SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois ranks third in the nation for the number of teachers achieving National Board Certification in 2011.
More than 460 Illinois teachers achieved the voluntary professional certification this year.
Teachers must pass tests in the subject they teach and analyze their teaching strategies to get the credential. They build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments and videotapes. Certification typically takes one to three years to complete.
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced the state numbers. This is the sixth consecutive year Illinois has ranked among the top 10 states for the number of teachers newly achieving the credential.
Chicago Public Schools has 141 teachers who earned certification this year and in all has nearly 1,900 teachers with National Board Certification.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
