National Certification for Teachers

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

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).

The NBPTS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and nongovernmental agency governed by a 25-member board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers. The NBPTS mission advances the quality of teaching and learning by:

The National Board seeks to elevate the status, voice, and role of accomplished teachers in shaping a true profession. This includes: 1) raising public awareness with respect to the cognitive complexity, collaborative, and expertise-driven nature of teachers' work; 2) setting higher standards for entry, advancement, and leadership in the profession; and 3) recognizing accomplished teaching through a rigorous professional certification process comparable to those found in other professions such as medicine, engineering, and law.

National Board Certification

Following the development of certificate standards, the National Board collaborated with a skilled team of psychometricians to create the process by which a teacher could be fairly and reliably assessed as meeting those standards.

This new certification was the first of its kind in education. Built and overseen by the profession, the process of becoming National Board Certified was performance-based, multiple-measure, peer-reviewed, anonymously submitted and built on the highest standards of measurement to assure the results were valid and reliable. There was now a process for asserting when teachers had successfully moved through their novice years and had reached a level of accomplishment, similar to what had existed in other major professions.

By 1993, only six years after its founding, the National Board was ready to welcome the first teachers who elected to pursue certification. Within a few years, National Board Certification became the most rigorous, coveted, and respected professional certification available in education.

For more information on becoming a candidate for National Board Certification, visit the Candidate Center .

For information regarding NCLB compliance, see the CDE Web page Improving Teacher and Principal Quality.

Eligibility Criteria

The prerequisites for National Board Certification are highlighted below and are detailed in the Guide to National Board Certification (PDF). You will be required to submit one or more of the forms found in the Eligibility Verification Forms and Instructions (PDF) to verify you meet these prerequisites. To be eligible for National Board Certification you must:

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

If you have questions about your eligibility, please call the NBPTS at 1-800-22TEACH.

Assessment Process

The assessment center portion of the certification process requires candidates to demonstrate content knowledge in response to three exercises and 45 selected response items that were developed by practicing professionals in each certificate area. Candidates are expected to demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate content necessary to teach across the full age range and ability level of the certificate area in which they applied. Assessments are administered at over 300 computer-based testing centers across the United States.

For more information about the assessment, review the following resources and information:

Component One at a Glance (PDF)
Rubrics found in the Scoring Guide
Online Tour of a Pearson Professional Center
Assessment Center Tutorial
Assessment Center Policy and Guidelines (PDF)

The NBPTS has issued a set of teaching standards

that describe the accomplished level of teaching for different subject areas and grade-levels. The assessment 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.

Support for National Board Candidacy in California

While there is no requirement that candidates attend a support program, most teachers find it helpful to work with others throughout the process. Support is found in a variety of formats ranging from working informally with a colleague to enrolling in a university degree program. Support is available both online and through face to face meetings. Some programs are free and others charge a fee. Information about the major support programs in California is listed below.

California State University, Fullerton
Chris Street
cstreet@fullerton.edu

California Teachers Association
jrobb@cta.org

Folsom-Cordova Unified School District
Wendy Sol, NBCT
wsol@fcusd.org

Fresno National Board Network
Fresno Unified School District
Tiffany Castillo
Tiffany.Castillo@fresnounified.org

Lodi Unified School District Network
Lori Celiz, NBCT
lceliz@lodiusd.net

Long Beach Unified School District
Cara Hale-Hanes, NBCT
CHaleHanes@lbschools.net

Los Angeles Unified School District/United Teachers Los Angeles
mdelatorre@thesupportnetwork.net

Marin County
Andrea Keenan
akeenan@rossbears.org

Mills College National Board Network
Pilar Beccar-Varela, NBCT
pbeccarvarela@mills.edu

National University
Dr. Donna Elder
Associate Dean of the Sanford College of Education
delder@nu.edu

Orange County Department of Education
Susan Carle, NBCT
scarle@ocde.us

San Diego Partnership for Accomplished Teaching
Tammy Harris, NBCT
tharris@nbpts.org

San Joaquin County Office of Education
kagonsalves@sjcoe.net
(209) 468-4967

Stanford University
Linda Bauld, NBRC Director
National Board Resource Center
nbrc.stanford.edu

San Francisco Unified National Board Support Group
Sara Saldaña, NBCT
415-314-1873
nationalboard@sfusd.edu

Twin Rivers Unified School District
Beverly Weber, NBCT
beverly.weber@twinriversusd.org

University of California, Los Angeles, Center X
Erin Powers, NBCT
epowersedu@gmail.com

West Contra Costa Unified School District
Cinda Rapp, NBCT
crapp@wccusd.net

Sources of Financial Support

Financial support can be had to achieve advanced certification with no or little out-of-pocket expense. Local Service Organizations, such as Rotary or Lion's Club, or even an individual small business, may be willing to sponsor your candidacy, a letter or a short presentation to explain the program and why you are pursuing National Board Certification may lead to financial help. NBPTS scholarships may also be used to supplement or offset cost. For help putting a presentation together, contact one of the support programs or persons listed above.

Finding National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) in California

More than 5,000 California teachers have earned National Board Certification. To learn who these accomplished teachers are, please visit the NBCT Directory where you can search by name, certificate, state, district, and year.

NBCTs and California Teaching Credentials
National Board Certification can be used to clear a preliminary credential as well as add a credential in a new subject area.