In the near future, we intend to introduce legislation to create a pilot grant program to expand the number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) working in Pennsylvania’s highest-need school districts.
 
Research from multiple states shows that students taught by NBCTs make significantly greater academic progress. On average, students gain one to two months of additional learning in a school year compared with those taught by non-certified teachers. In Mississippi, Kindergarten students taught by an NBCT were 31% more likely to reach literacy proficiency — clear evidence that accomplished teaching drives measurable learning gains. National Board Certification also helps teachers stay in the profession longer. A South Carolina study found teacher attrition for NBCT’s to be three times below the statewide rate.
 
National Board Certification (NBC) is the most respected professional credential for educators in the United States — a voluntary, rigorous process through which teachers demonstrate advanced practice, reflection, and impact on student learning. Like certification boards in law or medicine, it signals accomplished mastery of the craft of teaching.
 
Join us in growing the number of board-certified teachers in high-need schools to accelerate learning outcomes, improve teacher retention, and raise achievement across the Commonwealth.