Educator Services Career Advancement
Educator Recognition Programs

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that operates a national, voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet high and rigorous standards of accomplished teaching. Teachers who achieve certification have demonstrated the ability, in a variety of settings, to make sound professional judgments about students' best interests and to act effectively on those judgments. The certification process is a two-part assessment that requires a great deal of time and energy on the part of the candidate. The first part of the process asks a teacher to show evidence of good teaching practice by preparing a portfolio. The portfolio contains videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, samples of student work and written analyses and reflections on one's teaching. The second component of the assessment takes place in an assessment center. Candidates spend one day at an assessment center completing six content tests.

A National Board Certificate is considered to be the highest credential the teaching profession offers; a certificate awarded by the National Board attests that a teacher has been judged by his or her peers as meeting rigorous professional standards. Teachers who have undertaken it consider it to be the most worthwhile professional development experience of their careers.

National Board certification has been incorporated into the Department's recertification regulations. Teachers who achieve National Board Certification in Massachusetts are awarded 120 PDP's, which is good for one round of recertification. It has also been added to the licensure regulations and is currently one of the options for the Professional license. (You can find the options for the Professional license on page 12 of this link: http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr7.html

Application Subsidies

The National Board Certification process (www.nbpts.org) is an enriching personal and professional experience that allows teachers to reflect upon and improve their practice. In Massachusetts over the past several years, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has encouraged teachers to participate in the process by offering application subsides to defray the application costs.

This year the Department is able to subsidize $1,250 of the $2,500 application fee for up to 38 candidates using federal funds it has received from the U.S. Congress through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Priority will be given to teachers from high poverty/low performing school districts. Please note that candidates are responsible for the remaining $1,250.

Individuals who are interested in applying for an application subsidy should:

• Submit their National Board application (www.nbpts.org) with a $500 check made payable to the National Board no later than the end of the day on December 31, 2011 or pay electronically with the National Board.

The National Board has successfully launched the Extended Payment Plan for 2011-2012 first-time candidates. When a candidate elects to participate in this plan, they will benefit from an extended payment deadline of March 15, 2012 (the deadline will otherwise remain January 31, 2012).

• Candidate accesses the online NBPTS payment screens and enrolls in the Extended Payment Plan. They can do this either immediately following the submission of their online candidate application or they can come back later and access the payment screens from their account in My Profile at http://www.nbpts.org/myprofile.

• Candidate agrees to make all payments for which they are personally responsible for by electronic check.

• NBPTS will send candidate a monthly email reminder prompting submission of payment.

• Candidate decides the amount of their payment installments.

Fee and Payment Information

A nonrefundable $65 processing charge is required when you submit your application. However, your candidacy will not officially start until you submit a nonrefundable $500 initial fee, which will be applied to the $2,500 assessment fee. Once NBPTS receives your application processing charge and $500 initial fee payment, you will be sent a verification packet and portfolio materials.

If you have questions regarding this information, please call the National Board customer service line at 1-800-22TEACH.

For further information with regards to the Massachusetts Subsidy please contact Deborah J. Walker via email at djwalker@doe.mass.edu.