Washington ranks second nationally in 2009 teacher certifications

Washington ranked second in the nation this year for the number of its teachers that received certification in a national teacher-certification program.

The state now ranks fifth nationally in the total number of its teachers that are certified under the program, which is run by the private, nonprofit National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

And three of the state's districts — Bellevue, Seattle and Spokane — are among the nation's top 20 in terms of the number of teachers who achieved national board certification in 2009.

To receive certification, teachers must submit four portfolios, including an examination of student work and video recordings from the classroom. Only about half of teachers who make the attempt get certified, and the process can take teachers between 200 and 400 hours.

Teachers "really find it valuable," said Bellevue School District spokeswoman Ann Oxreider. "This forces them to reflect on every detail of a lesson."

In 2007, the state legislature approved $5,000 stipends for educators who go through the certification process. That caused applications for the program to double. The numbers have continued to increase since then. In 2009, the number of teachers receiving certification increased 36 percent.

Sixty-four of Bellevue's teachers gained certification in 2009, making it 10th in the nation in 2009 for the number of teachers that received certification. About 27 percent of the district's teachers are now certified.

In Seattle, 57 teachers received certification in 2009, making it 15th in the U.S. in terms of newly-certified teachers. And in Spokane, 63 teachers received the certification, giving it a rank of 12th.

Also high on the list was Lake Washington, where 40 teachers received board certification this year.

"We have found that as one teacher goes through the process, other teachers on staff at the same school learn from them as well," said Lake Washington spokeswoman Kathryn Reith. "That can help improve the overall quality of instruction at a school."

Katherine Long: 206-464-2219 or klong@seattletimes.com