National Board Certification
National Board Certification is the most respected professional recognition available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students, and schools.
The certification was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.
There is a decade of research to support the positive impact that board-certified teachers have on students. National Board Certification enhances teacher effectiveness by adjusting lesson plans to meet the needs of individual students and using data in new ways to assess student progress and learning goals, deepening their content knowledge.
These methods fit perfectly with the RISD North Star Goal of every student meeting or exceeding their academic growth goals.
Candidate teachers pursuing National Board Certification must learn to instruct at a high level using the National Board Standards for their certification area. National Board Standards describe the knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions that characterize accomplished practice. In addition, National Board Certified Teachers focus on the Five Core Propositions which are central to the objective of becoming an accomplished National Board Certified Teacher.
The Five Core Propositions include:
Proposition 1
Teachers are committed to students and their learning
Proposition 2
Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students
Proposition 3
Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning
Proposition 4
Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
Proposition 5
Teachers are members of learning communities
National Board Teachers in Texas
National Board Certification in RISD
RISD currently has seven National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) who have earned their certification through the district program. In the 2023-24 school year, 5 candidates in RISD’s Cohort 3 will complete their second year of certification and receive their National Board Certification. 29 candidates in RISD’s Cohort 4 are beginning their two year certification journey this year and are estimated to be fully certified in 2026.
Over the past several years, RISD has partnered with different organizations such as Region 10 Educational Service Center and Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute to provide resources and support for teachers pursuing National Board Certification. The Richardson ISD Foundation has generously supported many of our National Board candidates with grants to help candidates pay for certification components.
This year, Cohort 3 will continue working with the Nevada National Board Professional Learning Institute in the 2024-2025 school year to complete their certification. Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, Richardson ISD will support National Board candidates in Cohort 4 directly by providing monthly cohort meetings where candidates are provided opportunities to collaborate and support one another on this journey.
- Cohort 1: 2021-2023
- Number of Candidates: 3 Candidates
- Candidates: Brian Harper, Jennifer McEvoy, Maria Francke-Gonzales
- Cohort 2: 2022-2024
- Number of Candidates: 4 Candidates
- Candidates: Alexandra Enderica, Bobbie Weir, Christine Liou, Denisse Alvarado
- Cohort 3: 2023-2025
- Number of Candidates: 5 Candidates
- Candidates: Alexandra Enderica, Bobbie Weir, Christine Liou, Denisse Alvarado
- Cohort 4: 2024-2026
- Number of Candidates: 29 Candidates
- Candidates: Allison Han, Allison Schrank, AmyCaron Halstead, Aspen Hattley, Brenda Garza, Brenda Monterrosa, Brooke Baumgartner, Caitlin Zancana, Christina Hammers, Debbie Reese, Hope Dotson, Idabel Torres, Jennifer Price, Jillian Round, Taylor Nabors, Katie Palser, Kim Curran, Kristy Marshall, Landry Honeycutt, Lars Landot, Meagan Stanaland, Michael Smith, Molly Fawkes, Rebecca Hoffman, Sandi Threadgill, Sarah Beaudrie, Sarah Kelley, Tasha Shell, Tracy Miller-Cook
- Cohort 5: 2025-2027
- Number of Candidates: The application process will begin in the Spring.
- Candidates: The application process will begin in the Spring.
National Board Certification Facts
- There are currently 133,444 National Board Certified Teachers in the United States.
- In Texas, there are 1,196 National Board Certified Teachers, which ranks 24th among U.S. states.
- National Board Certified Teachers renew their certification every five years to remain current in their practices.
Quotes from RISD Teachers
Contact Us
For more information, contact Frank Patranella at frank.patranella@risd.org