National Board Certification is a symbol of commitment to excellence in teaching. Teachers who are involved in the process are joining thousands of educators in an unprecedented effort to reshape the public's perception of teaching, to create more professional and educationally rewarding relationships among teachers, to advance the knowledge based of teaching and ultimately, to improve student learning. The mission of The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, to develop and operate a national voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards, and to advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
Teachers think systematically about their practice and learning from experience. Teachers are members of learning communities. Take part in written assessment exercises focusing on their subject matter knowledge and their ability to organize subject matter for student learning. Certificates in physical education and foreign language will be available in 2000-2001. Candidates in northwestern and northern Minnesota may become part of support networks which will help assist them through the certification process.