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Incentives for pursuing National Board Certification

Be Recognized With The Best: National Board Certification is more than just adding a set of initials after your name. It is the highest symbol of professional teaching excellence. The rewards are many and becoming a National Board Certified Teacher attests to the fact that you have been judged by your peers as one who is accomplished in your field.

Salary Increase: National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) working in a position that qualifies for the salary increase will receive a supplement of $7,500 annually for the life of the certificate (up to ten years). This supplement is part of SC Proviso 1A.28 and must be approved annually by the State Legislature.

Impact Your School & Profession: Research is consistently positive about the impact of National Board Certification on improvements to teacher practice, professional development and areas of school improvement that are critical to raising student achievement. 

Impact Student Achievement: Independent studies show students of NBCTs do better on standardized tests than students of non-NBCTs.

District-Level Incentives: Review a list of school districts in this state that offer support and/or incentives for candidates and National Board Certified Teachers. It is possible that your school district or local businesses offers support not included in the above link.   Check with your school or your school district’s Web site for more information. This information is provided in a chart maintained by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; the link will take you to their website. (Last updated August 11, 2009)

 

Do I qualify for the SC NBCT Salary Supplement?

Guidelines for SC NBC Salary Supplement

According to Proviso 1A.40 (SDE-EIA:XI.C.3-National Board Incentive) classroom teachers or classroom teachers who work with classroom teachers who are certified by the State Board of Education and who have certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) shall be paid a salary supplement of $7,500 in the year of achieving certification. The salary supplement will be added to the annual pay of the teacher for the length of the national certificate (10 years).

IMPORTANT: The General Assembly must approve this funding each year for this incentive to remain intact.

In order to assist districts in the definition of the “the classroom teacher who works with classroom teachers”, the State Department of Education offers these guidelines.

These SC educators must be:

        • School-based

        • Non-supervisory

        • Non-administrative

        • Work with classroom teachers in an instructional or curriculum coordinator capacity

        • Any other school based personnel not requiring principal/administrative supervisory certification

 

Recertification Credit:
NBCTs in South Carolina are exempt from the South Carolina requirement to earn a minimum of 120 renewal credits within five years to renew their certificates, provided they maintain the validity of the NBPTS certificate. However, if an NBCT chooses not to pursue the renewal process for the 10-year NBPTS certificate, the teacher then must earn 120 renewal credits during the last five years of the valid NBPTS certificate to maintain a valid South Carolina certificate. For more information on renewing an NBPTS certificate (www.nbpts.org). For more information on renewing a South Carolina professional educator's certificate (www.scteachers.org).

 

Reciprocity:
South Carolina grants certification to anyone from out of state who has National Board Certification and a valid educator certificate in the area of certification from that state, without any additional requirements (e.g. test scores, courses).