National Certification for Elementary Social Studies Teachers: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

One mission of Social Studies and the Young Learner is to provide the K–6 social studies educator with a variety of materials that reflect current NCSS standards and other professional standards. Recently, NCSS announced that social studies teachers should give consideration to the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS). In 1998, NCSS Executive Director Martharose Laffey indicated that K–12 social studies educators will be encouraged to be certified by the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards. ¹ National Board Assessment, a special 2-hour presentation and question-and-answer session offered by NBPTS and the Educational Testing Service, was provided for participants at the 78th NCSS Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. ² This professional presentation will be followed by many other NBPTS sessions at conferences at both the national and state levels.