The Board will accept only applicants who have earned at least a bachelor's degree and have held a state teacher's license and taught for at least three years. The certification will require teachers to pass an essay test on the content of their field. They will also need to submit a six-part portfolio that includes videotapes of their teaching, documentation of their accomplishments in the community, and evidence of involvement in professional development. Vocational educators will now have the same opportunities to receive bonuses for national certification as other teachers. Thirteen states and 52 school districts now offer salary supplements for teachers who have earned the certification offered by the national board.
Experts are divided over what the low scores mean for policymakers.
The president of the Council of Basic Education said Virginia's low pass rate was a wakeup call that schools sorely needed. State officials vow not to lower the standards or change the test, and assert that low scores prove that all schools have work to do. By 2007, the state's new system threatens loss of accreditation for failing schools. The National Academy of Sciences will soon publish a report summarizing existing research on how people learn. Both reports, the researchers hope, will help enlighten the current debate between advocates of traditional methods and those who emphasize hands-on learning.