Carolina’s School of Education is fourth in the nation in the number of its degree-holders who have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
UNC-Chapel Hill has 1,362 alumni who have earned the National Board Certified Teacher credential.
Certification by the National Board is the highest credential in the teaching profession. To obtain certification, a candidate must build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments, videotapes and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching.
In a news release, North Carolina State Superintendent of Education Mark Johnson said students gain from teachers who earn national certification, a demanding process that helps them become more effective in the classroom by meeting high standards for the profession.
“Congratulation to all of the teachers who have earned this certification,” Johnson said. “It is outstanding for North Carolina to be the leader in nationally certified teachers.”
The National Board for Professional Teaching recently released new figures, showing that North Carolina continues to lead the nation in the number of teachers who hold the certification, with 22,653. North Carolina accounts for nearly one-fifth of all teachers nationally who hold the credential.
In the highest ranks
Of the top 10 institutions nationally with alumni holding the credential, five of them are in North Carolina:
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• Appalachian State University, ranked No. 1 with 2,057
• East Carolina University, ranked No. 2 with 2,042
• UNC-Chapel Hill, ranked No. 4 with 1,362
• UNC-Greensboro, ranked No. 6 with 1,334
• UNC-Charlotte, ranked No. 7 with 1,198
Diana Lys, assistant dean of educator preparation and accreditation for the School of Education, said the School works to match teacher candidates with National Board Certified Teachers for their internships, adding that she is seeing evidence that doing so has produced better outcomes among graduates of the School’s MAT program.
“It’s also important to note that some of our degree-holders with National Board Certification are teachers who went through our Master’s for Experienced Teachers program,” Lys said. “Educators who see advanced credentials are demonstrating a commitment to professional growth that helps them better serve students.”
Nationally, 3,831 teachers earned National Board Certification in 2018-19, raising the total among all states to nearly 126,000. In addition, almost 4,783 teachers nationally achieved recertification, including 1,421 board-certified teachers in North Carolina.
Teachers in North Carolina who achieve certification receive a 12 percent salary supplement to their regular pay. They also are awarded eight continuing education credits.