First of all, congratulations! Saturday our Cohort 1 group received their first set of scores. Many have emailed me to tell me how it went, and others haven't yet, but I did put up an anonymous survey through SurveyMonkey so they can report their scores without having to talk about this very personal experience at this time. I hope to get the basic data out to you once I've received all the replies.
So far the scores I've seen are encouraging. The reported scores on Component 1 indicate to me that teachers who've been teaching their content for awhile might find this to be the easiest for them. (I'm not sure if that will hold for CTE teachers; we'll know more after the first CTE candidates take their test this Spring.)
Don't we all appreciate Cohort 1 who were our "guinea pigs!" They are the first teachers I know of who submitted entries under the new process.
What should you do now if you are a Cohort 1 member? Well, as long as you achieved a 1.75 or higher, you don't need to redo your component(s).
40% of your total score comes from Component 1 (yellow area on pie graph.)
60% of your total score comes from the three portfolio-based Components (2,3, and 4.)
There is also an easier, online score calculator linked to your score reports if you received scores.
If your scores aren't as high as you wanted them to be, take heart! There was an old program called "Take One" with the National Board. However, it was unpopular because the first scores were often low! It discouraged candidates. You may remember us as mentors emphasizing the developmental nature of the National Board process--you generally get better at understanding what to do with each completed component. For example, I heard two Cohort 1 candidates discussing how to reflect on Component 4 the other night. They haven't even begun it yet, but already they can anticipate what they need to do. Do you know more than you did six months ago?
Good teachers can be hard on themselves. Those of us who've previously achieved certification would have felt the same as you do if we'd gotten back only our lowest score... but this new process allows for formative assessment. You don't have to just do the whole kit-n-caboodle wrong and then get smashed flat with a "failure." Remember that this is potentially a three-year process and you are probably learning a lot. If you made higher than a 1.75, you are fine. Can you commit to your guinea-pig-ism and forge the way for those following you? Ask for help from any mentor if needed. Talk to trusted cohort members. You won't be able to seriously assess your potential to pass this thing till this time next year. Sorry, but get a little rest and then, "Onward!" Cohort 1, we love you. And we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for what you are doing.
