The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards says 222 Mississippi teachers achieved national board certification this year.

The board said Wednesday in news release that Mississippi ranked 13th nationwide in the number of teachers achieving board certification and eight in the total number of certified teachers.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called the certified teachers an “extraordinary group” who “demonstrated a commitment to taking their teaching practice and the teaching profession to a different level.”

Mississippi showed a 3 percent increase in the number of teachers who achieved national board certification over last year.