On Jan. 9, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced that two more Cranston teachers have received the highest credentials available to American educators by becoming National Board Certified (NBC) teachers through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

Dawn Giarrusso, a teacher at Western Hills Middle School, joined the ranks of 19 other Cranston Public School teachers and one administrator who have reached the NBC status, according to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Judith Lundsten. Additionally, two of her WHMS peers are also NBC teachers: Angela Palazini was certified in 2008 and Stephanie Kaffenberger in 2010. Kaffenberger and Giarrusso are sisters as well as colleagues.

National Board Certification can be earned at all levels, including elementary and secondary, and in all content and specialist areas.

Although it is often noted that teachers across the city have achieved this highest certification, celebrated at School Committee meetings and mentioned in the newspaper, it is not often clear to the public what this distinction means or how one achieves it. In fact, many teachers do not achieve certification in their first attempt. Teachers are given anywhere from one to three years to pass the program and achieve NBC.

"It's a ton of work," said Giarrusso. "There are four portfolio entries, two videotaped lessons, 15 pages of analysis on those lessons and lots of reflection. It was much more difficult than I anticipated.”

Her sister agrees.

"It was very overwhelming. I have a 9-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter and I was working part-time at the time. My husband was incredibly supportive, allowing me to work while he took care of the kids. Whoever is closest to you in your life has to be your support system," Kaffenberger said. "It's an emotional process, a lot of waiting, a lot of self doubt."

Kaffenberger and Giarrusso had the benefit of going through the process together, as did Glen Hills Elementary teachers Paula Polseno and Karen Bessette. They said having a colleague to help navigate the process was invaluable.

For Palazini, who went through the course alone in 2008, the experience was somewhat different. She found herself depending heavily on her classmates at Rhode Island College, where she was taking the optional companion course that went along with the NBC program.

"I think people start out saying that they know it's a lot of work, but they don't realize just how much it is, just the hours and hours of typing alone are a lot of work," Palazini said. "In the class they fully understand what you're going through. The feedback you receive there is honest and critical."

Polseno compares the rigor of the program to that of a doctoral program.

"I would probably spend at least 15 hours per week on my work,” she said, not including classroom hours. “The writing has to be distinct, almost like doctoral writing. There isn't any room for 'fluff' or a creative voice. You have page limits. You have to use a certain font and spacing. I spent hours trying to cut down my words to fit on the page and still convey meaning. That was probably the most difficult challenge, and I have to admit, at times it was quite discouraging.”

One portfolio entry directs teachers to write about their own accomplishments, something many find difficult to do.

"It seems like it would be easy to toot our own horns, but it is not. That was more difficult than I anticipated,” said Giarrusso.

Other entries involve assessing student growth, reflecting on small group and whole group interactions and accomplishments, and the videotaped lesson analysis.

Kaffenberger felt the process induced a state of constant reflection and self-evaluation. Palazini, a teacher of students with special needs, agreed, and noted that for her student population, what she learned about herself was especially important.

"You go back and you watch yourself in the videos and you realize that you may not be clear and you learn that you might have funny little habits, things your students pick up on," she said. "My students pick up on body language and they react to it."

Polseno credits the videotaping process as being one of the best professional growth experiences she has had.

"I learned to change my questioning techniques. I noticed that I would call on more boys or girls at times. I try to be more equitable now," she said. "The process has made me rethink what I teach and how I teach it. I feel that a teacher has to examine their practice in order to improve on their practice."

As teachers near the completion of the NBC program, they must take a timed computerized exam for their certification, which includes multiple sections and subjects, to assess their learning and expertise.

As Giarrusso and Kaffenberger worked together towards their certifications in Exceptional Needs and English, respectively, they knew the exam could make or break their success at NBC.

"The whole time you're going through this process, you know that if you don't achieve, you could have to do it all over again," said Giarrusso.

Polseno, who went for certification in Early Childhood Generalist, said the exam was comprehensive.

"You were asked questions in reading, language arts, math, science, social studies, science, art, music, physical education, and health. You never know what you can be asked, you have to know about every subject and age group," she said.

Prior to the test in April, teachers submit four portfolio entries and six computerized assessment entries in March.

When all is said and done, the wait can be grueling. Scores are announced the following November.

"After you take the test you try to just put it out of your mind," said Palazini.

The day the scores were posted, the entire Western Hills staff was on watch, waiting to hear news from the sisters.

"We logged on, checked our scores. Steph was home when we logged on, and I didn't pass. I missed it by one point," said Giarrusso.

Crushed by the news, Giarrusso now had to make it through the rest of the day with her students and colleagues and gather her thoughts together, making a plan for moving forward.

"I needed some time and a day to process everything. Once that time went by, I went right back at it. They let you bank your scores from the areas you passed and you only have to work on that one section where you didn't," Giarrusso said.

The waiting began again.

"You have to wait a whole other year to the following November to get your scores again," Kaffenberger said, noting that the time was especially difficult for their parents, who were torn between celebrating for one daughter and sympathizing with the other.

"Our poor parents, they didn't know what to do," Kaffenberger said.

One year later, in school again on a Friday, Giarrusso awaited the news.

"What kind of National Board Certified teacher would I be if I took half a day off when I didn't really need it? I just went to school to do what I do," she said.

Giarrusso’s anxiety would continue, because technical difficulties delayed the news until that Sunday.

"Stephanie called me and told me to log on, that the scores were posted," Giarrusso said. "I was such a wreck, I couldn't do it. When I finally did, it said 'Welcome National Board Certified Teacher,' and I said to Steph, 'is that me, did I pass?'"

Despite the hard work and the emotional toll that achieving NBC takes, the Cranston certified teachers agree that the certification is worth it.

Polseno believes that becoming National Board Certified was "the best professional development experience I've ever had.”

"This certification means that you're at the top of your game," said Palazini. "It was stressful, it was hard, some days I wanted to quit, but I'd do it all over again."