Q: What is National Board Certification?

A: From nbpts.org: "National Board Certification is a symbol of professional teaching excellence... National Board Certification measures a teacher's practice against high and rigorous standards through an extensive series of performance-based assessments, which includes teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes or DVDs and thorough analyses of the candidate's teaching and the students' learning. The process involves written exercises that probe the depth of a candidate's subject-matter knowledge, as well as his or her understanding of how to teach those subjects."

Q:  Why should I pursue National Board Certification?

A: The NBC process is the most rewarding professional development experience you will ever undertake in your educational career.

Q: How much does National Board Certificaiton cost?

A: $2,500 (keep reading for funding options)

Q: How do I pay for National Board Certification?  I can't afford it.

A: Many states and school districts pay for the cost of National Board Certification for their staff.  Many states also offer large, annual monetary incentives to NBCT's once they become certified.  If your district or state won't pay for your certification there are scholarship opportunities available.  See the resources section below to a link to scholarship information.

Q: What states recognize and support NB candidates?

A:  See the resources section below for a link to the list of state incentives.  Some states reward their NBC teachers handsomely and provide them with NB support and resources, but others (like Texas) do not recognize them at all.  

Q: Where should I start?  I am overwhelmed with information!

A: My best advice is to join the EC-GEN Yahoo! group immediately, this is the best resource I have found for NB candidates.  There is also an EC-GEN chatboard at teachers.net.  See the resources section for a link to both of these sites.

EC-GEN Resources