In 1983, public concern about the state of American education was sharply heightened by the issuance of a federal report title "A Nation at Risk." The report provoked a wave of reform initiatives that engulfed the education community. Most of these programs, however, left out a critical element of the education equation: the classroom teacher.
If America is to have world-class schools, it must have a world-class teaching force. Many excellent teachers already work in the schools, but their work often goes unrecognized and unrewarded. As a consequence, many first-rate practitioners leave the schools, and others who could be exceptional teachers never consider teaching. Worse still, the knowledge and skills of the fine teachers who remain are often underutilized, their positive influence allowed only modest scope.
Three years after "A Nation at Risk," in 1986, the Carnegie Task Force on Teaching as a Profession issued a pivotal report, "A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century." Its leading recommendation called for the establishment of a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The Following year, this unique institution in the history of American education was born.
The mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, to develop and operate a national, voluntary system to access and certify teachers who meet these standards, and to advance related education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools. Governed by a 63 member board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers, the National Board is dedicated to bringing teaching the respect and recognition this important work deserves. National Board Certification is being developed by teachers, with teachers, for teachers. National Board Certification is a symbol of professional teaching excellence. Offered on a voluntary basis, it will complement, not replace, state licensing. While state licensing systems set minimal standards for novice teachers, National Board Certification will establish advanced standards for experienced teachers. Performance-based assessment processes will measure a teacher’s skills against those high standards.