The National Alliance of Black School Educators

National Board Certification Facts

National Board Certification is a process of identifying and certifying accomplished teachers based upon high and rigorous standards set forth by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

The National Board Certification (NBC) is a voluntary professional development process for classroom teachers. Unlike other teacher examinations, NBC is a performance-based assessment, where teachers document their accomplishments in and outside of the classroom. It is for teachers who hold a baccalaureate degree, have been teaching for three (3) or more years and were certified for those three years.

1. The first part is a portfolio, which is composed of four entries.
   • One entry is a case study of individual student's work samples.
   • Two entries are an analysis of individual pedagogical practices, including two (2) classroom-based videotapes.
   • One entry is an analysis of the work that teachers do outside of the classroom to enhance student learning in the classroom, through community, family and peer involvement.
2. The second part is a set of Assessment Center Exercises, completed at a local technology center (Sylvan, for example).
3. Six 30 minute entries.
4. Teachers are sent stimulus materials, in advance, in order to prepare themselves.

All of the documentation that a teacher references in his/her entries is based on the vision of Accomplished Teaching, as defined by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

The National Board's definition of Accomplished Teaching has been expanded into the NBPTS central policy statement, What Every Teacher Should Know and Be Able to Do, or The Five Core Propositions of the National Board.

A set of Standards, which describes specific knowledge, skills, abilities, commitment to students and teaching and dispositions of teachers of the K-12 level, is based on the NBPTS's central policy statement. Each set of standards is divided by content area and developmental age range.

Applications and materials become available in June. The application period is between June and December (December 1 deadline). The entire certification process could span eight to ten months. For more information on National Board Certification, Contact the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards at 1-800-22-TEACH or visit NBPTS on the web.