Field Testing For The National Board For Professional Teaching Standards

Earlier today I field tested for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  I field tested for two reasons. First, if I plan to mentor other teachers to become National Board certified, I need to be familiar with all components of the process of becoming Board Certified.  Since the process of becoming Board Certified changed beginning this year and I certified in 2014, I field tested a part of Component One, which is 45 multiple choice questions in 60 minutes.  The primary purpose of field testing is to construct a picture of a test’s validity and reliability. In this case, Component One is administered to an adequate number of examinees and the data is used for psychometric analysis.  In other words, the NB is trying to determine if the questions are too hard, too easy, or just right. The multiple choice format aligns with the board certification testing structure in the fields of medicine, dentistry, and engineering.

Second, I wanted to get a sense of my current strengths and weaknesses in the field of literacy, and I thought that testing my content knowledge would give me a good feel for where I stand.  According to the NB, "Component One is a computer-based assessment that measures content knowledge.  It requires candidates to demonstrate knowledge of and pedagogical practice for their teaching content area.  Candidates must demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate content, which is necessary for teaching across the full age and range and ability level of the chosen certificate area."

One of the reasons that the process of becoming Board Certified changed is that some of the components in the older process were contextually based.  In other words, some of the entries that I submitted were based upon what I knew to be best practice for my students within the context of my classroom, school, and community. In the new Component One, candidates have to prove that they are an accomplished literacy teacher in any teaching environment, anywhere in the United States, across the full developmental range of their certificate area. 

I am glad that I took the time to field test. I would encourage any teacher who is considering Board Certification to field test prior to the year they begin their certification journey.  I would also encourage any Board Certified teacher to field test in their certificate area so that they are a more effective advocate for advancing the teaching profession.