National Board Cohort Facilitator

All Washington state National Board candidates have access to cohort facilitators, who are experienced NBCTs who have received training through OSPI.

Universities, school districts, local education associations, non-profits, and ESDs hire facilitators to support candidates through the certification process.

Planning to facilitate a cohort virtually? Please review our Guidelines for Ethical Online Candidate Facilitation. This document provides baseline guidance for ethical facilitation in an online setting - support providers are encouraged to build off of this document for their own cohorts.

Facilitator Training

To ensure consistency across the state, NBCTs are asked to participate in Facilitator Training prior to hosting a cohort group. Additionally, OSPI will only approve cohorts that are facilitated by trained facilitators. This training hones facilitation knowledge and skills, provides a deeper understanding of the revised National Board process, as well as develops skills in working with adult learners. Typically, OSPI co-locates Facilitator Training with WEA Jump Start sessions during the summer. 

OSPI's Regional Coordinators lead Facilitator Training.

Current Training Options

Training is entirely online and free of charge. Participants receive 12 free clock hours from OSPI.

There are three options to attend Facilitator Training this summer - a three-day series at roughly 4 hours per day and a two-day series at roughly 6 hours per day in both June and August.

  • June 17-19, 2026, 8:00 AM-12:30 PM (3 days @ 2 modules per day, 30 min. break between each module)
  • June 25-26, 2026, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM (2 days @ 3 modules per day, 30 min. break between each module)
  • August 3-5, 2026, 8:00 AM-12:30 PM (3 days @ 2 modules per day, 30 min. break between each)

Register for Facilitator Training

For any questions about Facilitator Training, please contact National Board Program Support.