What is the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards?
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization governed by a 63 member Board of Directors, comprised primarily of classroom teachers. Its purpose is to improve student learning in America's schools by developing a system of advanced, voluntary certification for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. The National Board is establishing rigorous standards and assessments for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.

What are the Certification areas?

Currently, certification is being offered in the following areas:

Art
   *  Early and Middle Childhood
   * Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

Career and Technical Education
   *  Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

English as a New language
    *  Early and Middle Childhood
   *  Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

English Language Arts
   *  Early Adolescence  
   *  Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Exceptional Needs Specialist
   *  Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

Generalist
    *  Early Childhood
   *  Middle Childhood

Health
    *  Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

Library Media
    *  Early Childhood through Young Adulthood

Literacy: Reading - Language Arts
    *  Early and Middle Childhood

Mathematics
    *  Early Adolescence
   *  Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Music
   *  Early and Middle Childhood
   *  Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

Physical Education
   * Early and Middle Childhood
  * Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

Science
   *  Early Adolescence
   * Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Social Studies-History
   *  Early Adolescence
   * Adolescence and Young Adulthood

World Languages Other than English
    *  Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood

Age Categories
   Early Childhood - Ages 3-8
   Middle Childhood - Ages 7-12
   Early & Middle Childhood - Ages 3-12
   Early Childhood through Young Adulthood- Ages 3-18+
   Early Adolescence - Ages 11-15
   Adolescence and Young Adulthood - Ages 14-18+
   Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood - Ages 11-18+

National Board Certification is valid for 10 years. Certificates may be renewed for an additional 10 year period.