NBPTS MC/Generalist cheat sheet

Component 1 is the computer-delivered assessment of content knowledge; selected-response items are scored against a single correct answer, and constructed-response items are scored with a rubric on a 0-4 (or 0-3) scale depending on the certificate area.

The National Board's Five Core Propositions frame all four components: (1) commitment to students and learning, (2) knowledge of subjects and how to teach them, (3) managing and monitoring student learning, (4) thinking systematically about practice, (5) membership in learning communities.

Developmental content: Piaget's stages are sensorimotor (0-2), preoperational (2-7), concrete operational (7-11), and formal operational (11+); conservation and reversibility emerge in the concrete operational stage.

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development is the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with scaffolding; private speech becomes inner speech.

Reading content: the Simple View of Reading holds that comprehension = decoding x language comprehension, so a deficit in either factor alone limits comprehension.

Math content: a fraction a/b is a rational number; operations on fractions require common denominators for addition/subtraction, and division by a fraction is multiplication by its reciprocal.

Assessment content: formative assessment is used during learning to adjust instruction; summative assessment is used after learning to judge achievement; reliability is consistency, validity is whether a test measures what it claims.

Language content: phonemic awareness is awareness of individual sounds; phonics is the mapping of sounds to letters; fluency combines accuracy, rate, and prosody.

Component 2 requires two submissions: a written commentary on differentiation and a video recording of instruction, with a total of about 15 pages of commentary plus the video.

The commentary must show how you know two students well (a class profile and individual profiles), how you designed instruction to meet their needs, and how you analyzed evidence of their learning.

A class profile summarizes the class's strengths, needs, and the context; individual profiles describe two focus students' strengths, needs, and relevant background.

Differentiation means adjusting content, process, or product based on readiness, interest, or learning profile; it is not tracking or ability grouping.

Evidence of learning must be concrete: student work samples, observation notes, or assessment data, analyzed for what the student can do and what comes next.

The video must show authentic instruction in your certificate area, be continuous (not edited), and align with the lesson described in the commentary.

Scoring is holistic against the rubric; the rubric rewards evidence of responsiveness to students' needs, not polished prose.

Component 3 requires two video recordings of instruction plus a written commentary analyzing your teaching practice and learning environment.

The commentary addresses the learning environment (how you build a safe, supportive, and challenging classroom), the lesson design, and your analysis of student learning during the lesson.

Video evidence must be unedited and continuous; the recording must show you and the students, and audio must be audible.

Learning environment indicators include routines, expectations, student-to-student interaction, and a climate that supports risk-taking.

Analysis should connect specific moments in the video to student learning, citing timestamps and describing what you did and why.

The rubric rewards evidence of student engagement and your ability to explain instructional decisions, not the perfection of the lesson.

Two videos should show different lessons or contexts to demonstrate range; both must be from the same certificate area.

Component 4 requires a written commentary on your practice plus evidence of your impact on student learning, usually through assessment data and collaboration.

The commentary addresses your knowledge of students, your use of assessment data, your collaboration with colleagues and families, and your contributions to the profession.

Evidence of impact should be specific: pre/post assessment data, student growth, or documented changes in practice based on data analysis.

The component emphasizes the teacher as a reflective practitioner who uses data systematically, not just anecdotally.

Collaboration indicators include work with colleagues, families, and the community to support student learning.

The rubric rewards evidence of professional growth over time and the ability to explain how data informed instructional decisions.

Submissions must be original work; the National Board requires candidates to attest to the authenticity of their submissions.