Focus on Teachers

The single most important factor in student achievement is the quality of the teacher in the classroom.
The BCEE believes that the hallmark of excellence for accomplished teachers is certification to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Comparable to the CPA designation in accounting, or the PE license in engineering, National Board Certification is the hallmark of excellence in the profession and is earned by teachers through a rigorous professional development process that may take up to three years to complete.

Candidates must document their subject matter knowledge, provide evidence that they know how to teach that subject matter to children, and demonstrate their ability to manage and measure student learning.

Based on rigorous professional standards developed by teachers, the process requires intense self-reflection and analysis of one's own practice. Valid for ten years, National Board Certification is offered to teachers on a voluntary basis. National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) speak eloquently about how the experience produces deeper student learning outcomes in classrooms.

The BCEE works with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey Department of Education, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the Educational Information & Resource Center and other educational stakeholders around NJ to increase the numbers of teachers who are certified to the National Board.

Every year, the BCEE celebrates and acknowledges the accomplishments of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) from all over the state at an awards dinner. Each new NBCT receives the BCEE's Crystal Apple Award. At the dinner, the BCEE also recognizes the Administrator of the Year. This award goes to the administrator who has provided the highest level of support to a teacher in the National Board process, as defined by participating teachers.