Research on National Board Certification

More than 150 studies, reports, and papers have been commissioned on the National Board Certification process, and more studies are underway. This growing body of research, which clearly demonstrates the impact of National Board Certification on teaching and learning, underscores the importance of NEA's support for National Board Certification.

Key Studies and the Findings

Details on all of the studies noted below are available in the Research section of the NBPTS Web site.

Appalachian State University (April 2005): This study found that NBCTs developed and implemented instructional plans and assignments aimed at fostering deeper student understanding, and students taught by NBCTs achieved deeper learning than students of non-board certified teachers. The study found a statistically significant difference between the depth of student learning of NBCTs and teachers who had attempted but did not achieve certification. The study examined the teaching practices of 64 teachers in 17 states. The study is mentioned in this NBPTS release.

CNA/Miami-Dade Research (November 2004): Miami-Dade math teachers who had achieved National Board Certification helped their students achieve larger testing gains than did colleagues who had not earned certification, even when other factors that could have resulted in high scores were taken into account. The study also found  that NBCTs are particularly effective with students with special needs, and provides some evidence that Black and Hispanic students may also receive extra benefits. Read the NBPTS release.

Arizona State University Study (September 2004): This study found that students taught by NBCTs in 14 Arizona school districts outperformed their school mates on a widely use standardized educational test. In addition, researchers found that the gains went beyond higher test scores, with learning gains equivalent on average to spending more than an extra month in school each year. Read the NBPTS release.

University of Washington/ Urban Institute (March 2004): An independent, multi-year study of more than 600,000 records of North Carolina students found that teachers who achieve National Board Certification do a measurably better job in the classroom. Students of NBCTs improved an average of 7 percent more on their year-end math and reading tests than students whose teachers attempted but failed to gain certification. This performance differential was most pronounced for younger and lower-income students whose gains were as high as 15 percent. Read the NBPTS release.

The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning (June 2002): A study of more than 500 NBCTs in California concluded that those who achieved certification believed they benefited personally (86 percent) and professionally (82 percent) from the process.

Education Resources Group (Fall 2001): In a national survey of certification candidates, teachers overwhelmingly reported that the process of National Board Certification helped them become better teachers and improved their interactions with students and parents. Some 96 percent rated the process as excellent, very good, or good professional development

Yankelovich Partners (February 2001): A survey of some 2,500 NBCTs found that nearly all of them share an overwhelming desire to be active outside of the classroom and to improve teaching and learning.

University of North Carolina at Greensboro (October 2000): This was the first comprehensive study to compare the teaching practices of NBCTs with other teachers, and to compare samples of student work from classrooms of the two groups of teachers. The findings: Teachers who have achieved NBC significantly outperform their peers who are not Board Certified on 11 of 13 key dimensions of teaching expertise.