The portfolio includes videotapes of classroom teaching, lesson plans, samples of student work and written commentaries. The second part requires the teacher to participate in performance-based activities at an assessment center. The activities focus on a teacher's subject area and content knowledge. Portfolio entries and assessment center activities are scored by teachers who have demonstrated understanding of the National Board standards and who have received special training to prepare them to serve as a scorer. Scorers evaluate the videotapes, student work samples, and teacher's analysis and written responses to assessment center activities considering the conscious, deliberate, analytical and reflective criteria the National Board standards endorse.
Teachers have about five months to compile portfolios.
Most teachers report spending over 150 hours on their portfolios.- A candidate must earn a minimum score of 2.75 on individual entries and a total score of 275 for the entire process in order to receive National Board Certification. Entries on which a candidate scored 2.75 or more may be banked for up to two years. During this two year period, teachers who are not yet certified may retake any of the remaining entries and excercises and submit new responses, which will then be scored. Of those, approximately 180 earned the certification. To be eligible to apply, a teacher must hold a baccalaureate degree, have taught for a minimum of three years and have held a valid state teaching license for those three years or, where a license is not required, taught in schools recognized and approved to operate by the state.