Interested in a National Board Cohort at Kaneland

Kaneland will host an informational meeting after school at Blackberry Creek school on May 8th from 4:00 to 5:00 for any teachers interested in finding out more about the process of becoming National Board Certifed.  Please seee below for more information.  



The Illinois State Board of Education is pleased to announce the opening of the 2018 Spring Window for the Illinois $1,900 NBPTS Candidate Fee Subsidy on February 15, 2018. 



The National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University will process applications for eligible Illinois teachers. Funding has been made available for 500 candidates. Please invite outstanding teachers or counselors to become National Board Certified Teachers by forwarding this message to them and adding a personal note of encouragement. Open Document



National Board Certification offers a way for accomplished teachers to be assessed and recognized, and a way for parents to know their child’s teacher has met high and rigorous standards. The single most important action the nation can take to improve schools is to strengthen teaching. NBPTS develops high and rigorous standards for   accomplished teachers and 118,000 teachers across the country and 6,373 teachers in Illinois have demonstrated that they meet those standards by achieving National Board Certification. National Board Certified Teachers are among the nation’s most effective teachers who have demonstrated that they meet the highest teaching standards.



Mississippi State University – The Impact of National Board Certified Teachers on the Literacy Outcomes of Mississippi Kindergarteners and Third Graders.  May, 2017.



The NBPTS certification process takes from one to three years to complete. Throughout this period, candidates:



Analyze and reflect on student learning, based on small and large group work with students, which is supported by video recordings of classroom teaching.


Analyze and reflect on student learning using student work samples.


Document accomplishments of working with families and the community, colleagues and the profession and show evidence of how that work impacts student learning.


Respond to online assessment exercises that demonstrate subject-matter expertise.




Important Information:



Revisions to the Certification Process - Certification has been revised to make the process more flexible and efficient for teachers, to incorporate the latest research, and to reduce the cost.


Crosswalk Illinois Education Initiatives and National Board (NBPTS)- ISBE education initiatives align to National Board Five Core Propositions.


National Board Certification is the only avenue to become a Master Teacher in Illinois.


Standards for each content area and developmental level are created by teachers, for teachers. They represent a consensus among educators about what accomplished, effective teachers should know and be able to do to improve student learning and achievement. Board certification is available in 25 certificate areas, from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Certification consists of four components: 1) Content Knowledge, 2) Differentiation in Instruction, 3) Teaching Practice and Learning Environment, and 4) Effective and Reflective Practitioner. Throughout its 30-year history, the National Board has sought to review and revise its standards and certification process to reflect best practices in teaching. Throughout the process, you will be able to apply what you’re learning to your classroom practice and connect with other teachers pursuing certification. Recognizing the many demands on teachers’ time, the process is designed to be flexible, efficient and affordable.

Candidates in Illinois will complete only components 2 and 4 during the 2018-2019 cycle.

NOTE: The Illinois National Board Subsidy application closes on May 20, 2018.

Looking for a Way to Celebrate a Peer?

It is that time of year to celebrate our accomplishments and share in the joy of the school year progress.  The Kaneland Foundation has created a fundraiser to recognize staff in our district!  Each and every staff member should be celebrated in Kaneland and this provides us an opportunity to highlight each other.  Feel free to use this link to take part in the fundraiser and make someone's day! 

https://kaneland.revtrak.net/Kaneland-Foundation#/list

Use of NIU Waivers

Recently we have had many waivers lost from NIU with staff submitting them with the wrong information or before being registered.  As we have shared many times before, if you submit them and are not registered NIU takes them away and we no longer have access to them.  You must be registered for the course before the form is sent in to your principal.  This is essential in order to not lose any waivers.

NOTE:  If you are submitting for the summer session, you must attached your completed registration to the waiver request form for us to process it.  Thank you!

Canvas Pilot

Good morning!

We are looking for a group of staff that may be interested in piloting the Canvas LMS over the course of next year.  Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) that brings together many of the online tools that teachers and students are using while at the same time providing a greater level of control for teachers setting up an online learning environment.  In addition to the instructional tools Canvas offers, it also contains a built in gradebook and attendance feature that will speak to Tyler.

At this point, we are hoping teachers will pilot the tool and be willing to share their thoughts on its usefulness and viability as a product utilized in Kaneland after putting it through the paces. 

If you are interested in learning a bit more about Canvas before signing up or would like to sign up to be a pilot user, please email Mike or Sarah with any questions or to volunteer.  We are hoping to establish some informational meetings internally and with representatives from Canvas as soon as we have a viable group.  There we would talk about expectations and the Canvas program more in-depth (and you can always say thanks but no thanks even after attending one of those meetings).

For those of you unsure, please also know that along with our true pilot users, we will also be able to open up the system to any Kaneland teacher next year for experimentation at any time.  So, while we need some folks to get in and get their hands dirty, you'll also have a chance to dabble with the tool as you see fit if you aren't ready to jump in at a true pilot level.

Having Trouble Opening the Roadshow?

If you were experiencing trouble opening the Roadshow Emaze link, please check your email.  We sent the document in a PDF version for all of you as well.  Let us know any questions you have about the progress update.  See you soon!