Teachers make up the majority of the board.
The goals of the National Board are to establish high and rigorous standards for what teachers should know and be able to do in order to improve student learning, and to certify teachers who meet those standards. First, a state's license, required to teach within its jurisdiction, merely indicates that a licensee satisfies a minimum level of requirements, generally equivalent to entry-level ability. In contrast, national certification will be voluntary and will signify highly accomplished teaching based on a specific set of professional criteria. Second, state license standards vary from state to state, whereas National Board certification standards will be uniform across the country. Third, National Board standards are being developed through a process of teacher input that is different from that used in state licensure procedures.