The Division of Education has achieved accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE), the organization responsible for professional accreditation for teacher education.
"I speak for the Division of Education in saying that we are extremely proud to have earned national accreditation for our master of arts in teaching programs," said Cynthia Dubea, dean of the Division of Education. "NCATE accreditation provides formal recognition at the national level of the quality of our programs, our faculty and our teacher candidates.
"Not only did the accreditation team that conducted our three-day on-site visit determine that our programs meet all six NCATE standards, they also found no reason to cite any areas in need of improvement. The results of our visit could not have been better," Dubea said.
NCATE-accredited schools must meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public.
- Teacher candidates must have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that they plan to teach as well as the skills necessary to convey it so that students learn.
- The university must carefully assess this knowledge and skill to determine that candidates may graduate.
- The institution must have partnerships with P-12 schools that enable candidates to develop the skills necessary to help students learn.
- Candidates must be prepared to understand and work with diverse student populations.
- College and university faculty must model effective teaching practices.
- The Division of Education must have the resources, including information technology resources, necessary to prepare candidates to meet new standards.
NCATE revises its standards every five years to incorporate best practices and research to ensure that the standards reflect a consensus about what is important in teacher preparation today. Institutions must provide compelling evidence of candidate knowledge and skill in the classroom. Multiple types of performance assessment are expected throughout the program of study. Candidate qualifications are assessed upon entry, and candidate competence is assessed throughout the program prior to student teaching/internship work and before completion of the program.
Meeting NCATE accreditation standards also helps institutions prepare teachers for new, more rigorous licensing standards in many states. NCATE accreditation standards incorporate the model state licensing principles developed by a task force of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes NCATE as a specialized accrediting body for schools, colleges and departments of education. NCATE is composed of more than 30 professional and policymaker organizations representing millions of Americans committed to quality teaching. It was founded in 1954 by the teaching profession and the states.
On July 1, the Division of Education will be renamed the School of Education.
Read more about Quinnipiac's teacher education program.