What started as a group of 22 candidates led by three National Board certified teachers in 2008 has blossomed into a support site at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where 14 nationally certified teachers provide support for more than 110 candidates seeking certification and 40 teachers renewing National Board certification.

This growing force of professional development-minded teachers has been spearheaded and nurtured by Dr. Christine Deitz, an adjunct instructor for the UALR Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education and a UALR educational leadership graduate, who achieved National Board certification in 2004 and renewed certification in 2014.

National Board certification is a demanding professional credential earned by teachers who voluntarily validate their current teaching practice according to rigorous national teaching standards and articulated levels of accomplishment.

Certification is available in 25 content or developmental areas in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.

During the certification process, teachers complete four components: one comprehensive content knowledge exam, two classroom-based components, and one component that documents teacher contributions to student learning.

For Deitz and the UALR group, the annual process begins in early fall with a “jumpstart” workshop held at Dickinson Hall Auditorium on the UALR campus. This workshop was designed by Deitz and is offered free to any teacher in Arkansas who is seeking certification or is interested in the National Board process.

Next, teachers who are attempting National Board certification that year register for the UALR support site through the Department of Education’s Office of Educator Effectiveness. Financial support for National Board certification candidates is made possible through an annual grant available through the Arkansas Department of Education.

Once the monthly support meetings begin in October, the UALR National Board leaders conduct informative workshops on videotaping lessons, writing for the purposes of description, analysis, and reflection, and strategies for developing their components.

The process culminates in a portfolio of components which must be submitted electronically to the National Board by mid-May. In addition, the three-hour examination component must be completed at an approved testing site by mid-June.

As the UALR Candidate Support Center grew to support more than 100 teachers, Deitz said this has been a special year.

“Because more teachers are interested in becoming National Board certified, we are working with about 50 more teachers and renewal candidates than a typical year. It is a very exciting challenge to accommodate the various needs of candidates and work with different certificate areas — and we are ready.”

The UALR Candidate Support Site has been the vision of Deitz from its early beginnings. She acquired the logistics and resources to allow teachers the most productive learning environment. Deitz regularly recruits candidates and board-certified colleagues as support leaders.

“There are several reasons for our amazing growth this year,” Deitz said. “First, we have incredible support from UALR’s College of Education and Health Professions. Dean Ann Bain and Dr. John Kuykendall, chair of educational leadership, have been very welcoming and accommodating.

“Second, we run an aggressive support schedule – meeting frequently on Saturdays for about five hours at a time. This way, the needs of the candidates are regularly addressed over the course of the certification process. As a result, teachers participating in the UALR National Board support group experience high levels of success.”

Deitz continues to update and revise techniques that make the UALR Candidate Support Site one of the best tools in the state for providing inexpensive meaningful professional development.

When National Board redesigned the certification process two years ago, Deitz began a second area of certification. Originally certified in social studies, Deitz is pursuing certification as an exceptional needs specialist with a focus on gifted children so she can personally experience the changes and better prepare candidates for the rigorous expectations of the program.

“A major part of our success has to be directly attributed to UALR which has given this support group the needed stability and encouragement that is required when so many professionals come together for learning at this level,” Deitz said.

So inspired by the National Board process and its impressive impact on teacher practices, Deitz is a regular presenter at state and national conferences on the topic.

For more information regarding UALR’s Center for National Board Certification, contact Dr. Christine Deitz at mcdeitz@ualr.edu.