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The OSPI competitive conditional loan is based in part on a series of essay questions the applicant must write and several federal- and state-required demographic considerations. The scoring of the application is done by committees of NBCTs from around the state. While the scores on the essays are important, they are not the sole consideration for the conditional loan.
In the 2012-13 NBPTS candidate cycle there will be two official conditional loan rounds.
- February 13, 2012 - March 16, 2012
Applicants will be notified no later than April 6, 2012
- April 23, 2012 - May 18, 2012
Applicants will be notified no later than June 1, 2012
Login to the application. First time users will need to create an EDS account to access the application.
Support for Candidates. Legislation provides that Washington state public school teachers seeking National Board Certification may be eligible to receive payment of the assessment fee, not including the up-front candidacy payment.
Eligibility Criteria for Funding. Candidates are eligible for state funding if they:
- Verified eligibility for NBPTS candidacy.
- Have not previously received state funds for participating in the NBPTS assessment (If a candidate received funding, withdrew from the process and fulfilled the repayment obligations, she/he can be funded again.)
- Completed the OSPI Conditional Loan Application.
Benefits. Teachers holding National Board Certification:
- Will be paid, on an annual basis and in a lump sum an bonus of $5,000 and an additional “challenging schools” bonus of up to $5,000 (subject to the legislative conditions and limitations).
- Are exempt from the 150 clock hour requirement to maintain their Washington State teaching certificate.
- Are eligible for 45 clock hours upon “completion” (completion is determined by OSPI and NBPTS verification of candidates submitting 10 scorable entries) of the National Board process and an additional 45 clock hours upon certification.
Professional Certification is granted upon certification for teachers holding a Residency Certificate. Conditional Loan candidates will be given priority for NBPTS federal retake funds.
Commitments. Accomplished teachers pursuing NBPTS certification are committed to their students and their school communities. As a requirement of accepting the OSPI NBPTS conditional loan, applicants must agree to the following commitments. Failure to follow the eligibility requirements, commitments or OSPI NBPTS conditional loan timeline may result in scholarship revocation.
- Candidate must be employed in a Washington state K–12 public or state-approved private school during the 2012-13 year.
- Candidate must regularly teach at least one class during the 2012-13 school year that meets the age range and content specifications for the desired certificate area. At least six students must be in the class, with at least 51 percent of the students at the appropriate age level.
- Candidate must read the complete text of the NBPTS standards for the intended certificate (available online at www.nbpts.org).
- Candidate must agree to attend and fully participate in all support meetings and complete the portfolio and assessment center exercises according to published timelines or repay OSPI any fee paid on the candidate’s behalf.
- Candidate must be prepared to pay $500 to the NBPTS; fee to support provider according to the provider’s timeline; and the remainder of the NBPTS fee by December 31, 2012.
- Candidate must submit a letter from his or her principal or district administrator supporting the candidate in this endeavor and, wherever possible, specifying resources the school or district will devote to the candidate’s success (time, money, equipment, expertise, building access on weekends, release time, copier, video camera, help with videotaping, postage, videotapes, etc.).
Obligation. Candidates who are eligible for and receive funding agree to:
- Complete all components of both the portfolio and assessment center exercises in the first year.
- Commit to year-long National Board Certification facilitation through an OSPI approved support provider.
- Follow both OSPI and support provider timelines.
- Teach for one full year in a Washington State public school following certification by NBPTS.
Candidates who receive state funding for the NBPTS process, but do not fulfill the candidate obligations listed above, are required to repay the assessment fee to OSPI. Failure to make repayment may result in a violation of professional code of conduct. If failure to fulfill the repayment obligations is due to death or disability the repayment obligation may be waived.
Written withdrawal before the candidate’s Portfolio deadline and prior to scheduling an assessment center appointment
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$0
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Written withdrawal after the candidate’s Portfolio deadline and after scheduling an assessment center appointment
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$2,000
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Failure to complete all components of the portfolio and the on-site assessment in the first year
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$2,000
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Failure to complete a year of teaching following certification by NBPTS
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$2,000
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Withdrawal Process. Candidates who realize they will not be able to complete the entire process in the first year must withdraw prior to their portfolio due dates and before completing their assessments. Any candidate who withdraws is responsible for sending written notification to: NBPTS, Processing Center, 11827 Tech Com Way, Suite 200, San Antonio, Texas 78233. A Withdrawal form is available for this purpose in the Eligibility Verification Packet sent to you with your box by NBPTS. Send a copy of this form to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, National Board Certification office at Old Capitol Building P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200.
More Questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
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