HOUSSE / National Board Certification / No Child Left Behind
At the National Energy Foundation, we support teachers who implement
our programs and materials and encourage them to take advantage of the
opportunity to achieve their professional certification goals.
Below you will find questions and answers on a variety of topics including
National Board Certification, No Child Left Behind, and HOUSSE.
For questions, please
contact Shannon@nef1.org or at 800-616-8326.
What is No Child
Left Behind?
How does NCLB affect me as a teacher?
What is HOUSSE?
What is National Board Certification?
How can the National Energy Foundation help me meet certification standards
and HOUSSE?
What is No Child Left Behind?
The
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is a landmark education reform
designed to create accountability
for schools and to give parents
greater choice in their child’s school placement. Its major provisions
include a focus on improved reading and math scores, highly qualified
teachers, and more flexibility in the use of federal funds. For more
information, see www.ed.gov/nclb.
How does NCLB affect me as a teacher?
NCLB
requires that all teachers demonstrate competency in the subjects they
teach, and requires schools
to publicly report the extent to which
all students have highly qualified teachers. By the 2005-06 school year,
all teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, full state certification
AND demonstrate subject matter competency. This may be done by taking
a subject matter test, obtaining credit hours equivalent to a degree
in the subjects they teach or HOUSSE (see below).
What is HOUSSE?
HOUSSE
stands for High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation. NCLB
allows states to develop
their own standards for current teachers
to demonstrate subject-matter competency in the subjects they teach and
meet highly qualified teacher requirements. Teachers must often earn
points through a combination of teaching experience, professional development,
and knowledge in the subject garnered over time in the profession. Service
to school and community is also a common component of the requirements.
A full listing of each state’s HOUSSE requirements for teacher re-certification
can be found at the Education Commission of the States’ website www.ecs.org,
or you can go directly to the report at http://mb2.ecs.org/reports/Report.aspx?id=140.
What is National Board Certification?
National
Board Certification is a program administered by the National Board
for Professional Teaching
Standards. National Board Certification
serves a major component in many states’ HOUSSE plans. It also allows
for automatic teacher certification in many states. National Board certification
is a year long process of documenting student work, videotaping your
teaching, and reflection on your teaching style and how you can improve.
The two main components are a portfolio and computer-based assessments
on pedagogy and subject area knowledge. For more information, visit www.nbpts.org.
How can the National Energy Foundation help me meet certification
standards and HOUSSE?
National Energy Foundation training and materials can provide help in
several ways.
- Attending a National Energy Foundation workshop can provide professional
development points for HOUSSE.
- NEF training provides background information on energy and conservation
helpful for success on state and National Board certification exams.
- Graduate credit is available as teachers use NEF materials and implement
programs. (See Professional Development)
- National Energy Foundation
activities may be used for the National Board Certification Portfolio,
especially in the areas of “Building
a Classroom Community” or “Integrating Math and Science” at the elementary
school level.
- Utilizing the character
component of NEF materials such as Take
the Energy Challenge and the Energy Action Patrol helps
involve the family and community in classroom learning, and fosters
civic responsibility in students, one of the core propositions of
a high quality teacher.
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