Three Northshore School District teachers have earned their National Board Certification, bringing the district total to 122:

• Chelsea Hinton, Frank Love Elementary School, Kindergarten

• Kristina Saunders, Kokanee Elementary School, Fourth Grade

• Danielle Severson, Kenmore Elementary School, Sixth Grade

Fewer teachers were certified this year because the National Board started transitioning to a new certification process in 2014. It can take up to three years to earn certification and the NBCTs announced this year have been using the process in place prior to 2014. There are 30 Northshore teachers currently enrolled in the National Board program for the 2015-16 school year.

Washington state has the largest group of new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) for the third consecutive year with 329 teachers achieving their certification this year, according to numbers released by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Washington ranks fourth in the nation with 8,614 NBCTs.

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification process is widely recognized as a symbol of accomplished professional practice and identifies qualified teachers as leaders in their field. Teachers demonstrate their knowledge and skills through a series of performance-based assessments. The insight gained from these assessments enhances and validates practices that promote and encourage student learning.