National Board of Professional Teacher Standards Board (NBPTS) was founded in 1987 with a threefold mission:

1. to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do;
2. to develop and operate a national voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards; and
3. to advance related education reforms to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs).

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) offers a voluntary certification process whereby teachers who are considered highly effective can demonstrate, and gain recognition for, their knowledge and teaching skills. National Board Certification is a rigorous standards- and performance-based assessment designed for preK-12 classroom teachers and school counselors. It consists of two major components:

1. a portfolio of classroom practice, and
2. an assessment of content knowledge administered at a computer-based testing center.

Candidates can apply for certification in 24 certificate areas. Teachers and school counselors who have gone through the process report it to be one of the best professional development experiences of their careers. Assessment development is guided by Five Core Propositions that state what the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards values and believes should be honored in teaching. These five propositions are detailed in What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do. They are:

     1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
     2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those