National Board Certification

National Board Certification

Purpose

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. Teachers selecting this option may want to consider a multiple year goal statement.

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 pre-K–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.

Process

1. Teacher begins by selecting the certification area that best fits their teaching expertise and reviewing the standards for accomplished teaching in that area.

2. After completing the application process, the candidate creates a portfolio in order to demonstrate teaching practice; it is comprised of four entries. Three are classroom based,where video recordings and examples of student work serve as supporting documentation. A fourth entry relates to accomplishments outside of the classroom – with families, the community or colleagues – and how they impact student learning. The requirements for these entries directly correlate to the PDE 430 categories for evaluation.

3. In addition, the candidate’s content knowledge is demonstrated through the completion of six 30-minute Assessment Center Exercises developed for the chosen certificate area. Assessments are administered at over 300 computer-based testing centers across the United States.

4. Once the candidate submits the portfolio entries and completes the assessment center exercises, the complete work will be scored by a minimum of 12 teachers who have successfully completed intensive training and have been qualified for scoring based on their understanding of NBPTS standards and guidelines. The teacher will make this submission available to their supervisor.

Resources

Kris Dewitt - kld24