Carroll County teachers who achieved National Board Certification through McDaniel celebrated

A celebration held Tuesday, Jan. 14, in McDaniel College's Coley Rice Lounge, recognized 20 new National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) who participated in the college’s first cohort of a three-semester graduate course sequence. 

Developed as part of a $1.8 million Teacher Collaborative Grant from the Maryland State Department of Education, the non-degree courses are designed to support current teachers achieve National Board Certification. 

Representatives from the Maryland State Department of Education and grant partners, including Carroll County Public Schools and the Carroll County Education Association, an affiliate of the Maryland State Education Association, were in attendance to recognize the success of the program and participants, particularly for accomplishing an impressive 83% achievement rate, above the 71% current pass rate for National Board Certification. 

For over 100 years, McDaniel College has trained teachers and administrators, and the college has a tradition of producing top educators, including many State and National Teachers of the Year. While all of those enrolled in McDaniel’s first cohort currently teach in Carroll County Public Schools, the program is open to all teachers across the state of Maryland to enroll starting spring 2025.

A key component of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is enhancing the quality of education in Maryland and educators who are National Board Certified Teachers have not only completed a rigorous, performance-based, and peer-review process, but are also recognized as accomplished teachers and leaders in their profession. 

The goal of McDaniel's program is to assist in increasing the number of teachers earning this nationally recognized advanced teaching credential through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the highest certification that a teacher can obtain.