Federal Funds Available for Teachers Seeking National Board Certification

Nashville, TN – Funds are available to assist Tennessee teachers who choose to pursue professional certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the Tennessee Department of Education announced today. Eligible Tennessee teachers may receive $1,250 toward the National Board Certification fee and have until December 31, 2008 to apply for the subsidies.

“The classroom teacher is the single most important factor affecting a student’s achievement in school,” Acting Education Commissioner Tim Webb said. “Achieving National Board Certification is one way Tennessee educators can continue to sharpen their skills and remain effective in the classroom.”

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Web site (www.nbpts.org), 287 Tennessee teachers have achieved National Board Certification. Applicants must have at least three years of full-time teaching experience and hold a Tennessee professional teacher license. Priority is given to teachers from high-priority schools and those who currently teach in a Tennessee public school.

National Board Certification is one possible route to attaining highly qualified status under No Child Left Behind. Candidates compile a portfolio that demonstrates how they meet National Board standards and undergo an assessment responding to questions about classroom situations and subject matter. Forty percent of candidates complete the process in one year. Teachers who do not master all components in the first year retain accomplished scores and may complete remaining components within the next two years.

Applications for subsidy awards from the U.S. Department of Education are now being accepted for the 2008-09 school year. A subsidy application is available at http://www.state.tn.us/education/tpd/ntnl_bd_cert.shtml. For more information about National Board Certification, go to www.nbpts.org or contact Johnny Crow, the Tennessee candidate subsidy administrator, at johnny.crow@state.tn.us .

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.