Education

National Board Certification: What’s it Worth?

February 16, 2005 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

“The gold medal of the teaching world.” That’s how one Virginia teacher was quoted describing her certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in a recent Washington Post article. Recognition and praise from both peers and parents followed her success, the article said, as well as career opportunities not previously available.

Achieving national board certification is no simple task for teachers. First, there’s the $2,300 fee, followed a rigorous performance-based assessment that can take from one to three years to complete. Candidates must compose portfolios of their work over a full school-year, which the NBPTS states should show “direct evidence of some aspect of the teacher’s work and an analytical reflective commentary on that evidence.” Candidates are also required to submit videotapes of their instruction and pass a one-day exam covering subject-matter knowledge and teaching methods. The program is open only to teachers with bachelors degrees and three years of classroom experience. Once earned, the advanced certification is valid for ten years.

But all that effort has some pay-offs. For many teachers, board certification brings with it an increase in salary, annual bonuses, and a validation of teaching techniques. Data from the Education Week Research Center’s Education Counts database show that in 2005, thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia provided financial incentives for teachers to earn board certification, while hundreds of school districts also provide their own incentives. Forty-nine states also gave licensure incentives--e.g., license portability, license renewal, or continuing education credit--to teachers who earned board certification.

Still, the national certification is not without its critics. Since its creation in 1987, some scholars and policymakers have questioned whether the NBPTS deserves the financial and professional recognition it has gotten. They have voiced skepticism that the credential is ultimately making a big enough difference where it matters--in the classroom.

However, a string of recent regional studies has suggested that NBPTS process does succeed in identifying better teachers. In test-score analyses in North Carolina, Arizona, and Miami, Fla., researchers found that board-certified teachers had a positive effect on student achievement. In an interview with Education Week, Linda C. Cavalluzzo, the author and chief investigator of the Miami study, called NBPTS certification a “nice, new important signal” that officials can use to identify and reward successful teachers.

Craig Stone
Online Editor

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Mathematics Webinar How to Build Students’ Confidence in Math
Learn practical tips to build confident mathematicians in our webinar.
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum How to Build and Scale Effective K-12 State & District Tutoring Programs
Join this free virtual summit to learn from education leaders, policymakers, and industry experts on the topic of high-impact tutoring.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: April 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz ICYMI: Do You Know What 'High-Quality Curriculum' Really Means?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of curricula.
iStock/Getty
Education Quiz ICYMI: Lawsuits Over Trump's Education Policies And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP