National Board Certification

Advance your practice, improve student learning

Beyond gaining the title National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), this certification process provides you the opportunity to deeply reflect on your practice. Created by teachers and for teachers, National Board Certification is tailored to your teaching, your content, and your specific students. Learn more about National Board Certification core propositions.

5 Core Propositions

Through National Board Certification, you will demonstrate how your teaching addresses both content-area-specific standards and the Five Core Propositions:

Proposition 1

Teachers are committed to students and their learning.

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Teachers Recognize Individual Differences in Their Students and Adjust Their Practice Accordingly.

Accomplished teachers base their practice on the fundamental belief that all students can learn and meet high expectations. Educators are thus passionate about building meaningful relationships with young people so students can advance their understanding and experience success.

Proposition 2

Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.

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Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.

If one cardinal principle of teaching is a commitment to the welfare and education of young people, another is a commitment to subject matter. Accomplished teachers are dedicated to acquainting students with the social, cultural, ethical, and physical worlds in which we live, and they use the subjects they teach as an introduction to those realms. Read more from NBPTS.

Proposition 3

Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

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Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

Accomplished teachers maintain high expectations for all students. They view themselves as facilitators of student learning, helping children and young adults reach their fullest potential. To achieve that goal, educators create vibrant, productive workspaces for their students, adjusting and improving organizational structures as needed while establishing effective ways to monitor and manage traditional and nontraditional learning environments. Read more from NBPTS.

Proposition 4

Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

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Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

As with most professions, teaching requires practitioners to remain open, eager for, and dedicated to the pursuit of continuous growth. Because they work in a field marked by evolving questions and an expanding body of research, teachers possess a professional obligation to become perpetual students of their craft. Accomplished educators seek to expand their repertoires, deepen their knowledge and skills, and become wiser in rendering judgments. Read more from NBPTS.

Proposition 5

Teachers are members of learning communities.

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Teachers are members of learning communities.

Accomplished teachers reach beyond the boundaries of their individual classrooms to engage wider communities of learning. They connect with local, state, national, and global groups in person or via technology to take advantage of a broad range of professional knowledge and expertise. Accomplished educators draw on those resources when instructing their students and participating in duties that contribute significantly to the quality of schools and student learning. Read more from NBPTS.

The Process

Within one to three years, you will complete four components.

Component 1

Is a computer-based exam to assess your knowledge of your chosen content area.

Component 2

Will have you will prepare a portfolio showing how you differentiate your teaching for students.

Component 3

Often called the video component, includes footage of you teaching along with a written analysis of your choices about your learning environment and student engagement.

Component 4

Requires you to share how you gather your knowledge of students, how you use assessments to inform your teaching decisions, and how you grow your own professional learning.

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