GCS Announces New and Renewal National Board Certifications

#TeamNBCT @CERRASC, #scnbcnetwork

Two GCS educators have earned National Board Certification for the first time, and 18 GCS educators have earned National Board Certification renewals. Greenville County Schools has 349 National Board Certified teachers, one of the teaching profession’s most respected achievements. South Carolina boasts 9,627 NBCTs.

The National Board Certification program is coordinated by CERRA (The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement). CERRA’s mission is to recruit, retain, and advance South Carolina educators.

Teachers seeking National Board Certification undertake a four-part process that takes from one to three years to complete. The process requires candidates to analyze information about students in order to design and implement instructional choices that leads to advance student growth and achievement. Teachers reflect on their classroom practices, assess their understanding of subject material and examine their preparation techniques. In order to advance student learning and growth, teachers must demonstrate knowledge and evidence of being an effective practitioner by analyzing assessments and data to positively plan lessons that impact student learning. In addition to preparing a portfolio with videotapes of classroom teaching, unit lesson plans, student work samples and reflective essays about the classroom environment and teaching interactions, teachers must complete assessment center exercises based on content knowledge that prove they have mastered the subjects they teach and also possess the pedagogical practices for teaching the content area.

Candidates consistently report that collaboration with other NBCTs and candidates eases the burden of the process. To this end, the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) created an infrastructure of support that includes a district liaison in each of the state’s 85 school districts and a National Board Toolkit comprised of PowerPoints, handouts, and activities to assist candidates as they move through the certification process. GCSD is pleased to partner with CERRA in implementing an applicant cohort program for GCSD teachers to participate in once a month as they work through the NB application process together over a three-year period. CERRA also collaborates with other state agencies including the State Department of Education, The South Carolina Education Association, and Palmetto State Teachers Association to provide workshops and awareness sessions for candidates.

Teachers interested in pursuing the certification for the 2022-23 National Board cycle can access further information on the CERRA Website.