Offered on a voluntary basis, the advanced system of National Board Certification complements, but does not replace, state licensing. Equally important, National Board Certification is a means to professional growth and improvement. Candidates describe the process as a way to deepen subject matter knowledge and become more skillful in daily classroom instruction and student assessment, with the ultimate result being improved student learning. A system of advanced and assessments forms the basis for National Board Certification. 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 learn from their experiences. Teachers are members of learning communities. Standards are developed by committees of teachers, teacher educators, developmental experts, and leaders in the disciplinary fields. Each set of standards, in each discipline, represents consensus in the certification field of the critical aspects of teaching that distinguish the practice of accomplished teachers.