Record Number of Wisconsin Teachers Earn NBPTS Certification

A record number of Wisconsin teachers earned the prestigious National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification this year. Seventy teachers earned certification, bringing the state's total of board-certified teachers to 204.

"WEAC members who earned National Board certification should be commended," WEAC President Stan Johnson said. "They dedicated hours of their own time throughout the certification process reflecting on their practice and improving their effectiveness as educators. These talented educators do everything in their power to ensure that their students have the benefit of a classroom that works."

Under PI 34, the state's teacher-licensing law, National Board-certified teachers can apply for the highest level of license, the Master Educator. Both the certification and license are valid for 10 years and can be renewed.

The process of board certification which can take up to three years to complete, measures a teacher's practice against rigorous standards.

Teachers seeking certification complete an extensive series of performance-based assessments and must submit teaching portfolios, student work samples and videotapes that illustrate classroom teaching methods and student learning. A group of educators who have received special training serve as assessors and evaluate the work of certification candidates.

Candidates must also complete a series of written exercises to demonstrate their depth of knowledge in the subject matter in which they are seeking certification.

National Board certification is voluntary and open to all teachers who hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college and who have three years' experience in the classroom. Teachers who seek certification spend $2,300 in application fees, but Wisconsin reimburses up to $2,000 to candidates who are successfully certified. The state also provides an annual stipend of $2,500 to teachers during the second through tenth year of certification.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was founded 16 years ago and is a nonprofit, non-government organization that seeks to improve teaching and the quality of student learning. More than 32,000 teachers nationwide are certified.

To learn more about National Board certification, visit the OnWEAC resource page on NBPTS.

A list of Wisconsin educators who received certification this year is available online.

Posted December 3, 2003