| What is the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification? |
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The NBPTS Certification was started in 1987 as a way to document and assess experienced teachers. The creators of the National Board first drafted a set of core principles detailing what experienced and successful teachers should know and be able to do. These core principles are the foundation for the National Board Standards that are in widespread use and were the foundation for similar standards drafted by other groups and states. The certification process was created purposefully as an alternative to more standardized approaches to teacher assessment that fail to take into account variations in content area, grade level, and local context. Currently, teachers who have at least three years of experience may elect to participate in this performance based assessment. As stated by the NBPTS Organization, it is this performance piece that is key because “it assesses not only the knowledge teachers possess, but also the actual demonstration of their skills and professional judgment as applied daily in the classroom.”
The process of becoming a National Board certified teacher is a grueling one that demands much of teachers who are also juggling all the other demands of their profession. Teachers must complete a portfolio demonstrating their practice and highlighting the ways they put the National Board standards into practice. They must include written plans, videotapes of their teaching, and extensive written reflections on their teaching. In addition to the portfolio, teachers must complete a more standard, written assessment aimed at evaluating their content knowledge. The NBPTS encourages teachers to work together and support one another during this process. They also encourage teachers to seek out support programs and/or mentors who can provide them with feedback on all aspects of the process. Despite the difficulty, becoming National Board certified makes a difference for these teachers and their students. Teachers who have achieved National Board certification outperform their peers on 11 of 13 dimensions of teaching expertise (Bond, Smith, Baher & Hattie, 2000). |
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| What are the Core Propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards? |
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| NBPTS was created after the Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy’s Task Force on Teaching as a Profession released A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century. Shortly after its release, NBPTS issued its first policy statement: What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do. This policy set forth their vision for accomplished teaching. The Five Core Propositions form the foundation and frame the rich amalgam of knowledge, skills, dispositions and beliefs that characterize National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT's). These propositions are as follows: |
- Proposition 1: Teachers are Committed to Students and Learning
- Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students.
- Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.
- Proposition 4: Teachers Think Systematically about Their Practice and Learn from Experience.
- Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Learning Communities.
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| What are the Certificate Areas? |
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| NBPTS offers 24 certificates that cover a variety of subject areas and student developmental levels, and are applicable to more than 95 percent of America’s teachers. You may review standards, portfolio instructions, assessment exercise descriptions and scoring guides for each certificate under Certificate Areas. |
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| What are the Benefits of National Board Certification? |
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| National Board Certification is the highest symbol of professional teaching excellence. The rewards go far beyond the financial incentives now offered by many states and school districts. It attests to the fact that you have been judged by your peers as one who is accomplished in your field. |
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| National Board Certification: |
- Recognizes achievement – both yours and your students
- Strengthens and reaffirms teaching strategies
- Adds credibility to the teaching profession
- Represents the profession’s highest standards
- Positively impacts student learning
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| Learn more about Why America Needs National Board Certified Teachers. |
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| How does the Secondary Education Graduate Program Support Candidates? |
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| Currently the graduate program in Secondary Education provides support to candidates in the form of two courses: EDSC 591 (Professional Seminar in Secondary Teaching) and EDSC 594 (Project Seminar Support Class). EDSC 591 (taught in the fall) is intended to provide students with an introduction to the requirements of National Board certification as well as assist students in beginning work on their portfolios. EDSC 594 (taught in the spring) is intended to provide teachers with as-needed support while they finish their portfolios. |
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| What Additional Links and Resources are Available? |
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| Who is the Contact for Additional Information? |
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Laura Haniford, Associate Professor
Secondary Education
lhaniford@fullerton.edu
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| Faculty |
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Mark Ellis, Assistant Professor
Early Adolescent Mathematics
1999 |
Jackie Counts, Lecturer |
Kristine Quinn
Lecturer Middle Childhood- Generalist 2000 |
Graduates |
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 Sylvia Angulo
Teacher Early and Middle Childhood/English as a New Language 2001 |
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