National Board Support Program for Arkansas Districts
BloomBoard’s National Board Support Program is a portfolio-based program for schools and districts that want to provide their educators with the support they need to earn National Board certification. The program is specifically designed to help Arkansas educators increase readiness and provide certified coaching support during their National Board candidacy.
Benefits and Incentives for Arkansas Educators
Financial Incentives
New National Board Certified Teachers in Arkansas receive a state incentive of:
- $10,000 annually (for 10 years) if they teach in a high-poverty school in a high-poverty district
- $5,000 annually (for five years) if they teach in a high-poverty school not located in a high-poverty district
- $2,500 annually (for five years) if they do not teach in a high-poverty school
More than 100 Arkansas public school districts offer additional incentives for National Board Certification.
State Recognition
National Board Certified Teachers in Arkansas receive credit toward professional development requirements when renewing their license.
Educational Credits
The National Board Support Program courses can be applied toward your advancement in the Lead Educator Designation or the Master Teacher Designation in the newly released Arkansas Career Continuum.
Leadership Opportunities
Board certification can enable teachers to take on leadership roles—such as mentoring, leading professional development efforts, and advocating for policy changes—that allow them to advance their careers while staying in the classroom.
Benefit and incentive information provided by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. See Arkansas State Profile»
Program Overview
BloomBoard has developed a portfolio-based program that enables educators to prove proficiency in specific supporting competencies that will prepare them for successful National Board Certification candidacy.
The program consists of three courses (outlined below) focused on competencies that will be utilized when developing the portfolio in the National Board component areas. Throughout the support program and the candidacy process, participants will have access to a certified NBCT coach to support educators in their candidacy. BloomBoard has also aligned exemplar videos from National Board’s ATLAS video library to each course.
To ease the financial commitment for educators who want to earn National Board Certification, BloomBoard is offering flexible financing options that allow educators to bundle the cost of the support program and the entire candidacy process as well. This means the cost of the support program, the NBCT coaching, access to the National Board ATLAS video library, and the price of National Board certification (registration fee plus the cost of all four components) can be deferred until the candidate completes the candidacy process. As an added assurance for participants, the cost of the program also covers any necessary resubmissions that need to be made along their journey to certification.
Districts interested in providing this National Board Support Program to their educators can work with BloomBoard to design customizable payment options.
Courses Included in the Program
The following courses are included in the National Board Support program:
Utilizing Knowledge of Students to Inform Instruction
Analyzing Student Work to Inform Instruction
Utilizing Self-Reflection to Promote Professional Growth
How National Board Support Courses Work
The National Board Support Courses are earned by demonstrating competence in a specific skill via a portfolio of evidence created through classroom practice. All courses are based on a robust, standardized blueprint, grounded in four areas of instructional efficacy research including, cycles of inquiry, job-embedded supports, rigorously calibrated assessment, and portfolio-based learning.
Learn more about portfolio-based courses »
Additional Program Features
Competency-based Learning
Participants engage in a series of courses focused on the key practices essential to success in the National Board process.
Virtual 1:1 Coaching
Participants will receive real-time, video-based coaching from National Board Certified Teachers as they go through the support program and candidacy process.
Exemplar Video Resources
Participants will have access to exemplar video content from the National Board ATLAS video library. Videos are aligned to each course and available within the framework.
Deferred Financing Options
Participants can bundle the cost of the support program with the National Board candidacy process. The total cost can be paid upfront or educators can take advantage of financing options that allow them to defer payment until they complete the certification process.
- NBCTs stay in the classroom significantly longer, reducing the massive cost of teacher turnover.
- NBCTs are more effective at advancing student learning than other teachers.
- Districts can create a pipeline of teachers actively improving as they go through the certification journey.
- NBCTs can serve as high-quality mentors to future candidates as well as to other teachers.
- New NBCTs earn more through state financial incentives, effectively providing a salary increase without impacting the district budget.
Attend an Information Session
If you are interested in learning more about the National Board Support Program register for one of our upcoming information sessions below:
July 12, 2023
9:00 AM CST
July 20, 2023
2:00 PM CST
July 25, 2023
2:00 PM CST
“National Board was the most powerful learning experience that I've ever had because it asked me to put my practice up against a set of rigorous set of standards, identify what it was I was already doing in my practice that was great, and all things I could be doing in my practice to be even better.”
Misha Freeman, National Board Certified Teacher
Frequently Asked Questions
Tell me more about BloomBoard
BloomBoard is the national leader in competency-based educator training and advancement using portfolio-based coursework. They have partnered with your district to offer its educators an opportunity to meaningfully improve classroom practice while also accumulating skills and credit to achieve masters level distinction in both compensation and career advancement. The company works with hundreds of districts across the U.S. to implement competency-based professional learning programs.
Does the cost of the program include the cost of National Board Certification?
Yes, pricing includes the cost of the six micro-credentials in the pre-candidacy support program, access to a virtual NBCT coach, access to the National Board ATLAS video library, the National Board registration fees, and submissions for each of the four components. The price also includes the cost of any resubmissions, if necessary.
How do I enroll in the program?
To enroll as an individual participant, you’ll need to fill out the form on this page to schedule an appointment with a pre-candidacy counselor. The counselor will provide more information about this pre-candidacy program, the National Board Certification process, financing options, and can get you started with enrollment.
How long do I have to complete the support program?
You can work through all the required courses at your own pace. Your NBCT career pathway counselor can work with you to provide you with specific guidance and advice for continuing your progress.
How does the financing option work?
BloomBoard can provide financing to educators that will allow you to defer the costs of the program to align with the timing of your state or district-specific financial incentives (e.g. discounts, salary increases, etc.).
Can this be implemented as a program specific to my district?
Yes, there are many benefits for a district-supported implementation of this program. Learn more at the district information page at: https://bloomboard.com/program/national-board/
I have additional questions, who can I contact?
For all questions related to the pre-candidacy program, how it works, and how to enroll, please email BloomBoard at hello@bloomboard.com. For questions related to the National Board Certification process, visit nbpts.org.