The University of Colorado at Boulder School of Education received accreditation this month from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the national organization responsible for professional accreditation of teacher education.
The approximately 500 institutions accredited by NCATE produce two-thirds of the nation聮s new teacher graduates. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes NCATE as the professional accrediting body for schools, departments and colleges of education.
NCATE accreditation is done every seven years and takes about two years from the start to the final decision.
"The NCATE review process helps schools of education focus on continuous improvement based on research and models of best practice," said William Stanley, dean of the CU-Boulder School of Education. "The CU-Boulder School of Education is a leading source of information on teaching and learning in the state and nation and has developed model programs for teacher training and induction."
In the U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings released in March, CU-Boulder聮s School of Education was ranked in a tie for 27th in the nation. In addition, two specialty programs, social/philosophical foundations and curriculum instruction, were ranked 19th and 21st in the nation respectively, all the highest in Colorado.
On-site visits, document reviews and NCATE 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.
NCATE-accredited schools must meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public, including ensuring that candidates are prepared to teach students from diverse backgrounds and can use technology in instruction. NCATE accreditation standards incorporate the model state licensing principles developed by a task force of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
For more information about CU-Boulder聮s Teacher Education Program, visit the Web site at . More information about NCATE is available at .