Several local teachers joined other educators statewide in earning top-notched certification.

Recently, 251 California teachers received National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

From San Mateo County, the nationally-certified teachers are Lissa Auerback of South Hillsborough School, Jay Beams and Sarah Lois of West Hillsborough School, Virginia Contento of Menlo School, Beth Injasoulian of East Palo Alto High, Lisa Loscialpo of Crocker Middle School and Rachel Mariucci of Hillsdale High School.

“This certification is a great honor for educators because it means they went through a rigorous review process to determine they possess advanced teaching skills,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. “In our quest to narrow the achievement gap and to prepare all students for a challenging future, we need highly effective teachers who are passionate about their profession.”

So far, 3,878 California teachers have this distinction. About 40 percent of them teach in low-performing schools.

“Research demonstrates that National Board Certified Teachers consistently outperform their peers in knowledge of subject matter and ability to create challenging and engaging lessons,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards president and chief executive officer.

National Board Certification is a voluntary program. As part of the process, teachers build a portfolio that includes student work samples, assignments and a thorough analysis of their classroom teaching. Teachers are also tested on their knowledge of the subjects they cover.