National Council For Accreditation Of Teacher Education Gives UA Teacher Education Program High Marks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - After a site visit last fall and a spring meeting of its board, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) recently announced that the University of Arkansas's teacher education programs met the standards of high quality necessary to be granted continuing national accreditation. Along with their positive review of the College of Education and Health Professions' teacher education programs, NCATE offered congratulations and thanks to the University and the faculty, staff and administration who assisted in the review. Because teacher quality is the most important factor in kindergarten through 12^th grade student achievement, professional accreditation is one way to ensure the public that colleges of education are graduating well-qualified teachers ready for today's classrooms.

"We're extremely proud to have received high marks from NCATE," said Charles Stegman, dean and professor in the College of Education and Health Professions. "Their review helps us review our strategies for teacher education, celebrate those aspects in which we excel and determine ways to improve in the areas we need to strengthen. It's extremely helpful to have experts from outside the University of Arkansas system to study what we do — NCATE ensures that we stay nationally competitive and student-centered."

The University of Arkansas and the College of Education and Health Professions are one of 43 institutions that received either initial or continuing accreditation by NCATE's board in its most recent round of decisions. Approximately 500 institutions are accredited by NCATE; those institutions account for two-thirds of the nation's new teachers.

NCATE-accredited schools must meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public. Accredited schools must ensure that they have the highest quality instruction in specialty areas and in classroom methodology, must emphasize school district collaboration and ensure that teacher educators are technologically savvy. The standards also require the school to design a conceptual framework for each program that is based in current and established research and best practice.

NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the professional accrediting body for schools, departments and colleges of education. On-site visits, document review and accreditation decisions are all carried out by professionals from the education community, including teachers, school specialists and teacher educators as well as members of the public and education policymakers.

For more information about the University of Arkansas' teacher education program, visit the College of Education and Health Professions on the web (http://www.uark.edu/depts/coehp). For more information about NCATE, please visit their Web site (http://www.ncate.org).

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