National Board Certification & Supplement

National Board Certification is part of the growing education reform movement that is advancing student learning, improving teaching and making schools better. Teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met high standards through study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review.

Join the ranks of the nation's most accomplished teachers who help students develop the necessary skills to thrive in school, in the workplace and in the 21st-century global economy. National Board Certification complements, but does not replace, a state's teacher license. It is valid for 10 years, and renewal candidates must begin the renewal process during their eighth or ninth years as National Board-Certified teachers.

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. National Board Certification is available nationwide for most preK–12 teachers.

As part of the certification process, candidates complete 10 assessments that are reviewed by trained teachers in their certificate areas. The assessments include four portfolio entries that feature teaching practice and six constructed response exercises that assess content knowledge.

National Board-certified teachers also receive a salary supplement from the Maine Department of Education.

 

Eligibility

Any public school teacher or a teacher in a publicly supported secondary school who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization, no later than July 1, 2012, is eligible to receive the annual supplement for the 2012-13 school year. Teachers who receive their certification after July 1, 2012, will become eligible for the annual supplement during the 2013-14 school year. As long as the eligibility requirements are met and the certificate is valid, the annual salary supplement must be provided.

Eligible Position Titles

  • Classroom teacher
  • Special education teacher
  • Literacy specialist
  • Long-term substitute teacher
  • Library media specialist
  • Guidance counselor

Note: This supplement does not include guidance counselors who have attained certification from the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.

Requirements

In order to receive scholarship funds on behalf of a teacher, the school administrative unit or a publicly supported secondary school must certify to the Department that the teacher:

  1. Is currently employed by a school administrative unit or a publicly supported secondary school;
  2. Has completed at least 3 years of teaching in the State;
  3. Has agreed to mentor at least one other teacher employed in the State through the national board certification process to apply to and enroll in the certification program;
  4. Has provided documentation of acceptance into the certification program; and
  5. Has disclosed any other funds received to cover the cost of the certification program.

 

Application

Applications for the 2012-13 school year were due October 15, 2012.

According to statute, scholarship funds for a teacher who has met all eligibility requirements must be requested by the teacher's superintendent (if employed by a school administrative unit) or by the director of the teacher's publicly supported secondary school or Career and Technical Education region.

The SAU, secondary school or CTE region are responsible for ensuring that all eligibility requirements are met and that copies of supporting documentation are kept on file and available upon request by the Education Commissioner's office.


Method of Payment

Responsibilities of SAU

According to statute, the SAU superintendent or the director of a publicly supported secondary school or CTE region must file with the education commissioner a certified list of their national board-certified teachers who are eligible to receive the salary supplement by October 15 of each year.

Report eligible teachers to the commissioner using the Salary Supplement Request Form (XLS, 100KB). Please send this information to Paula Gravelle, Maine DOE school finance coordinator, via mail, email or fax. Her information is listed at the bottom of this page.

Payment to Qualifying SAU

Once the eligibility has been verified for each teacher and the total calculated for each SAU, publicly supported secondary school or CTE Region, a separate payment will be issued to the eligible institution. The annual salary supplement must be paid to SAUs and publicly supported secondary schools before February 15 of each year. A provision in the law, 20-A MRSA Section 13013-A subsection 4, allows for receipt of these additional state funds and payment of the funds to eligible teachers without a special meeting of the local governing body.

Payment to Eligibile Teacher

The amount of the annual salary supplement required for each National Board-certified teacher should be added to the locally established salary for purposes of the retirement system but not for reporting on the MEDMS Staff system. The supplement must be distributed to teachers each year of eligibility. It is subject to all normal withholding requirements for payroll tax and retirement purposes.

 

Contact

Paula Gravelle
School Finance Coordinator
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
paula.b.gravelle@maine.gov
Fax: 207-624-6791

 

Source: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards website

10/19/12