National Certification for Teachers

The California Department of Education (CDE) actively supports teachers in their efforts to achieve advanced certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

| Candidate Subsidy Program | District Support | Higher Education Support | Incentive Award |
| Incentive Frequently Asked Questions | ListServ | Steps for Candidates | Support Groups |
| National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) Directory (Outside Source) |

The NBPTS (Outside Source) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nongovernmental agency governed by a 63-member board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers. The NBPTS mission advances the quality of teaching and learning by:

• Maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do
• Providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards
• Advocating related educational reforms to integrate National Board certification in American education
• Capitalizing on the expertise of NBCTs

National Board Certification

A National Board certificate attests that a teacher was judged by his or her peers as one who is accomplished, makes sound professional judgments about students, and acts effectively on those judgments. It allows teachers to gauge their skills and knowledge against objective, peer-developed standards of advanced practice. Offered on a voluntary basis, National Board certification complements, but does not replace, state licensing. While state licensing systems set entry-level standards for novice teachers, National Board certification establishes advanced standards for experienced teachers.

National Board certification raises the quality of the teaching profession. It creates a high standard for the profession and the process itself offers high quality professional development. It is based on teacher self-reflection and inquiry, linked to the teacher's own teaching situation and practice. Accomplished teachers form the core of the teaching profession. Their knowledge and leadership are central to any effort to educate each of our students to high academic standards. The NBPTS has confirmed with the U.S. Department of Education that NBCTs do meet the definition of a "highly qualified teacher" as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

For additional information regarding NCLB compliance, see Improving Teacher Quality.

Eligibility Criteria

To seek National Board Certification candidates must meet the following requirements prior to applying:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree
• Have completed three full years of teaching/counseling experience
• Possess a valid state teaching/counseling license for that period of time, or, if teaching where a license is not required, have taught in schools recognized and approved to operate by the state

Applicants who use teaching experience in the state of California must be able to submit proof that they held, at a minimum, a California Preliminary Credential for each of the years of experience. Employment under intern or emergency credentials does not meet the employment or licensure prerequisites established by the NBPTS. If you have questions about your eligibility, please call the NBPTS at 1-800-22TEACH.

For additional information, see Eligibility and Policies (Outside Source).

Certificate Area

National certification is available in a variety of areas based on the subject matter taught and student ages. An overview of each certificate area is available at the NBPTS Candidate Resource Center (Outside Source).

Assessment Process

For each of the certificate areas, the NBPTS offers a performance-based assessment that takes approximately one year to complete. The assessment process includes two components:

1. Candidates submit a portfolio comprised of three classroom-based entries, including two videos, to document the candidate's teaching practice. The fourth portfolio entry documents the candidate's work with students' families and the community as well as work within a professional community.
2. Candidates must make an assessment center appointment where they will respond to six prompts focused on content knowledge. Candidates are allowed up to 30 minutes to respond to each prompt.

Candidates are advised to consider the amount of time required to complete the process before making the commitment to pursue national certification. Previous candidates have reported spending as many as 200 hours on the process.

The NBPTS has issued a set of teaching standards (Outside Source) that describe the accomplished level of teaching for different subject areas and grade-levels. The assessment (Outside Source) process for each area is guided by these standards. An important first step in the process is to study the standards for the particular certificate you choose to pursue.

NBCTs in California

With the announcement of 293 new NBCTs in December 2006, the number of California teachers who have earned a National Board certification jumped to 3,660. For a list of names, please visit the NBCT Directory (Outside Source) where you can search by name, certificate, state, district, and year.

NBCTs Who Move to California

California Education Code Section 44398 specifies that a teacher who is licensed to teach in another state and who receives National Board Certification by NBPTS shall be issued a professional clear teaching credential authorizing the teacher to teach in the subject area in which the teacher received National Board Certification.

Note : An NBCT must hold at least a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential before the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (Outside Source) will issue a professional clear credential based on national certification.

NBCT ListServ

To allow statewide communication among California NBCTs, a ListServ has been created. Any member may post a message, and it will be sent to all registered members via e-mail. You may add your e-mail address to the list or remove it at any time. CDE uses the ListServ to send updates on National Board activity in California as well as information about opportunities for NBCTs.

Support for National Board Candidacy in California

The CDE administers two programs to support the NBPTS: the NBPTS Certification Incentive Program and the Candidate Subsidy Program.

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