Board Certification (BC)
Through Board Certification (BC), the BMA recognizes mastery of the unique aspects of group process. How board members work together and with their superintendent determines the success of their deliberations.
Board Certification recognizes the full board’s commitment to training and effective governance in areas such as group process, decision-making, planning, effective meetings and focus on student achievement.
Board Certification requirements:
- Earn 16 credits of group training within a four-year period. *
- Participate in at least one full-day retreat (or an equivalent of board workshops)
- Complete an NJSBA Policy Wellness Check (policy audit) to ensure that the board’s policy manual is current
- Complete an analysis of the district’s negotiated teachers contract by NJSBA’s Legal and Labor Relations staff
- Demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement through completion of the annual board self-evaluation
- Comply with current mandatory training requirements for each board member
- Satisfy the governance portion of the New Jersey Department of Education monitoring process (If the board has not received a satisfactory rating from the NJDOE and the state has intervened in board operations, the board may demonstrate effective governance by pursuing the alternate route of annually adopting and implementing a “Code of Governance” developed with NJSBA staff.)
*If credits are not earned within four years, those from the first year will be dropped and credits from year five will be added. To earn credits, attendance at training must include seven members of a nine-member board; five members of a seven-member board, or four members of a five-member board. The superintendent must also participate in training.
Credits will be maintained as long as the composition of the board remains the same or if the board experiences less than a one-third turnover in membership.