Quality Teacher Stipends Memo NBCT - Baltimore County Public ...

Lillian M. Lowery Ed. D.
State Superintendent of Schools
200 West Baltimore Street • Baltimore, MD 21201 • 410‐767‐0100 • 410‐333‐6442 TTY/TDD • MarylandPublicSchools.org
TO:
FROM:
Local School System Human Resources Directors
Jean E. Satterfield
Assistant State Superintendent for Certification and Accreditation
DATE: January 23, 2013
SUBJECT: Updated Information for Stipends for National Board Certified Teachers
______________________________________________________________________________________
This memorandum serves to provide updated information for your local school system to access funds regarding
the stipends that eligible classroom teachers can receive as a result of the Quality Teacher Incentive Act of 1999
for National Board Certified Teachers. These provisions are codified in Education Article §6-306 and Tax
Article §10-717 and were amended through Senate Bill 268 (SB 268) during the 2005 Legislative Session.
Recent approval by the United State Department of Education of the ESEA waiver has changed the school
accountability structure and the criteria for “Comprehensive Needs” schools. The AYP criterion used for
Comprehensive Needs schools is no longer in use.
The School Progress Index (SPI) presented at the December 17, 2012 Maryland State Board of
Education meeting is the new accountability measure for school systems. On January 22, 2013 the
State Board approved Strands 4 and 5 of the SPI to be the new criteria for “Comprehensive Needs”
schools to be used for stipend eligibility. The SPI consists of multiple measures that include
achievement, growth and the difference between the lowest and highest subgroup of students in a
school.
The SPI consists of five strands. Teachers in the schools identified in the two lowest strands [Strands 4
and 5] of the School Progress Index (SPI) are eligible for the NBCT stipends this school year. There
are 170 schools in multiple school systems in 2012 in both of these strands.
I. National Board Certification: Stipends (dollar for dollar match by local school systems) are for classroom
teachers who earn National Board Certification. The stipend amount for which each teacher will be eligible
is dependent upon the schools in which they teach.
Amounts will be bifurcated as described below:
A. A classroom teacher or other non-administrative school-based employee in a public school identified by
the State Board as having comprehensive needs who holds a standard or advanced professional
certificate, who is employed by a county board, and who holds a certificate issued by the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall receive a stipend from the State in an amount equal to
the county grant for national certification, up to a maximum of $2,000 per qualified individual.
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B. A classroom teacher or other non-administrative school-based employee in a public school not
identified by the State Board as having comprehensive needs who holds a standard or advanced
professional certificate, who is employed by a county board, and who holds a certificate issued by the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall receive a stipend from the State in an amount
equal to the county grant for National Board certification, up to a maximum of $1,000 per qualified
individual.
As noted last year, fiscal constraints and growth in the number of qualifying individuals program force tight
monitoring of expenditures and budget. We will not be able to accept submissions after February 28, 2013
for individuals eligible for stipends to be paid this year. Please review the list of schools provided
[Attachment III] if there are any discrepancies; let us know as soon as possible.
An overview of these incentives and a process for distributing funds to your local school system are detailed
below.
National Board Certification
Maryland’s professionally certified classroom teachers who achieve certification from the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) are eligible for a stipend from the State in an amount equal to the
local grant up to the maximum allowed. The State contribution for this stipend is (a) up to a maximum of
$2,000 per qualified classroom teacher employed in a school identified by the State Board as having
comprehensive needs; or (b) up to a maximum of $1,000 per qualified classroom teacher employed in a school
not identified by the State Board as having comprehensive needs. Stipends are only available to teachers in
school systems offering local grants, since the State stipend is a “matching” grant up to the respective limits.
Non-administrative school-based employees are eligible for this stipend along with classroom teachers.
“School-based employees” are defined in SB 268, enacted in 2005, as “a certificated employee who works
directly with students or teaches at a public school.” Please note that administrators, even those who are schoolbased,
are not eligible for this stipend. Examples of non-administrative school-based employees include
guidance counselors, library media specialists, reading specialists, and teacher mentors. Should you have any
questions regarding eligible positions, please consult with the Education Program Specialist who works with
your school system.
In order to comply with State legislative audit requirements, please be certain to include with your submission:
The names of those classroom teachers or non-administrative school-based employees holding National
Board certification; and
o For each classroom teacher or non-administrative school-based employees holding National Board
certification, the school to which the individual is assigned and the category (identified as having
comprehensive needs or not identified as having comprehensive needs;
o The amount of the state match for each teacher in accordance with statutory criteria;
Verification of the amount of your local grant; and
A copy of the National Board certificate or letter from the NBPTS acknowledging receipt of National Board
certification for each eligible educator for first-time NBPTS certificate holders; or a list of the NBPTS
certificate holders from the NBPTS website.
Eligible Teachers: Classroom teachers and non-administrative school-based employees who hold a valid
certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards working in a local school system
that provides a local stipend for this distinction are eligible for this stipend, subject to the categorical limits
based on school category. These educators must also hold a valid professional certificate issued by the
Maryland State Department of Education.
In considering eligibility, please monitor the teaching assignment (e.g., classroom teachers as defined in
Attachment IV and non-administrative school-based employees as defined above); itinerant specialists assigned
to central office locations, directors, assistant principals, etc. are not eligible.

Please refer to Attachments I, II, III, and IV.
Grant Application Timeline
Budgeted State funds for the incentives found in Education Article §6-306 are now available for school year
2012-2013, pending a deficiency appropriation for any anticipated shortfall. Your NBCT grant application is
due anytime on or before February 28, 2013. Frequently, additional educators are discovered after an initial
grant application has been submitted.
Due to budgetary concerns and anticipated funding needs, we will not be able to accept any stipend
submissions after February 28, 2013. If you or members of your staff have any questions, please contact Ms.
Madeline Koum at 410-767-0385.
JES: mlk
c: Local School System Stipend Coordinators
Attachment I National Certification Stipend Application Form-Teachers in Comprehensive Needs Schools
Attachment II National Certification Stipend Application Form- Teachers in Non-Comprehensive Needs Schools
Attachment III Comprehensive Needs Schools List: National Board Certification (2012 School Progress Index
Report Schools in Strands 4 and 5)
Attachment IV List of Classroom teachers