FOR NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER ODESSA CLEVELAND the battle with "the box" began last January.

"The box made me tired; the box played on my intellectual nerves; I even boxed with the box," said Cleveland, referring to the box containing materials for what would become one of the most difficult and arduous tasks she would ever encounter – becoming National Board Certified. "The only thing the box didn’t do is beat me."

Cleveland was just one of about 80 Los Angeles Unified School District teachers who battled the box this past spring hoping to become National Board Certified and who were honored last week for completing the five-month process by a National Board Support Network -- a collaboration of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership, United Teachers Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"We are here because you honor us and we honor each other," said UTLA President Day Haguchi speaking at the reception. "The greatest factor that improves student achievement is to have a qualified certified teacher in the classroom." The Support Network provides support for candidates going through the National Board certification process by providing six professional development seminars, facilitators for small groups and moral support.

"You are not going into new territory, but going into old territory with new eyes," said Cathy Armstrong, Support Network co-facilitator and assistant director of programs at LAEP.

Considered by many in the educational community as one of the most prestigious teacher certifications in the country, National Board Certification is based on a system of high standards. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization comprised of mostly teachers.

The certification process requires teachers to design their practice with high, rigorous standards; create portfolios; and complete four different assignments. The certification process focuses on "what teachers should know and be able to do," and includes five core propositions including a teacher's commitment to students and their learning; a teachers' knowledge of the subjects they teach and how they teach those subjects to students; a teacher's ability to manage and monitor student learning; a teacher's ability to think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; and whether teachers are members of learning communities.

"It was a long arduous, but rewarding process," said Libby Butler, a math teacher at Palisades High School. "I went through the process because I felt it was a validation of all the good things we [teachers] do on a regular basis."

Offered on a voluntary basis, National Board Certification complements state licensing requirements. While state licensing sets entry-level standards, National Board Certification establishes high standards for experienced teachers with three or more years in the classroom.

Portfolios generally require four to five classroom-based exercises. Some ask for videotapes of classroom interactions or discussions; others ask teachers to collect certain kinds of student work. Each entry also requires an accompanying written analysis of the teaching reflected in the videotape or student work.

Another part of the portfolio documents teachers' work outside the classroom with families, colleagues and the community. Teachers are asked to show evidence of their accomplishments and comment on the importance of those accomplishments. Currently, LAUSD teacher Myra LeBendig is the only teacher in the district to be National Board certified.

Candidates are scheduled to find out whether they received certification later this year.