The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is a non-partisan, non-profit organization. http://www.nbpts.org  Established in 1987, it's mission is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by:

1)  maintaining rigorous standards for what teachers should know and be able to do;

2)  providing a national voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet  

     those standards; and

3)  advocating related education reforms that integrate National Board Certification      

     into American education and capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified 

     Teachers.      

To achieve National Board certification, teachers must demonstrate they are able to modify their instruction to meet the specific needs of students, in specific settings at specific times.  Additionally, teachers must prove they have content expertise in the content areas they teach. 

The National Board process is intense and personally challenging.  Teachers earning National Certification report spending between 200-400 hours in professional development and reflection through this process.  The National Board certification process is similar to the expectations of an earned Master’s Degree however, candidates have only one year to gather and document evidence for their portfolios. Candidates are required to maintain their teaching positions while they pursue National Board certification. 

The work completed by a candidate is assembled into a portfolio submitted for assessment to the National Board. In addition, each candidate must prove academic proficiency through a national exam on the content they teach. The test and the portfolio complete the application process. Scores are announced by the National Board 9 months later. 

For more information visit their website at:  http://www.nbpts.org