IMSA Faculty Members Receive National Teaching Certification; the Highest Standards for the Teaching Profession
For Immediate Release, December 2000
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AURORA — Two faculty members at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) have successfully completed all of the requirements to receive certification with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Dr. John Eggebrecht, a science teacher at IMSA for nine years and an educator since 1983, was one of only six educators in Illinois to receive NBPTS certification in Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science. Dr. Susan Styer of Geneva, a science teacher at IMSA for 10 years, formerly worked as a researcher for the government. Styer also received NBPTS certification in Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science.
Both Eggebrecht and Styer were among 4,720 primary and secondary school teachers nationwide to complete the rigorous and competitive national certification process that credentials successful candidates as Master Teachers. The success rate is only 51% of those applying for certification.
As part of the National Board Certification process, Eggebrecht and Styer compiled and submitted a teaching portfolio which included videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, student work samples and reflective written commentaries that detail what they, as teachers, were doing and why. They 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 classroom throughout America.
Located in Aurora, Illinois, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) is an internationally-recognized pioneering educational institution created by the State to develop talent and stimulate excellence in teaching and learning in mathematics, science and technology. IMSA's advanced residential college preparatory program enrolls 650 academically talented Illinois students in grades 10-12. More than 14,000 teachers and 20,000 students in Illinois and beyond have benefited from IMSA's professional development and enrichment programs. IMSA serves the people of Illinois through innovative instructional programs, public and private partnerships, policy leadership and action research.