Student success begins with well-trained and highly effective teachers. In education, National Board Certification (NBC) is the most respected professional credential. Like in other professions, this voluntary certification goes beyond the requirements of state licensure through a rigorous, challenging process, helping to develop and recognize accomplished teachers and generating real results in their classrooms.

The results are clear, and research has repeatedly shown, all over the country, that the presence of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in classrooms leads to measurably stronger academic growth, higher teacher retention, and other positive academic indicators. The most recent research, a study out of Texas released earlier this year, found that students taught by NBCTs saw additional learning of 3.5 months in math and 1.5 months in ELA, an 18 percent reduction in the likelihood of suspension, and a 10 percent reduction in chronic absenteeism. Other studies demonstrating similar findings include:

• A Mississippi study found that kindergarteners with a board-certified reading teacher were 31% more likely to reach literacy proficiency.
• In Washington state, NBCTs were found to produce gains of up to five weeks of additional student learning compared to teachers with similar experience.
• Board-certified teachers in North Carolina overwhelmingly reported that the certification process had a positive impact on student learning in their classrooms, citing improved teaching, stronger student engagement and academic achievement, and more effective evaluation and assessment strategies.

With the demonstrated success that expanding access to this certification brings, we plan to introduce legislation to create a grant pilot program to expand the number of NBCTs working in our highest-need school districts. Most states in the country already incentivize National Board Certification through financial assistance to cover certification fees or additional compensation for board-certified teachers, and this step would make sure more of Pennsylvania’s teachers, and students, also benefit from this recognized and effective certification.

Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation to improve student academic achievement and teacher effectiveness and retention by getting more board-certified teachers where we need them the most.