North Carolina just added another 527 newly-credentialed teachers to its National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) corps. Although North Carolina placed second behind Washington (946) in 2014 for the total number of newly Board certified teachers, the state continues to lead the nation in its total number of NBCTs at 20,611.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) recently released the latest numbers for states and the nation. Twenty-one percent of North Carolina’s educators are National Board certified.
State Superintendent June Atkinson commended the newly-certified teachers saying, “North Carolina teachers continue to pursue this credential, and our students benefit from teachers who are engaged, interested in strengthening their craft and willing to model lifelong learning for their students.”
Nationwide, 4,158 teachers and counselors received National Board Certification, bringing the national total to 110,447. North Carolina accounts for almost 19 percent of the nation’s National Board Certified Teachers. Florida is the next closest state (13,637) followed by South Carolina (8,820), Washington (8,196) and California (6,249).
In addition, five North Carolina public school districts placed in the Top 20 districts nationally for the total number of National Board Certified Teachers: Wake County remained first with 2,455, Charlotte-Mecklenburg is fourth with 1,995, Guilford County is 9th with 778, Winston-Salem/Forsyth is 16th with 541, and Buncombe County is 17th with 520.
Along with the release of the number of newly certified National Board teachers, the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards again released the Top 50 public and private universities and colleges with the highest number of alumni who are newly certified National Board teachers. Nine North Carolina universities or colleges made the Top 50: Appalachian State University tied for 9th with 35, East Carolina University and North Carolina State University tied for 11th with 34, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was 17th with 30, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Western Carolina University tied for 27th with 21, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte tied for 30th with 20, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington tied for 34th with 18, and Meredith College tied for 43rd with 13.
North Carolina teachers have pursued National Board Certification since 1994. Teachers who achieve certification receive a salary supplement to their regular pay that is good for the 10-year life of the certification. They also are awarded 7.5 continuing education credits (CEUs).
North Carolina supports teachers pursuing National Board Certification by providing low-interest loans to pay the $1,900 assessment fee and three paid release days from normal teaching responsibilities for new candidates 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 25 fields.
Additional information on National Board Certification is available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/nationalboardcertification/.
About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 126 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state’s public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.