Congratulations to Nebraska science teachers Kim Gradoville of Westside High School (Westside Community School District, Omaha, NE) and Nicole Miller of Lakeview High School (Lakeview Community School District, Columbus, NE)! These two veteran science teachers, who teach chemistry and biology courses, have pursued and earned their National Board Certification. They sought this prestigious accomplishment as part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Master Teaching Fellows program, a three-college collaborative led by UNL's College of Education and Human Sciences and joined by the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.
Established in 1987, National Board Certification is "recognized as the gold standard in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers means better learning for students...the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit organization working to advance accomplished teaching for all students." Teachers undergo a rigorous portfolio submission and testing process and are assessed in relationship to five core prepositions that are aligned with research-based professional knowledge and reflective instructional practices as well as strong content knowledge. Gradoville and Miller are two of only nine science teachers to have ever earned this honor in Nebraska out of a total of 157 K-12 teachers who have earned this distinction in the state.