PHILADELPHIA and ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GlaxoSmithKline and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced today a $1 million endowment to support science teachers pursuing National Board Certification. This landmark initiative promises to bolster the quality of science education in America’s schools by providing financial assistance to science teachers who choose to obtain National Board Certification -- the highest credential in the teaching profession.
The GlaxoSmithKline Endowed Scholarship Fund for Science Candidates will provide funds for approximately 50 science teachers each year who pursue National Board Certification. The endowment expands nationwide a program that has already supported science teachers in Pennsylvania and North Carolina seeking this prestigious credential.
“Science education is growing more important every day, becoming a common currency all of our students need to compete in the global economy of the 21st century,” U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said. “If we’re going to reach our goal of having all children learning at grade level, we must arm teachers with the best practices to get the job done through programs like these. Nothing helps a child learn as much as a great teacher, and we must ensure our teachers have the tools to lead the way.”
Since 2001, more than 5,000 math and science teachers have joined the ranks of National Board Certified Teachers. One out of every 10 teachers who hold National Board Certification teaches math or science.
“We must remain steadfast in strengthening science education in this country. In order to do that, it will be necessary to purposefully increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers who teach science to our children,” said David Pulman, President of GSK’s Global Manufacturing and Supply. “A critical mass of science teachers across the country will now have access to this powerful program which will ultimately result in greater student achievement gains.”
GSK’s science education program is part of a broad commitment to social investment that focuses on health care and education. The aims of the program are to develop young people’s knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to make sound decisions about the science-related issues they meet in everyday life, and to ensure young people are equipped and motivated to choose a career in science. GSK does this by supporting initiatives that give science context and enhance science teaching.
Jean Simcic is a science teacher at Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. She received a GSK National Board Certification scholarship and earned the credential in December 2005. “I viewed my scholarship as an investment in teacher quality by the business community and was grateful to receive it. In my 26 years of teaching, the National Board Certification process was the best professional development program I ever experienced. I’m pleased that a growing number of teachers in my school district understand and practice the National Board Standards which will lead to a positive difference in the way our students learn.”
“Because of the increasing importance of math and science education relating to U.S. competitiveness, we are pleased to report increasing numbers of math and science teachers achieving National Board Certification,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, NBPTS president and CEO. “This generous grant from GlaxoSmithKline will encourage more of America’s science teachers to reach a higher standard by seeking National Board Certification.”
“This partnership with GlaxoSmithKline exemplifies the continuing national support and commitment to the certification process and the belief that the single most important action this country can take for our children is to improve our schools by strengthening teaching,” Aguerrebere added.
This announcement comes at a time when nearly 7,800 of the nation’s top teachers recently achieved National Board Certification (December 2006), a 7 percent increase over the number of teachers who earned certification in 2005. The cumulative total of National Board Certified Teachers stands at 55,306. The number of National Board Certified Teachers has more than tripled in the past five years.
National Board Certification is a teacher-driven, voluntary process established by NBPTS. It is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete and measures what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 700 local school districts recognize National Board Certification as a mark of distinction, similar to the way the medical, engineering and accounting professions recognize expertise.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2007, NBPTS continues to be the most thoroughly grounded, in research terms, of any assessment program in the teaching profession. The vast majority of research indicates that National Board Certified Teachers make a significantly measurable impact on teacher performance as well as student learning, engagement and achievement.
For more information about GSK scholarship opportunities, please contact NBPTS at 1-888-908-FEES, or visit http://www.nbpts.org/scholarshipinfo.
About NBPTS
Created by educators and policymakers in 1987, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization. NBPTS advances the quality of teaching and learning by developing professional standards for accomplished teaching; creating and administering National Board Certification, a voluntary system to certify teachers who meet those standards; and integrating certified teachers into educational reform efforts. Today, more than 55,000 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are making a positive difference in the lives of students across the nation. For more information, visit http://www.nbpts.org.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and live longer. For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at http://www.gsk.com.
GlaxoSmithKline; National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
CONTACT: GSK Contact: Mary A Rhyne, +1-919-483-2839, or NBPTS Contact:James R. Minichello, +1-703-465-2171
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