America's Classrooms Gain More Than 7,800 National Board Certified Teachers in 2002

11/26/2002

From: Pat Wheeler, 703-465-2700 James R. Minichello, 703-465-2171 both of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 26 -- The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) announced today that 7,886 teachers in 50 states and the District of Columbia earned their profession's top honor this year by achieving National Board Certification(r). This achievement brings the total number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) to 23,930.

"These accomplished teachers will not only strengthen the teaching profession, they will also help our students achieve at higher academic levels," says NBPTS Chair Barbara Kelley. "I salute this year's candidates and our new National Board Certified Teachers. I thank the families, the schools, the school districts and the universities that supported these teachers in their efforts to achieve National Board Certification."

Founded 15 years ago, NBPTS is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing the quality of teaching and learning. National Board Certification is a symbol of teaching excellence. A voluntary process established by NBPTS, it is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes nearly a year to complete. Through this process, teachers document their deep knowledge of the subject matter they teach, provide evidence that they know how to teach their subjects to students effectively, and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure student learning.

"Attracting new teachers and retaining the talented teachers already living in Florida remains a top priority for Florida. National Board Certification is one of the best ways we can both reward our talented teachers and meet new state and federal mandates for quality teaching," says Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R). "I am proud our state is a leader in this excellence in teaching program and remain committed to increasing the number of Florida teachers who benefit from this achievement."

This year, the states with the highest number of teachers achieving National Board Certification are: North Carolina (1,476), Florida (1,243), South Carolina (1,062), California (646) and Ohio (458).

"As an Iowan who has worked hard to make sure that all of our children have access to high-quality education, I am especially proud that today we are adding dozens of certified teachers to the ranks of education professionals in our state," says U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). "Qualifying for this prestigious credential shows that these teachers are good at their jobs and committed to the highest standards of education. We need to do more to make sure that our teachers get the recognition and support they deserve for the crucial jobs that they do."

The National Board's announcement comes at a time when an increasing number of states and school districts are supporting National Board Certification by providing financial incentives to NBCTs. Such incentives include salary bonuses and reimbursement of candidates' fees. In addition to public funding of NBPTS activities, the private sector provides substantial support for National Board Certification.

"For 15 years, NBPTS has raised the standard for the teaching profession," says Washington Mutual Chairman, President and CEO Kerry Killinger. "The business community will continue to recognize and support the National Board because it succeeds in advancing the profession and in helping our children become the productive citizens we need them to be."

NBPTS has engaged in an independent, rigorous research agenda designed to examine the impact of the National Board Certification system and the effects of NBCTs on the quality of teaching and student achievement in America's schools. The findings of this three-year initiative will be widely disseminated to other researchers and the public at large.

"We are firmly committed to research that will help NBPTS continue moving forward in its mission to build a stronger teaching force," says NBPTS Executive Vice President Gary Galluzzo. "Our work will get better only if we are open to rigorous, independent research."

------ The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization governed by a 63-member board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.nbpts.org.