From the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, shared Dec. 7:

N.C. teachers No. 1 in National Board Certification

North Carolina public school classrooms are welcoming 1,244 newly-certified National Board teachers according to the 2011 certification results just released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This newest batch of credentialed teachers brings the state’s total number of National Board Certified Teachers to 19,193 – the largest number of National Board Certified teachers in the nation. Over 18 percent of North Carolina’s public school teachers are National Board certified.

State Superintendent June Atkinson commended the newly-certified teachers and thanked them for their dedication to achieving this certification. “National Board Certification is an incredibly rigorous process that requires teachers to look deep into how they provide classroom instruction to meet the academic needs of all their students. It requires a serious professional and personal commitment. We are so fortunate that so many of our teachers continue to be willing to make this commitment. Our public school students are the ultimate winners as a result.”

Nationwide, 6,266 teachers and counselors received National Board Certification, bringing the national total to 97,291. North Carolina accounts for almost 20 percent of the nation’s National Board Certified Teachers. Florida is the next closest state with 13,618 followed by South Carolina (8,142), Washington (6,174) and California (5,293).

In addition, six North Carolina public school districts once again placed in the Top 20 districts nationally for the total number of National Board Certified Teachers: Wake County Schools is first again with 2,194, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools moved up to third place with 1,854, Guilford County Schools remained in 10th with 731, Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools stayed in 16th with 513, Buncombe County Schools again placed 19th with 464 and New Hanover County Schools remained in 20th with 425.

For the first time, the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards released the Top 50 public and private universities and colleges with the highest number of alumnae who are newly certified National Board teachers. Leading the nation with 130 is Appalachian State University. In second is East Carolina University with 118, UNC-Chapel Hill is 9th with 65, UNC-Greensboro is listed 10th also with 65 teachers, North Carolina State University is 14th with 51, UNC-Charlotte is 18th with 45, Western Carolina University is 22nd with 39, and Meredith College placed 37th with 26.

Atkinson congratulated North Carolina’s universities and colleges on this distinction saying, “We know the teachers graduating from our universities and colleges are committed to providing the best instructional practices to help their students succeed in the classroom. It’s nice to see these schools recognized for their graduates’ commitment.”

North Carolina teachers have pursued National Board Certification since 1994. Teachers who achieve certification receive a salary supplement on top of their regular pay that is good for the 10-year life of the certification. They also are awarded 15 continuing education credits (CEUs).

North Carolina supports teachers pursuing National Board Certification by providing low-interest loans to pay the $2,500 assessment fee and three paid release days from normal teacher responsibilities to develop their portfolios. Also, the State Board of Education awards a North Carolina teaching license to out-of-state teachers who are employed in North Carolina and who possess National Board Certification.

National Board Certification is the highest credential in the teaching profession and participation is voluntary. Teachers achieve certification through a rigorous performance-based assessment that typically takes from one to three years to complete and measures what accomplished teachers and counselors should know and be able to do. As a part of the process, candidates build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Certification is currently available to educators in 27 fields.

Additional information on National Board Certification is available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/recruitment/nationalboardcertification/.