North Carolina continues to lead the nation in the number of teachers who have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), with 616 additional teachers gaining the endorsement in 2017.
The NBPTS also ranked the top 50 public and private universities and colleges with the highest number of alumni with the national credential. Appalachian State University took the top spot for the second year in a row.
Nearly 21,500 teachers in North Carolina have attained national certification, which is based on a rigorous performance-based assessment that typically takes from one to three years to complete and measures what accomplished teachers and counselors should know and be able to do.
Nationally, 5,470 teachers earned certification in 2016-17, raising the total among all states to more than 118,000. In addition, almost 3,957 teachers across the nation achieved recertification, including 890 board-certified teachers in North Carolina.
North Carolina accounts for nearly one-fifth, or 18 percent, of all teachers nationally who are certified by the teaching standards organization. Nationally certified teachers also account for a larger percentage of the total teaching force in North Carolina than any other state, with 21.6 percent having earned the credential.