3242.02 - GUIDELINES FOR PURSUING NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
The process of obtaining National Board Certification consists of an application for acceptance in the program and the submission of applicable fees. Upon acceptance, a rigorous, self-directed and highly specified course of study guided by five (5) core propositions is followed. The length of this process varies greatly by applicant but usually requires from one (1) to three (3) years.
Fee Structures
Initial Application Fees*:
The fee structure for initial applications consists of:
- A $65 non-refundable application processing fee
- A $500 non-refundable initial application fee
- A $2,500 program fee (the $500 initial application fee can be applied toward this amount)
*Initial applicants prior to 2019 are 10-year certifications; after 2018 are 5-year certifications.
Reapplication Fee:
$1,250 program fee
Subsidies and Grants
The Wisconsin Department of Instruction (DPI) offers the following grants, subsidies, and long-term salary supplements:
- Certified teachers may apply for up to $2,000 for reimbursement of costs related to the program upon completion of the certification process.
- National Board Certified teachers qualify to receive a supplemental $2,500 or $5,000 per year salary award for nine years from the State of Wisconsin.
The School District of Jefferson shall pay for all direct National Board Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) fees associated with this program. The applicant is expected to apply for all DPI subsidies and/or grants available to teachers for the NBPTS program. The applicant agrees to return to the District 100% of the DPI subsidy granted to assist with the program fee. This provision does not apply to any of the nine-year $2,500 supplemental salary awards given by the State upon receipt of National Board Certification status.
Eligibility and Benefits Eligibility is limited to teachers that are employed at least half time (.50 FTE) in the District. In order to receive benefits under this plan, staff may apply at any time, but must do so and be approved prior to application to NBPTS. Selection for benefits is not guaranteed, will be evaluated against specific selection criteria, and is subject to Board approval.
Benefit recipients are expected to remain employed by the School District of Jefferson while completing the NBPTS program. Termination of employment prior to completion of the program will require the teacher to refund the District for all NBPTS fees paid on their behalf.
Upon completion of the NBPTS program, the teacher is expected to remain a School District of Jefferson employee for a minimum of five (5) years. Failure to do so will result in a required repayment of all fees paid to NBPTS by the District. This liability will be prorated as follows for employment years not meeting the five-year minimum:
Four years of employment after certification: 20% repayment to the district by employee
Three years of employment after certification: 40% repayment to the district by employee
Two years of employment after certification: 60% repayment to the district by employee
One year of employment after certification: 80% repayment to the district by employee
A teacher must notify the Building Principal and Superintendent, in writing, that s/he is pursuing National Board Certification. The teacher will then be granted up to five (5) days of professional leave to work on their initial certification and (2) days of professional leave to work on recertification. The five (5) days for initial certification can be used over athree-year period and any time prior to submitting their Portfolio or taking the Assessment Center Test, whichever is last. No more than three (3) days may be used in any one school year.
© Jefferson, School District of