The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan and nongovernmental organization formed in 1987 to develop professional standards for early childhood, elementary, and secondary school teaching. It is governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers.
Unlike state licensing processes which set entry-level requirements for beginning teachers and requirements for maintaining certification by veteran teachers, National Board Certification is a voluntary process developed to recognize experienced teachers for having met challenging professional teaching standards as evidenced by performance-based assessments.
Illinois’ certification system encourages teacher participation in the NBPTS certification process. Teachers moving from the Initial Teaching Certificate to the Standard can satisfy their professional development requirements by:
- Completing four semester hours of graduate level course which addresses the requirements for certification by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or by
- Completing NBPTS Candidacy Process (certification is not required).
Teachers renewing their Standard Teaching Certificate can do so by completing the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards process.
The cost for pursuing NBPTS certification is currently $2,300. The Illinois State Board of Education does offer scholarships (as funds allow) of $2,000 thus reducing the cost to individual teachers to $300.
Many local associations have negotiated district level scholarships to cover these outstanding costs.
For more information about the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, you can: