National Board Standards

The foundation of national certification by the NBPTS is five core ideas: (1) Teachers are committed to students and their learning; (2) Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach these subjects to students; (3) Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning; (4) Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; (5) Teachers are members of learning communities.

Based on this foundation, the NBPTS is setting standards in 30 fields. The certificates to be offered in these fields are structured around two dimensions—the developmental levels of students and the subject(s) being taught.

Four student developmental levels have been identified—early childhood (ages 3-8), middle childhood (ages 7-12), early adolescence (ages 11-15), and adolescence and young adulthood (ages 14-18+). The developmental levels are intentionally overlapped.

Candidates for national certification will have a choice of either a subject specific certification (for example, Early Adolescence/Science) or a generalist certificate (for example, Middle Childhood/Generalist). There will also be certification for teachers of special needs students.

Each certificate field has a standards committee composed of a majority of classroom teachers. Other committee members may include experts in child development, teacher education, and relevant subject areas. The standards committee recommends to the NBPTS the specific standards for each field and advise the board in the development of corresponding assessments.