January 10, 2017
Nine MCPS educators achieved certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in 2016. Forty-seven educators renewed their National Board Certification. This brings the number of Board-certified teachers in MCPS to 857. Montgomery County far surpasses all other districts in Maryland, and MCPS is ranked eighth in the top 30 districts for the total number of National Board-certified educators.
The number of new certifications is lower than usual because the NBPTS has revised its certification assessment process. In 2014, the group began a three-year rollout of updating its assessment process, which candidates can now complete in up to three years.
National Board Certification, a voluntary program established by NBPTS, is achieved through a performance-based assessment. It is designed to measure what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The process requires teachers to demonstrate how their activities, both inside and outside the classroom, strengthen student performance and contribute to student achievement.
Educators earn National Board Certification after completing a series of assessments that include teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes, and rigorous analyses of their classroom teaching and student learning. Candidates also complete a series of written exercises that probe the depth of their subject-matter knowledge and their understanding of how to teach those subjects to their students.
Full-time, non-administrative MCPS educators receive an additional $2,000 in their MCPS salary each year as long as they retain valid certification. The state also provides a stipend to certified teachers who meet certain qualifications, pending annual funding.
MCPS uses the rigorous standards of NBPTS as part of the Professional Growth System for all teachers in the school system. The certification process is open to anyone with a baccalaureate degree and three years of classroom experience. The certificate is valid for 10 years, after which a teacher may seek renewal.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards