National Board Certification Standards
1. Standard 1 - Knowledge of Students.
a. Teachers create environments in which equity, fairness and diversity are modeled,
taught and practiced. - i. Having high expectations that their students will treat one
another fairly and with dignity
ii. Promote and model the behavior necessary for a diverse society
iii. [teachers] Conscientiously demonstrate in their own behaviors the kind of behavior
they expect from students and others.
iv. Create learning environments that value the dignity and worth of each individual.
v. Help all students feel welcome as active contributors
vi. Design instruction, materials, and curricula that reflect the diversity of learners and
illuminate their significance in teaching and learning experiences.
vii. All students receive appropriate attention and teacher assessments of student
progress offer multiple avenues for success.
viii. Actively and positively challenge those who express inappropriate perspectives on
others teaching the importance of equality, fairness and respect.
ix. Teachers appreciate the importance of helping others understand the nature and
complexity of students with exceptionalities.
c. Student Transitions and Career Development - 1. Knowledgeable about multiple,
significant, transition points in the life of a child
2. Sensitive to the concerns of families and the changing relationships that occur at
each level
3. Communicate with families and support their participation in transition planning
4. Understand the central importance of transition planning as a unifying framework to
identify students' post-secondary goals
i. Transition in the Early Years
a. Transition is a progressive developmental process toward adult independence that
begins during children's early years.
b. Recognize differences between transition in early years and middle high school years
and high school years.
ii. Transition to middle years and young adulthood
1. Knowledge of students' post-secondary plans
2. Design programs of study that provide choices and diverse opportunities
3. Focus career-technical instruction on functional work skills, such as excellent
attendance, managing time, dressing appropriately, working productively with
coworkers, interacting appropriately with customers and supervisors and getting to and
from jobs safely and on time
4. Imbue the broader curriculum with self-advocacy and self-determination curricular
elements in a variety of ways.
, Contributing to the Profession and to Education through Collaboration - i. Provide
leadership through collaboration to improve teaching and learning for students with
exceptional needs and to advance knowledge policy and practice
ii. Regard collaboration as a distinguishing characteristic of their profession
iii. Share responsibility and accountability for meeting complex needs of students with
exceptional needs
iv. Dedication to working with all service providers to benefit students and ensure their
full participation and progress in all learning environments
v. May include providing leadership on a variety of school teams
vi. Focus collaborative relationships on ensuring student access to general education
and to standards based education
vii. Ensure student access to all learning environments and support student success by
collaborating with colleagues and parents as students transition.
viii. Collaborate in a variety of purposeful ways to influence school culture. \
ix. View cooperation with administrators as important to meeting needs of students with
exceptionalities in regard to training and managing paraprofessionals.
Curriculum and Instruction - consider the whole student. Knowledge of federal
regulations, state standards the general education curriculum, and a range of curricular
accommodations and modifications specific to students with exceptionalities. Use
expanded curriculum (socio-emotional skills, life skills, health and leisure education,
transition, career development etc.) Know that students do not all achieve the same
goal and the same time, they do not follow the same path to success.
Diversity - all students regardless of exceptionality, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion,
language, culture, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, body image or gender
receive equal opportunities to participate in, enjoy and benefit from needed services,
instructional activities, learning experiences and resources.
Family Partnerships - view parents, guardians and other caregivers are partners in a
productive dialogue to benefit students, regard collaboration with families as necessary.
Teachers serve as a resource for families and provide them with a wide range of
information and support to help them become significant partners in educating their
children.
Five Core Propositions - 1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
5. Teachers are members of learning communities
Importance of social interaction - i. Effective social interactions are essential to
academic success
ii. Teacher recognize that physical, intellectual, ethical and social development are
interdependent and exceptionalities often affect each of these domains.
1. Standard 1 - Knowledge of Students.
a. Teachers create environments in which equity, fairness and diversity are modeled,
taught and practiced. - i. Having high expectations that their students will treat one
another fairly and with dignity
ii. Promote and model the behavior necessary for a diverse society
iii. [teachers] Conscientiously demonstrate in their own behaviors the kind of behavior
they expect from students and others.
iv. Create learning environments that value the dignity and worth of each individual.
v. Help all students feel welcome as active contributors
vi. Design instruction, materials, and curricula that reflect the diversity of learners and
illuminate their significance in teaching and learning experiences.
vii. All students receive appropriate attention and teacher assessments of student
progress offer multiple avenues for success.
viii. Actively and positively challenge those who express inappropriate perspectives on
others teaching the importance of equality, fairness and respect.
ix. Teachers appreciate the importance of helping others understand the nature and
complexity of students with exceptionalities.
c. Student Transitions and Career Development - 1. Knowledgeable about multiple,
significant, transition points in the life of a child
2. Sensitive to the concerns of families and the changing relationships that occur at
each level
3. Communicate with families and support their participation in transition planning
4. Understand the central importance of transition planning as a unifying framework to
identify students' post-secondary goals
i. Transition in the Early Years
a. Transition is a progressive developmental process toward adult independence that
begins during children's early years.
b. Recognize differences between transition in early years and middle high school years
and high school years.
ii. Transition to middle years and young adulthood
1. Knowledge of students' post-secondary plans
2. Design programs of study that provide choices and diverse opportunities
3. Focus career-technical instruction on functional work skills, such as excellent
attendance, managing time, dressing appropriately, working productively with
coworkers, interacting appropriately with customers and supervisors and getting to and
from jobs safely and on time
4. Imbue the broader curriculum with self-advocacy and self-determination curricular
elements in a variety of ways.
, Contributing to the Profession and to Education through Collaboration - i. Provide
leadership through collaboration to improve teaching and learning for students with
exceptional needs and to advance knowledge policy and practice
ii. Regard collaboration as a distinguishing characteristic of their profession
iii. Share responsibility and accountability for meeting complex needs of students with
exceptional needs
iv. Dedication to working with all service providers to benefit students and ensure their
full participation and progress in all learning environments
v. May include providing leadership on a variety of school teams
vi. Focus collaborative relationships on ensuring student access to general education
and to standards based education
vii. Ensure student access to all learning environments and support student success by
collaborating with colleagues and parents as students transition.
viii. Collaborate in a variety of purposeful ways to influence school culture. \
ix. View cooperation with administrators as important to meeting needs of students with
exceptionalities in regard to training and managing paraprofessionals.
Curriculum and Instruction - consider the whole student. Knowledge of federal
regulations, state standards the general education curriculum, and a range of curricular
accommodations and modifications specific to students with exceptionalities. Use
expanded curriculum (socio-emotional skills, life skills, health and leisure education,
transition, career development etc.) Know that students do not all achieve the same
goal and the same time, they do not follow the same path to success.
Diversity - all students regardless of exceptionality, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion,
language, culture, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, body image or gender
receive equal opportunities to participate in, enjoy and benefit from needed services,
instructional activities, learning experiences and resources.
Family Partnerships - view parents, guardians and other caregivers are partners in a
productive dialogue to benefit students, regard collaboration with families as necessary.
Teachers serve as a resource for families and provide them with a wide range of
information and support to help them become significant partners in educating their
children.
Five Core Propositions - 1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning
2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students
3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning
4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience
5. Teachers are members of learning communities
Importance of social interaction - i. Effective social interactions are essential to
academic success
ii. Teacher recognize that physical, intellectual, ethical and social development are
interdependent and exceptionalities often affect each of these domains.
