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General Inquiries
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General Inquiries

  1. I received the transcript for three graduate credit hours when I completed the certification process. How do I apply for the additional 6 hours of graduate credit for achieving National Board Certification?
  2. Is there a fee associated with requesting my additional six hours of graduate credit?
  3. What does this mean for National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and candidates?
  4. Who is eligible for graduate credit?
  5. Why aren't candidates prior to 1996 eligible for graduate credit?
  6. How are the credits determined?
  7. How do I apply for graduate credit and request the mailing of my transcript?
  8. I would like to know if I can pay for my graduate credit transcript by mail instead of using the computer. My computer is saying it is not safe to enter my credit card number?
  9. I have tried to use your site to go through the process to obtain graduate credit. I have re-tried several times to re-enter the information to double check any mistake I might have made. I keep getting the display screen that says the information I have provided does not match what is currently on record in my NBPTS file?
  10. What is the fee associated with applying for graduate credit?
  11. How do I know if my transcript will be accepted?
  12. What do I do if my college or university does not accept this transcript?
  13. How can teachers use the credit recommendations?
  14. How did ACE conduct their review of National Board Certification, and what does its recommendation say about the National Board Certification process?


  1. I received the transcript for three graduate credit hours when I completed the certification process. How do I apply for the additional 6 hours of graduate credit for achieving National Board Certification?

    2. Apply for the additional credit hours online.


  2. Is there a fee associated with requesting my additional six hours of graduate credit?

    3. Yes, there is a $100 fee for requesting the additional transcript recommendation. This fee covers the transmittal of eligibility information from NBPTS to ACE. After ACE has updated your profile in their system, you will be prompted via email or postcard to access your profile on their Web site. Upon logging on the ACE Transcript Service site, you are asked to provide the name of the college or university to which you would like your transcript mailed. The college or university will most likely charge a nominal fee for applying the ACE credit to the teacher's transcript.


  3. What does this mean for National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and candidates?

    4. As a result of an independent ACE review of the National Board Certification process, the American Council on Education’s College Recommendation Service has recommended that teachers who participate in the National Board Certification process after 1997 may be eligible to receive three semester hours of graduate credit for completing the process and an additional six hours for achieving National Board Certification. 


  4. Who is eligible for graduate credit?

    5. Candidates who completed the process (have ten scoreable entries) are eligible for three graduate credits.Teachers who achieved National Board Certification are eligible for an additional six graduate credits for a total of nine credits.  In addition, if you are an NBCT who has renewed your certification you are eligible for three graduate credit recommendations.


  5. Why aren't candidates prior to 1996 eligible for graduate credit?

    6. There were several changes in the assessment and scoring processes in the 1996-1997 candidacy year, the first year that ETS became the testing contractor across all the certificates:

    • The framework for portfolio entries and assessment center prompts was standardized across all existing and future certificates.
    • The scoring process was centrally managed.
    • Banking (retaking) was available for the first time.
    • The ACE review team determined that the certification process from 1996 onward was consistent and reliable across all certificates and it met ACE's requirements for currency of knowledge.
       


  6. How are the credits determined?

    7. For teachers who completed all 10 components of the process after 1997, whether or not they achieve certification, the American Council on Education (ACE) recommends three semester hours of graduate credit in Education. For teachers who achieve National Board Certification, ACE recommends an additional six semester hours of graduate credit in Education for a total of nine graduate credits.


  7. How do I apply for graduate credit and request the mailing of my transcript?

    8. Complete the online application. Be prepared to pay the $100 fee via Visa/Mastercard. After completing the online application, you will receive an email from ACE in 7-10 days. The email will instruct you to visit the ACE Transcript Service Site, https://www.acenet.edu/transcripts/.


  8. I would like to know if I can pay for my graduate credit transcript by mail instead of using the computer. My computer is saying it is not safe to enter my credit card number?

    9. We only accept payment via credit card online. Paying online with us is safe and convenient. We use industry standard security measures to protect your credit card account when you are requesting a credit transcript.


  9. I have tried to use your site to go through the process to obtain graduate credit. I have re-tried several times to re-enter the information to double check any mistake I might have made. I keep getting the display screen that says the information I have provided does not match what is currently on record in my NBPTS file?

    10. Please call 800-22-TEACH to verify your social security number, last name, and date of birth and then reapply in five business days. 


  10. What is the fee associated with applying for graduate credit?

    11. There is a $100.00 fee charged to process the transcript request. This fee covers the transmittal of eligibility information from NBPTS to ACE. ACE then establishes a profile in their system, which prompts you via email or postcard to access your profile on their Web site. Upon logging on the ACE Transcript Service site, https://www.acenet.edu/transcripts/ you are asked to provide the name of the college or university to which you would like your transcript mailed. The college or university will most likely charge a nominal fee for applying the ACE credit to the teacher's transcript.

    For additional information regarding the ACE Transcript Request Service Site please visit ACE Transcript Information.


  11. How do I know if my transcript will be accepted?

    12. Do not expect that your college, university, district, or state department will automatically accept this credit. NBPTS strongly recommends that you ensure the credit will be accepted before submitting payment because no refunds will be issued.


  12. What do I do if my college or university does not accept this transcript?

    13. Should a college or university decide not to acknowledge the credit recommendations made by ACE or the college is not listed, an advocacy team is available to work with the institution towards acceptance of the credit recommendations. You may telephone the ACE Call Center to access the advocacy team and the service that it can provide at 866-205-6267. As with most transfer credits, however, the colleges and universities make the final decision. 


  13. How can teachers use the credit recommendations?

    14. The National Board Certification process is now recognized as comparable to graduate level coursework. Candidates are now eligible to receive three to nine semester hours of graduate credit recommendations for completing the process and achieving National Board Certification. There are numerous options for teachers to utilize the credit recommendations, including recognition of the ACE credit review program in over 1,200 higher education institutions. These credit recommendations may also be used toward degree program requirements, licensure renewal and salary stipends, depending on local regulations and policies in effect. 


  14. How did ACE conduct their review of National Board Certification, and what does its recommendation say about the National Board Certification process?

    15. ACE’s evaluation of the National Board Certification process included examination of the standards, portfolio components, assessment center exercises and scoring procedures through an extensive application and an on-site review. A rigorous external evaluation was conducted by a panel of college faculty with recognized expertise in teaching, professional development and evaluation. 


    The recommendation signifies that the American Council on Education's review found the National Board Certification process comparable to graduate courses offered by accredited colleges and universities. The ACE review has validated that the National Board Certification process is a professional development process and that completing the process results in deeper knowledge and understanding of teaching.


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