The purpose of the study was to investigate and describe the perceptions of recently NBPTS certified teachers in Maryland of the NBPTS certification process as both a professional development activity and as an evaluation instrument to identify teaching excellence. This descriptive survey used an online survey to collect data from 125 teachers for a 53% response rate. Key findings of the study regarding professional development include that 66% of survey participants indicated NBPTS certification as their most valued professional development experience. Moreover, there was strong agreement among participants that the NBPTS certification process is aligned with the Maryland Teacher Professional Development Content Standards, particularly: Content Knowledge and Quality Teaching (1), Diverse Learning Needs (4), Learning Environments (5), and Family Involvement (6). Regarding the NBPTS certification for identifying teaching excellence, the study found near unanimous agreement for alignment with the Professional Performance indicators of Maryland's Teacher Evaluation Model. Future studies could measure NBPTS certification against other states' professional development standards and evaluation instruments. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]