Press Releases

Nearly 500 Washington Teachers Achieve National Board Certification®

December 3, 2007

(Arlington, VA, 12/04/2007)—Teaching quality in Washington classrooms made a substantial gain in 2007 with 484 state teachers achieving National Board Certification, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

Washington ranked fifth nationwide in the number of new National Board Certified Teachers® (NBCTs) and ranks 10th in the total number of teachers who achieved certification over time (1,792). Specifically,

• Washington shows a 20 percent increase in the number of teachers who achieved National Board Certification in 2007 over last year.

• Fifty percent of the state’s NBCTs teach in Title I schools.*

• The state’s top five school districts in terms of the cumulative total of NBCTs are: Bellevue (158), Lake Washington (69), Seattle (59), Evergreen (55) and Spokane (50).

NOTE: All NBPTS data are derived from information reported to NBPTS by National Board Certified Teachers and candidates as part of the certification process. *This percentage is based on teachers whose schools could be identified as Title I using NCES criteria.

“In the past 15 years, authentic educational reform has been an intentional pursuit in Washington state. Ensuring a highly accomplished teacher in every classroom is a top priority. I am pleased to announce the newest class of Washington’s National Board Certified Teachers. With nearly 500 newly certified teachers, our overall NBCT numbers continue to grow,” said Terry Bergeson, Washington state superintendent of public instruction. “Thanks to a joint effort from Governor Gregoire, the Washington Education Association, broad bipartisan support in the Washington state legislature and our consistent standards-based vision at the Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction, we now can boast the largest class of National Board candidates in our history.”

“The standards for this advanced certification are extremely high, and those teachers who choose to strive for it deserve our deepest respect,” added Bergeson. “There is a belief in education reform in Washington that goes beyond just words. We truly believe in the expertise of our teachers. Our children deserve a quality education and that begins with quality teachers.”

Washington NBCTs joined the ranks of the nearly 8,500 teachers nationwide who achieved National Board Certification in 2007 – the largest one-year increase in the history of the National Board. Today’s announcement represents an 8.6 percent increase over the number of teachers nationwide who earned certification in 2006. The cumulative total of NBCTs stands at 63,821.

Among evidence that the National Board Certified Teacher movement is growing nationally:

• The number of NBCTs has nearly tripled in the past five years (from 23,930 in 2002 to nearly 64,000 in 2007).

• States with the highest number of teachers achieving National Board Certification in 2007 were: Florida (1,675), North Carolina (1,442), South Carolina (651), Illinois (511) and Washington (484).

• Twenty-five states, including the District of Columbia, had at least a 20 percent increase in the number of 2007 NBCTs over the number of teachers who achieved certification in 2006.

• NBCTs make up at least five percent of the total teaching force in five states. They are: North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida and Delaware.

• From 2004 to 2007, the number of NBCTs who earned their certificates in Literacy: Reading – Language Arts has nearly tripled (324 in 2004 to 970 in 2007).

• One out of every 10 teachers who hold National Board Certification teaches math or science.

 “National Board Certification is the most prestigious credential a teacher can earn. Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review,” said NBPTS President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere. “Research is consistently positive about the impact of National Board Certification on improvements in teacher practice and areas of school improvement critical to raising student achievement.”

 “We all want to create better schools and improve student learning, and we know that the key is better teaching,” said former Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes, chair of the NBPTS Board of Directors. “National Board Certified Teachers are leading the way in preparing America’s diverse student population with the skills needed to compete in the 21st century.”

 “Talented teachers are transforming the learning environments in our schools,” said Janet Knupp, founding president of The Chicago Public Education Fund, a venture philanthropy focused on improving the quality of principals and teachers in Chicago public schools. “Human capital is the biggest lever we can pull to positively impact students, and National Board Certified Teachers are proving their value in classrooms every day.”

 “A school board’s role is to ask, ‘What is the best use of teacher talent in a school system?’ If we are going to employ teachers, we need to use them as resources to bring about the standardization of teaching excellence,” said Anne L. Bryant, executive director, National School Boards Association. “What we have found is that teachers who go through the National Board Certification process become a school district’s best change agents to raise the level of classroom instruction which results in greater student achievement.”

 National Board Certification is a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize and reward great teachers—and make them better. While state licensing systems set basic requirements to teach in each state, NBCTs have successfully demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge, skills and practices. Certification is achieved through a rigorous, performance-based assessment that typically takes one to three years to complete.

As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Additionally, teachers are assessed on their knowledge of the subjects they teach.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 700 local school districts recognize National Board Certification as a mark of distinction. For more information about NBPTS and National Board Certification, visit the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org.