Overview and General Information

Attendance at National Board Certification Boot Camp is required for DOE financial assistance, for a National Board Certified Teacher facilitator during candidacy, and, if needed, for DOE financial assistance with retake assessments. 

DOE is offering NBC Boot Camp on July 29 – 31, 2008 (Tuesday – Thursday).

NBC Boot Camp will be held in Conference Rooms A and B at the John W. Collette Education Resource Center, 35 Commerce Way, Dover.  Directions to the Collette Center are at: http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aboutdoe/location/default.shtml.  Once at this site, click on “Directions” under “Auxiliary Office.”

Each day begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 4:30 p.m.  Each day has a 40-minute “self-catered” brown bag lunch break on-site.

On each day of NBC Boot Camp, participants are to bring the following in a binder for their NBPTS certificate, including the first day.

• Complete standards for their certificate area: http://www.nbpts.org/the_standards/standards_by_cert
• Complete portfolio instructions for their certificate area: http://www.nbpts.org/for_candidates/the_portfolio
• Complete scoring guide for their certificate area: http://www.nbpts.org/for_candidates/scoring.

Additionally, participants are to bring the following materials to all three days of NBC Boot Camp, including the first day.

• All work completed during and after the three Pre-Candidacy Workshops
• One 15 minute videotape consistent with one of the video entries in the NBPTS portfolio
• Documentation/artifacts of student learning/growth/development over a period of time, consistent with an entry in the NBPTS portfolio
• A list of potential and appropriate accomplishments and artifacts/documentation for Entry Four that demonstrate the educator’s commitment to student learning through work with students' families and community and through their development as a learner and as a leader/collaborator.

Finally, participants are to bring the following supplies to all three days of NBC Boot Camp, including the first day.

• Lined paper
• At least one pen
• A set of colored highlighters
• At least one packet of post-it notes
• A date book or planner or calendar with DSTP dates, holidays, school/district events, and important personal events that require the educator’s attendance, participation, and/or time.

Only educators with all required materials and a confirmed registration in-hand will be allowed to participate in NBC Boot Camp.

Important!  Educators must register for NBC Boot Camp.  The registration form and additional information will be available on this site after the conclusion of the Pre-Candidacy Workshops.

Educators must be on time each day and be present for all three days.  The doors to the Collette Center will close at the start of Boot Camp.  Educators are advised to plan accordingly so that they can be on time and attend Boot Camp in its entirety, beginning to conclusion.

The purpose of NBC Boot Camp is to provide prospective National Board candidates with:

• strategies to understand, deconstruct, and respond to portfolio entries. 
• the knowledge and skills to make good choices throughout the portfolio assessment process. 
• an understanding of and practice in the three kinds of writing required during the NBPTS certification process.

Educators can address questions about NBC Boot Camp to:

• Patricia Bigelow, pbigelow@doe.k12.de.us
• Mary Ellen Kotz, mkotz@doe.k12.de.us