National Board Certification Incentive Awards

National Board Certification is a voluntary process for teachers that is designed to complement state licensure. Individuals interested in seeking National Board Certification must have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, have completed three years of full-time teaching experience, and have held a valid state license without deficiencies (not an interim or emergency license) during the three years of employment, possess a valid five-year Virginia license, and be employed as a public school teacher in a Virginia public school. Teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification may find additional information regarding possible scholarships on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website.

Guidelines for Distributing National Board Certification Incentive Awards – Approved by the Board of Education on June 28, 2012

• See the July 27, 2012 Superintendent's Memo 178-12
• See the Revisions to Guidelines for Distributing National Board Certification Incentive Awards: Superintendent's Memo 178-12, Attachment A
• Also see the Board of Education action item, Review of Revised Guidelines for Distributing National Board Certification Incentive Awards: June 6, 2012 - Item G (PDF)

Eligibility Criteria for the National Board Certification Incentive Awards

1.  An individual seeking a National Board Certification Incentive Award must:
   • hold an active National Board Certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and be employed as a teacher in a public school in Virginia on September 30 of the current school year with at least 50 percent of the regular school day engaged in direct instruction with students; and
   • be a teacher holding an active five-year renewable license issued by the Virginia Board of Education.
2. An individual who holds an active National Board Certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and is assigned as a building administrator, a supervisor in a central office position, or a teacher who is teaching less than 50 percent of the regular school day shall be excluded from the incentive awards.
3. The teacher’s employment shall be verified annually by the division superintendent or designee pursuant to the Appropriation Act.

Procedures for Distributing Incentive Awards

1. An initial award not to exceed $5,000, contingent upon available funding, will be issued to teachers who meet the eligibility criteria described above and who achieved National Board Certification while teaching in a Virginia public school.
2. Continuing awards not to exceed $2,500, contingent upon available funding, will be issued annually for the life of the active certificate to teachers who meet the above eligibility criteria each year the award is granted.  An individual will not receive an initial award and a continuing award in the same year.
3. For those individuals who receive notification that they achieved National Board Certification while teaching in another state, no initial award will be granted.  These individuals will be eligible for the continuing award, contingent upon available funding, for the life of the active certificate provided the individual continues to meet the eligibility criteria described above.
4. Contingent upon available funding, awards shall be granted to all National Board Certified teachers who meet the eligibility criteria as of September 30 of each school year and whose names are reported to the Virginia Department of Education. Funds will be distributed to employing school divisions on or before December 31 of the same school year for distribution to their eligible teachers.  The incentive payment is taxable to the recipient, and the school division assumes responsibility for ensuring all taxes are remitted.
5. The procedure for disbursement of funds if the program is not fully funded shall be based on a 2:1 ratio (The initial award would be twice that of the continuing award).
6. The procedure for disbursement of funds following a year when no funds are appropriated or available shall be as follows:
   • An individual who meets the criteria for an initial award would be granted such an award once funds are available; and
   • An individual who meets the criteria for a continuing award would be granted such an award once funds are available (awards for previous years when funds were not available would not be granted).
7. In school years when funding has been appropriated, school divisions must complete and submit to the Virginia Department of Education a signed National Board Certification Incentive Award verification report.  It is the responsibility of each school division to determine the eligibility of each individual who meets the Board of Education eligibility criteria and to submit individuals’ names on the National Board Certification Incentive Award verification report and signed affidavit every school year pursuant to the Appropriation Act.

In an effort to provide updated information, the Virginia Department of Education has recently launched a series of interactive data dashboards, including  the National Board Certified Teachers Dashboard.  The visualization displays trends in NBCT over the years and can assist users in understanding one aspect of teachers' professional development. 

 

Additional information about the National Board Certification process is available at the NBPTS website.