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National Board Certification (NBC) Grant Opportunities

To ensure every student is taught by an accomplished teacher, it is important to look at opportunities for quality professional growth. The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has designed National Board Certification to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers. The National Board is widely regarded as the gold standard for teacher certification, advocating that elevated standards for educators lead to improved learning outcomes for students.

Please note: This certificate is not a nationally accepted certificate to be used in lieu of a state-issued certificate or license to teach.

Local education agencies (LEAs), both traditional public school districts and public school academies (PSAs), and intermediate school districts (ISDs) must apply for eligible educators.

 

Definition of Title I: Teacher must be employed in a designated schoolwide Title I building.

Full Statutory Language

 

In the Media

Awards Granted

Learn More About National Board Certification

National Board Certification 

 

Already applied? These are the next steps in the process:

  • Grant award notifications (GANS) will be shared with institutions.
  • Payments will be made to the district, PSA, or ISD.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Local education agencies (LEAs), both traditional public school districts and public school academies (PSAs), and intermediate school districts (ISDs) are eligible to apply.

    Individual educators are not eligible applicants; they are encouraged to inquire with their building or district administration about submitting a grant application.

  • No, as eligibility rules above indicate, administrators are not eligible for either grant.

  • Yes. A copy of an application template is available for download. Additionally there is a technical assistance video. MDE recommends districts use these resources to carefully draft their responses, keeping a copy for their own records and reference.

  • 27m National Board Recognized Achievement grant awardees will receive grant money via State Aid:

    27m(7) National Board First Time Candidate grant awardees will receive grant money via State Aid:

  • ROUND 1: The 27m National Board Recognized Achievement grant awards were made end of April via school state aid. Teachers may contact their district business office or district financial representative for information regarding grant awards.

    ROUND 2: Awards are tentatively scheduled to be made end of May 2025 via school state aid. It will be the responsibility of districts to make payments to teachers.

  • Districts are able to develop and establish their own procedures to meet their grant management needs with the understanding that unused funds will be pulled back. Districts will need to consider different scenarios. 

  • The district must report when an educator leaves their district so that funding may be pulled back at that time.

  • According to the Section 27m subsection (3)(a), to receive an award, eligible teachers must meet the following: Be employed in classroom teaching at least 50% of the teacher's full-time hours, as determined by the district or intermediate district.  

    All grants are subject to audit. Districts are responsible for determining and ensuring that their candidates qualify. While we would love to honor all who have achieved National Board Certification, the grant must be implemented as described in the statute. 

  • Yes, please contact ORS with questions. 

    Please see ORS Public School Reporting Units for more information. Reportability of additional educational funding.

  • No. Districts must award teachers the entire award amounts of $4,000 or $10,000 as stipulated by Section 27m.

  • Section 18a of the Michigan State School Aid Act states that grant recipients must expend funds awarded to them before the end of the fiscal year following the year in which the funds were received. If the recipient does not expend the funds, they must submit a report to the department by November 1st at the end of each fiscal year and return any unexpended funds to the department by September 30th of the second fiscal year.

  • The statute allows for one award per fiscal year. Please contact MDE at MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov.

For more information or support, please contact MDE-EdWorkforceGrants@Michigan.gov