ATLANTA — Three member states of the Southern Regional Education Board lead the nation in the number of teachers who recently attained National Board Certification, according to an announcement this week by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Nationwide, the number of teachers with National Board Certification increased
7 percent in 2006 to more than 55,000, led by increases in North Carolina (1,525), Florida (1,513) and South Carolina (636). Illinois and Washington also ranked in the top five, NBPTS reported.
“National Board Certification sets rigorous standards to ensure that America’s teachers have the knowledge and skills to improve student achievement,” said Lynn Cornett, SREB senior vice president.
“It’s a strong indicator of the South’s educational progress that among the teachers nationwide who have earned this credential, the majority — more than 33,000 — are in the 16 SREB states.”
All 50 states have policies and regulations to recruit, reward and retain National Board Certified teachers as part of their efforts to raise educational quality, Cornett noted.
A voluntary process by teachers, certification typically takes one to three years to complete, according to NBPTS. As part of the process, teachers create a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and an analysis of their classroom teaching. Teachers also are assessed on their content knowledge of the subjects they teach.
For more information about your state’s accountability system for teacher preparation, contact SREB Communications or see SREB’s 2006 report SREB States Remain on Top in the Number of Teachers Achieving National Board Certification at www.sreb.org.
SREB, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, advises state education leaders on ways to improve education. SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to help leaders in education and government work cooperatively to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. SREB has 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Each is represented by its governor and four gubernatorial appointees.
