The College of Charleston’s School of Education, Health, and Human Performance recently received reaccreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) following a rigorous review of its teacher education program. The program was recognized for meeting all six NCATE standards with no areas for improvement and performance at the highest target level on three of the standards.
According to Dean Fran Welch, School of Education, Health, and Human Performance, “This reaccreditation is a testament to the strong program we developed through collaboration with faculty members within our School, across the College and in countless local PK-12 schools throughout our community.”
[Related: Learn more about the College’s reaccreditation.]
Teacher candidates who graduate from NCATE-accredited schools will be better prepared for initial licensing and advanced board certification. A study by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) shows that graduates of NCATE-accredited colleges of education boost their chances of passing examinations by nearly 10 percent. NCATE currently accredits 656 colleges of education.
The College of Charleston’s intensive reaccreditation process included an on-site visit, conducted in fall 2012, as well as a thorough evaluation of the teacher education program curriculum, assessment model and results, faculty qualifications, commitment to diversity, and clinical and field experiences. Interviews with students, faculty, alumni and partners were conducted by the on-site review team which consisted of highly regarded peer educators from across the United States.
[Related: Learn more about the College’s teacher education program.]
NCATE standards expect accredited education programs to ensure that subject matter content, and how to teach it, is a priority; to emphasize school district collaboration; to ensure that candidates can use technology in instruction; and to prepare teacher candidates to teach students from diverse backgrounds. The standards also require each program to base its work on current and established research and best practice.
In the formal reaccreditation letter to the College, NCATE President James G. Cibulka noted, “Special congratulations are in order because the Unit Assessment Board cited no areas for improvement relative to any of the standards.”
Founded in 1954, NCATE is recognized by the U. S. Department of Education as a specialized accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education. NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) have consolidated and are now transitioning into the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
