Support for National Board Certified Teachers approved in 30 states

ARLINGTON, VA — June 18, 2020 — In 2019 and 2020, 15 states have advanced policies to support and incentivize teachers to become National Board certified, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced today.

 With these new mandates in place, 30 states now have policies that encourage teachers to pursue National Board certification, and help ensure that every student benefits from an accomplished teacher. Decades of research show that students of National Board-certified teachers (NBCTs) learn more — gaining six to eight weeks of additional student learning as compared to their peers.

“High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor impacting student learning. These states clearly understand the value of accomplished teaching; they support teachers to be their best. NBCTs have a measurable impact on student learning – and what parent doesn’t want the best possible teacher for their children?” said Peggy Brookins, a National Board Certified Teacher and the president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Texas approved an allotment of $3,000 to $9,000 per NBCT for their school district. The Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said, “Created by the 86th Texas Legislature as part of historic House Bill 3, the Teacher Incentive Allotment provides a realistic pathway for Texas’s top-performing teachers to earn a six-figure salary. Our state is blessed with incredible educators, and the TIA aims to more adequately reward those educators for their tremendous success in the classroom. Providing a meaningful way to incentivize effectiveness that better enables Texas’s 5.5 million public school students to learn at the highest levels is a smart way to support our state’s leading educators.” 

The 15 states to approve new support or incentives for NBCTs in 2019-20 are:

  • Alabama: Allotted more than $1 million in additional funds for candidate scholarships, pay increases for Board-certified teachers and statewide access to the National Board’s online platform, ATLAS, which houses hundreds of case studies highlighting the teaching of NBCTs. In addition, a group of business philanthropists launched an initiative to supplement the state’s investment with philanthropic support for teachers to pursue Board certification.
  • Arizona: Doubled funding to $15 million for Teachers Academy, which supports up to 3,000 National Board candidates by covering certification fees and providing mentorship. Approved automatic state licensure renewal for NBCTs.
  • Colorado: Expanded funding to support teachers in rural settings with $6,000 scholarships to pursue Board certification. 
  • Delaware: Allocated funding to reward teachers who achieve Board certification with a 12% salary increase. 
  • Illinois: Supplemented existing state support of Professional Development Schools with a $500,000 investment in the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, which will provide compensation to rural teachers who become Board-certified, and to their mentors. 
  • Kentucky: Allowed Board-certification to qualify teachers for Rank II status, which includes the salary increases equivalent to having a Master’s degree
  • Louisiana: Enabled NBCTs to more quickly become state certified mentors for new teachers.
  • Maine: Passed a $5,000 salary supplement for Board-certified teachers in high-need schools, building on an existing statewide supplement of $3,000.
  • Maryland: Created a career ladder for teachers based on knowledge, skills, performance and responsibilities, with National Board Certification proposed as the point of entry for higher-paid teacher leadership positions. 
  • Mississippi: Expanded Critical Needs Bonus program from 13 to 16 high-need counties that struggle with teacher shortages. In addition, the Mississippi Department of Education received a grant to fund 125 diverse educators to begin Board certification for the next two years. The teachers will be mentored through the process by current NBCTs.
  • Nevada: Expanded an existing 5% annual salary increase for NBCTs to include school counselors.
  • New Mexico: Allocated $500,000 for scholarships for teachers to become Board certified.
  • Texas: Approved an allotment of $3,000 to $9,000 per NBCT for their school district. Ninety percent of those funds must go toward teacher compensation at their school. 
  • Utah: Increased stipends for all Board-certified teachers to $1,000 with $2,000 supplements for those working in Title I schools. Reduced the barriers for NBCTs to earn state licensure renewal.
  • Wyoming: Approved automatic state licensure renewal for NBCTs.