National Board Certification stimulates teachers to evaluate, reflect, and grow as professional educators.
Who is eligible for National Board Certification?
Any individual who:
- Holds a baccalaureate degree
- Has taught for at least three years
- Holds a valid state teaching license for the area in which he/she is teaching.
What is the process for certification?
National Board candidates go through a two-part assessment that is based on the National Board standards and reflects a variety of teaching situations.
The candidate compiles a classroom performance portfolio that includes student work, videotapes, and other teaching exhibits. The portfolio includes commentaries about the goals and purposes of instruction and reflections on what occurred, the effectiveness of the practice, and the rationale for professional decisions. All entries are designed to help the candidate show evidence that he/she has met the standards in the classroom.
The candidate participates in exercises at a National Board Assessment Center. These exercises complement the portfolio and are organized around challenging teaching issues. The entire process occurs over most of the school year, taking approximately 200 hours or more.
Since the program began, over 23,000 North Carolina teachers have earned the distinction of being National Board Certified. More than 82,000 teachers across the nation have completed this rigorous process.
What is the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards?
The NBPTS board of directors, composed primarily of educators, has developed a system of advanced standards and assessments organized around five core propositions:
- Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
- Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
- Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
- Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
- Teachers are members of learning communities.
NBPTS has developed advanced standards based on these propositions in 25 certification fields. Each set of standards represents consensus in the certification field of what makes an accomplished teacher.
For more information, visit the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website at http://www.nbpts.org/.
