The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has developed a new National Board Certification in Health Education. National Board Certification has been available in most other teaching areas for some time, and more than 24,000 outstanding teachers have completed the certification process.

National Board Certification is a voluntary process requiring applicants to complete an extensive series of performance-based assessments, and develop portfolios of student work, including classroom teaching videotapes and other documentation. These assess applicants’ knowledge of their content area and their ability to manage and measure student learning.

Recipients of National Board Certification earn credit toward the renewal of a teaching certificate and many states and/or local school districts provide an annual stipend above the regular teaching salary for those who earn national certification. For more information, on what your state offers go to www.nbpts.org Additional advantages of NBPTS certification include: improved student learning, professional development, job opportunities, potential advancement within a school district as leader/mentor, graduate credit, and recognition as a highly qualified teacher.

Secondary health educators teaching students ages 11-18 who possess a baccalaureate degree, a valid state teaching license, and have been teaching for three years are eligible to apply for the certification process.

The NBPTS is reluctant to offer the Health Education Certification until it is confident that enough health teachers will elect the certification to make the process cost effective. As a result, a list of health teachers wanting National Health Education Certification is being compiled by Susan Wooley, Executive Director of the American School Health Association (ASHA). After 250 -300 health teachers nationwide have signed the list, the names will be submitted to NBPTS.

If interested in obtaining NBPTS Health Certification, send your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, school name, grade level currently teaching, and certification held to:

Susan Wooley, Executive Director
American School health Association (ASHA)
P.O. Box 708
Kent, Ohio 44240-0708
Phone: 330-678-1601
Email: www.swooley@ashaweb.org