By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Alabama ranks eleventh in the nation for the number of teachers who have become nationally certified. Governor Bob Riley says it's a sign Alabama's teacher quality is improving. One hundred-81 state teachers received certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards during the past school year. That brings Alabama's total number of nationally-certified teachers to 632. It's a voluntary program in which teachers must successfully complete a performance-based assessment to receive the certification. There are more than 32-thousand national board-certified teachers in the United States.