Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards has announced that North Carolina continues to lead the nation with teachers who hold national board certification, with 399 teachers achieving this demanding certification in 2020-21.

North Carolina now has a total of 23,418 teachers with the respected National Board Certification, offered by the Arlington, Va.-based non-profit organization. This certification is a way to recognize the accomplished instruction that is practiced in North Carolina’s classrooms while also helping teachers strengthen their knowledge and skills.

The certification process is based on high and rigorous standards that evaluate teaching practice through performance-based assessments. The ultimate result is improved performance and achievement for North Carolina’s students.

North Carolina also ranks first nationally in the percentage of all teachers who have earned board certification, with nearly one quarter (23%) of all teachers in the state holding the certification.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the national board certification is a testament to high quality instruction provided in schools across North Carolina.

“Teachers who achieve this credential must demonstrate real mastery of classroom instruction and command of the content they teach,” Truitt said. “It’s not just their students and schools who benefit from the hard work these teachers invested in earning this certification – these teachers help raise the bar for educational quality across North Carolina.”

Nationally, a total of 130,493 teachers have earned board certification, with North Carolina accounting for nearly 18 percent of all nationally certified teachers.

North Carolina school districts also continue to rank among the top 30 districts nationwide for numbers of teachers holding national certification, with six districts making the list:

·      1st – Wake County Schools (3,113)

·      4th – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (2,334)

·      9th – Guilford County Schools (763)

·      18th – Buncombe County Schools (632)

·      19th – Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (595)

·      21st – New Hanover County Schools (571)

Teachers in North Carolina who achieve certification receive a 12 percent salary supplement to their regular pay. They also are awarded eight continuing education credits (CEUs).

North Carolina supports teachers pursuing national certification by providing low-interest loans to pay the $1,900 assessment fee and three paid release days from normal teaching duties 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 the national certification.

Certification by the National Board is the highest credential in the teaching profession, and participation is voluntary. As a part of the certification 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.