National Board Certification (NBPTS) Maintaining and Leveraging Certification Syllabus

Maintaining and Leveraging Certification syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Maintaining and Leveraging Certification in National Board Certification (NBPTS), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Retake and Banking Policies

   3 topics

   • Score banking across the cycle
     • How long scores remain valid
     • Banking passing component scores
   • Retaking components
     • Retake fees and limits
     • Strategic decisions on which to retake
   • Achieving certification across multiple years
     • Planning a multi-year completion path
     • Tracking progress toward the total
2. 2

   Maintenance of Certification (MOC)

   3 topics

   • Renewal cycle and timing
     • Validity period of the certificate
     • When to begin maintenance
   • Maintenance of Certification requirements
     • Demonstrating continued accomplished practice
     • Professional growth evidence components
   • Documenting ongoing impact
     • Showing sustained student learning
     • Reflecting on professional evolution
3. 3

   Teacher Leadership and Professional Impact

   3 topics

   • Roles for National Board Certified Teachers
     • Mentoring and candidate support
     • Instructional coaching and PLC leadership
   • Advocacy and policy involvement
     • Contributing to education policy discussions
     • Supporting equitable teaching practices
   • Sustaining accomplished practice
     • Lifelong professional learning
     • Building a portfolio of leadership contributions

Maintaining and Leveraging Certification flashcards for National Board Certification (NBPTS)

18 of 50 cards from the Maintaining and Leveraging Certification deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is "score banking" in the National Board certification process?

   Score banking is the policy that allows candidates to keep (bank) the scores they have already earned on individual components for the duration of their certification cycle, so passed components do not have to be retaken while the candidate works to complete the rest.

2. How many components must a candidate complete to achieve National Board Certification?

   Four components: Component 1 (Content Knowledge), Component 2 (Differentiation in Instruction), Component 3 (Teaching Practice and Learning Environment), and Component 4 (Effective and Reflective Practitioner).

3. How long is the certification cycle during which banked component scores remain valid?

   The component retake/banking cycle lasts three years (the initial year plus two additional retake years), meaning a candidate has up to three cycle years to achieve all four components.

4. Which component of National Board Certification is the computer-based assessment taken at a testing center?

   Component 1: Content Knowledge, which is a computer-based assessment consisting of selected-response items and constructed-response exercises taken at an authorized testing center.

5. Which three components of National Board Certification are portfolio-based?

   Component 2 (Differentiation in Instruction), Component 3 (Teaching Practice and Learning Environment), and Component 4 (Effective and Reflective Practitioner) are portfolio submissions.

6. What does "retaking a component" allow a candidate to do?

   Retaking lets a candidate resubmit or retake any component (or a specific portion of it) on which they did not score high enough, in order to raise their total weighted score and reach the certification threshold without redoing components they already passed.

7. What is the minimum total weighted scaled score required to achieve National Board Certification?

   A total weighted scaled score of at least 1.75 (on the National Board's scoring scale) is required to achieve certification.

8. On what scale are individual National Board component performances scored before weighting?

   Each component is scored on a scale from 0.75 to 4.25, reflecting performance against the standards.

9. How is a candidate's total weighted score calculated across the four components?

   Each component's scaled score is multiplied by its assigned weight, the weighted values are summed, giving a total weighted scaled score that must reach 1.75 to certify.

10. What is meant by "achieving certification across multiple years"?

    Because banked scores persist for the three-year cycle, candidates may pass different components in different years, accumulating passing components over time until their combined weighted score meets the certification standard.

11. If a candidate does not certify within the three-year cycle, what happens to their scores?

    Scores expire at the end of the cycle; the candidate must begin a new cycle and retake all four components from the start, as banked scores no longer carry over.

12. What is the weight of Component 1 (Content Knowledge) in the total score?

    Component 1 carries a weight of 1.33 in the weighted total score calculation.

13. What is the weight of Component 2 (Differentiation in Instruction)?

    Component 2 carries a weight of 1.33.

14. What is the weight of Component 3 (Teaching Practice and Learning Environment)?

    Component 3 carries the highest weight, 1.67, reflecting its emphasis on video-based teaching practice.

15. What is the weight of Component 4 (Effective and Reflective Practitioner)?

    Component 4 carries a weight of 0.67, the lowest of the four components.

16. How does retaking differ from starting a brand-new certification cycle?

    Retaking keeps all previously banked passing scores and only redoes weak components within the same cycle; starting a new cycle discards all prior scores and requires completing all four components again.

17. What is a "retake" fee structure consideration for candidates?

    Candidates pay a per-component retake fee for each component or component portion they choose to resubmit, rather than paying the full initial registration cost again.

18. How long is a National Board Certificate valid before it must be renewed?

    A National Board Certificate is valid for five years and must be renewed to remain active.

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