The National Board announced in September 2013 that the certification process will change in 2014-2015. Due to the phase-in of the new certification process, candidates beginning the pursuit of National Board Certification in 2014-2015 will not be able to achieve certification until the fall of 2017. Therefore educators who wish to achieve National Board Certification prior to 2017 should begin the process in 2013-2014 under the existing format. You can read about the changes to the certification process on our wiki.
National Board Certification is a rigorous, voluntary certification available to Pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, media specialists, and school counselors. Certification can be achieved in one to three years, depending upon whether or not any of the portions of the process have to be resubmitted to obtain higher scores.
The certification process consists of a portfolio which accounts for 60% of your total score. Each of the four portfolio entries is comprised of a 10-12 page paper analyzing student work and reflecting upon your practice. At least two of the entries will contain a video segment of your facilitation of classroom instruction. The fourth entry describes your professional accomplishments and their impact on student learning.
The remaining 40% of your score is based on six 30-minute tests administered at a standardized testing center. These tests assess the depth and breadth of your content knowledge across the range of your area of National Board certification. There are currently 25 different areas of National Board Certification.
The National Board Certification process correlates closely to the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards. Many candidates use their work during the pursuit of National Board Certification as evidence of their work toward meeting the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards.
Most educators agree that pursuit of National Board Certification is the most worthwhile professional development in which they have participated. Hear what some CMS educators think about their experiences with the National Board Certification process.
NBgivesUmore from CMS TeacherPD on Vimeo.
If you would like more information before deciding whether or not National Board Certification is right for you, please consider attending an Information Session at Spaugh PDC in November or viewing the recorded information on our wiki. The dates for the upcoming Information Sessions are also available on our wiki.
Linda Yarbrough is a Professional Development Specialist in the CMS Teacher Professional Development department. She achieved National Board Certification in November 2001 as an Early Childhood Generalist and renewed her National Board Certification in 2010. Linda has worked with the CMS National Board Support Program since 2002 and currently coordinates candidate support for CMS. You can contact Linda at [email protected].