National Board Certification

National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education. It was designed to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

National Board Certification is achieved upon successful completion of a voluntary assessment program designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who meet high standards based on what teachers should know and be able to do. In order to become a board certified teacher, candidates voluntarily complete a rigorous certification program that consists of four components: assessment of content knowledge, reflection on student work samples, video and analysis of teaching practice, and documentation of the impact of assessment and collaboration on student learning. This is a serious commitment of time and energy, but teachers who achieve certification describe the process as transformative. The Certification process takes between one and five years. The estimated time commitment is between 200 to 400 hours to complete the certification process. The total cost for the initial attempt of all four components is $1975. Certification is not a guarantee; the National Certification rate hovers around 40 percent from year to year.

Currently, there are fifteen National Board Certified teachers in the Lake Havasu Unified School District and twenty-five individuals in the process of certification.

Supporting Professional Development

The K-12 Foundation established a fund with a gift of $50,000 from Cindy and Jerry Aldridge, to be used to support teachers that furthered their education through achieving their National Board Certification. The K-12 Foundation has awarded several teachers a check to help in the costs of this certification and the fund is becoming depleted. Please consider donating to the National Board Certification fund of the K12 Foundation to support these teachers as they advance the quality of teaching and learning. Click here to donate to the National Board Certification Program.