What is National Board Certification?

What Is National Board Certification?

National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential. It complements, but does not replace, a state’s teacher license. It is valid for 10 years, and renewal candidates must begin the renewal process during their eighth or ninth years as NBCTs.

National Board Certification is achieved upon successful completion of a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who meet high standards based on what teachers should know and be able to do. National Board Certification is available nationwide for most preK–12 teachers.

As part of the certification process, candidates complete 10 assessments that are reviewed by trained teachers in their certificate areas. The assessments include four portfolio entries that feature teaching practice and six constructed response exercises that assess content knowledge.

Why Standards for Accomplished Teaching?

Every child deserves an accomplished teacher — one who is qualified to equip students with the skills to succeed in the 21st century global community. NBPTS Standards and National Board Certification give teachers and schools the tools to define and measure teaching excellence. NBPTS Standards are based on the Five Core Propositions that form the foundation for what all accomplished teachers should know and be able to do and provide a reference that helps educators link teaching standards to teaching practice.

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.

What Are the Standards and Certificate Areas?

NBPTS developed standards for accomplished teaching in 16 different subject areas with students at various developmental levels. These standards were developed and validated by representative committees comprised of master teachers, disciplinary organizations and other education experts. Many school systems use the standards as the basis for ongoing teacher and school counselor professional development, and many colleges and universities incorporate them into their undergraduate and graduate teacher-education programs.

Based on these standards, NBPTS offers 25 certificates that are applicable to most teachers in American schools. For more information, see the chart at nbpts.org/certificates.