
s nationwide also recognize the certification. Certification areas are elementary education, English, mathematics, general science, biology, physics, chemistry, U.S. history, world history and special education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
. Availability of certification areas and requirements vary by state.
History
The American Board was founded in 2001 with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
. Developed on the foundation that highly trained and skilled professionals should have the opportunity to pursue a career in teaching, the American Board was created with a mission to give enable qualified individuals a flexible and affordable path to teacher certification in their state.
The first state to accept the American Board certification for its public schools was Pennsylvania, when the State Board of Education adopted it in November 2002. An early study of the American Board teacher certification by Mathematica Policy Research
Mathematica, formerly Mathematica Policy Research, is an American research organization and consulting company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. The company provides data science, social science, and technological services for social policy ...
found the program to be enrolling and screening increasing numbers of candidates with the average age of nearly 40, suggesting candidates are primarily career changers with more work experience than other entry-level teachers. Most candidates were able to find teaching positions soon after finishing the program.
In October 2003, U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige announced the American Board would receive a $35 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
for its continued development of a fast-track route into the teaching profession.
The Idaho State Board of Education approved the American Board program as a route to a full teacher license in November 2003. Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne said should he decide to become a teacher after politics, he would use the American Board program to become a certified teacher.
The Florida State Board of Education approved the American Board program in June 2004. Florida Governor Jeb Bush was a supporter, and President George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
received his teacher certification through an alternative program.
The Utah House Standing Committee introduced HB0110 and, although it did not pass, the American Board program was approved in November 2004 by the Utah State Board of Education.
In December 2004, the New Hampshire Commissioner of Education approved the American Board program.
The Mississippi Professional Standards Board approved the program in July 2006. Governor Haley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour (born October 22, 1947) is an American attorney, politician, and lobbyist who served as the 63rd governor of Mississippi from 2004 to 2012. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as chairman of the Republican ...
said, "In the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, Mississippi faces years of recovery and rebuilding. To ensure that we accomplish our goals, Mississippi communities are working together to improve our schools so that every child in Mississippi has an opportunity to succeed. First and foremost, we must recruit the very best teachers for our students."
In 2006, the U.S. Conference of Mayors
The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayors or other chief elected officials. The organization was founded i ...
adopted alternative certification as a pathway to teaching and cited the American Board.
South Carolina House Bill 3476 was signed into law on June 13, 2007, accepting American Board certification. Governor Mark Sanford said the program would "make a real impact in getting more qualified teachers in our classrooms, and we're pleased to welcome this program to our state."
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed Senate Bill 1066 on May 1, 2008 allowing American Board certificate holders to practice there. The Governor said, "Under the old system, Bill Gates couldn’t teach a class in computer software in a Missouri high school. This bill allows experienced professionals to become certified teachers.""A Victory for Certification"
Show Me Daily (May 5, 2008)
The Oklahoma House passed Senate Bill 582 with a unanimous vote of 99 to zero in April 2009, and it was soon signed into law, making Oklahoma the ninth American Board state.
In July 2009, the American Board announced that the organization's initial grant had drawn to a close and it had reached a financial position that will allow the organization to continue to operate without requesting an extension of these government funds.
The Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation was launched in 2013.
Then Arizona Governor
Jan Brewer
Janice Kay Brewer (''née'' Drinkwine, formerly Warren; born September 26, 1944) is an American politician and author who was the 22nd governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Brewer is the fourth woman (and was ...
endorsed the program,
which addresses the shortage of math and science teachers in the state.
[Gonzales, Angela]
"Center for teacher preparation offering $1000 scholarships for wannabe teachers"
''Phoenix Business Journal'' (June 27, 2013)
Financial aid
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence provides reduced enrollment pricing for those who fall within the parameters of the Federal Reduced Lunch Rate Act, which is based on household size, and combined income.
References
External links
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE)
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Board For Certification Of Teacher Excellence
Organizations established in 2001
Teacher training
United States Department of Education
Educational organizations based in the United States