IMSA Faculty Member Receives National Teaching Certification
For Immediate Release, December 2004
For comment, contact Brenda Buschbacher at
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(Media Note: Jose’s photo is available here.)
AURORA – Jose Palos, a member of the World Languages faculty at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) has successfully completed all of the requirements to receive certification with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). IMSA has had 15 faculty members certified by NBPTS as National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) since its inception.
Palos of Oak Park, a teacher for seven years at IMSA, was certified in Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood/World Languages teaching. Palos is among 8,056 primary and secondary school teachers nationwide to complete the rigorous national certification process that credentials successful candidates as Master Teachers. He joins a group of only 1,237 other NBCTs in the state of Illinois.
"This certification really strengthens the IMSA World Languages team," said Palos. "It's helped me become a stronger teacher and that benefits our outstanding students."
As part of the National Board Certification® process, Palos compiled and submitted a teaching portfolio which included videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflective written commentaries that detail what he, as a teacher, was doing and why. He also had to complete an assessment involving a series of written exercises designed around challenging teacher issues such as curriculum design, student assessment and content knowledge.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, founded in 1987, is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and non-governmental organization dedicated to raising the level of teaching excellence in classrooms throughout America.
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State of Illinois to develop talent and leadership in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. Nearly 18,000 teachers and 34,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from The Center@IMSA program of professional development and student enrichment. Located in Aurora in the high-tech corridor west of Chicago, IMSA® serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy counsel, action research, and the leadership and achievements of its graduates.