While the process of National Board Certification requires the teacher to submit their own portfolio of their own work, the journey of National Board Certification is a collaborative one. At the beginning of a candidate’s journey towards National Board Certification, they will be assigned to a small group cohort to receive customized support.
These cohorts are typically based on location of the school district where the candidate works. We have an online cohort for those teachers working in rural communities. Cohorts meet face-to-face and/or online with a Candidate Support Provider at least once a month for two hours. The dates and times of the meetings are set by the individual Candidate Support Providers. Candidate Support Providers receive extensive training from the Arizona K12 Center and are knowledgeable in coaching strategies and candidate support as well as in the process of National Board Certification and the necessary submission timelines.
These meetings provide a system of support that is readily available and grounded in the commonalities and student populations they work with on a daily basis. The success of these meetings is dependent upon the attendance and participation of all the cohort members. Participants are invited to share their entries, videos, teaching artifacts, and student work samples in a safe environment. While these meetings meet a minimum of once a month, more often than not, the amount of time increases as the deadline approaches. Participants are encouraged to make these meetings and attendance a priority.
Participation in a small group cohort is a requirement for any individual receiving funding assistance from the Arizona K12 Center, and highly encouraged for anyone pursuing this valuable process.
Click here to view a PDF of small group cohorts being held in individual school districts during the 2012-2013 school year.
These are led by Candidate Support Providers, within a given district or region, who are available to answer questions, offer insight, and facilitate collaboration among the candidates. These meetings provide a system of support that is readily available and grounded in the commonalities and student populations they work with on a daily basis. At the beginning of a candidate's journey towards National Board Certification, they will be assigned to one of these small groups to receive customized support. These monthly meetings are required to meet Arizona K12 scholarship requirements. To learn more about small group meetings, contact Alaina Adams at info@azk12.org.
