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Why Should Schools of Education Be NCATE Accredited? 

Teaching children-to recognize letters, to read for the first time, to understand how a tree grows-is one of the most important jobs in America. The nation's future depends, in large part, on how well it is done.

Professional accreditation of preparatory programs is the bedrock upon which all professions have built their reputations (e.g., architecture, engineering, medicine, law). It assures that those entering the respective fi eld have been suitably prepared to practice through assimilation of a body of knowledge and pre-service practice in the profession.

When a school of education is NCATE accredited, it provides an assurance that the school's teacher preparation program has met national standards set by the teaching fi eld at large and has undergone rigorous external and impartial review by professionals, policymakers, and representatives of the public.

• NCATE's performance-based system of accreditation fosters the development of competent classroom teachers, specialists, and adminstrators who work to improve the education of all P-12 students and help all students.
• Graduates from an NCATE accredited teacher preparation program are in high demand because they are well-prepared for initial licensing and advanced board certifi cation. Candidate performance at NCATE institutions is thoroughly assessed throughout the program of study and before the candidate is recommended for licensure.
• Many states have reciprocity agreements based on graduation from NCATE accredited schools, so graduates of NCATE-accredited schools will generally fi nd it easier to apply for licensure when they move out of state.
• Individuals applying to an NCATE accredited school will have the assurance that the school's educator program has met national standards and received the profession's ‘seal of approval.'

Just the Facts

• NCATE accredited schools produce over two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates (Data compiled by Westat: www.title2.org).
• The public expects that colleges of education should be professionally accredited. Eighty-two percent of the public favors requiring teachers to graduate from nationally accredited professional schools. (Public Opinion Poll, Penn and Schoen)
• Approximately seventy percent of the 189 doctoral granting institutions are NCATE accredited or candidates
• Fully prepared teachers are more effective in the classroom and their students demonstrate greater achievement gains than students whose teachers are not fully prepared. (Fetler (1999); Certification: It Does Matter, Hawk, Coble & Swanson, 1985)
• First year teachers with no preparation leave at twice the rate of those who have been prepared; 25 percent vs. 12 percent-a 100 percent increase in attrition. (No Dream Denied Report, National Commission on Teaching and America's Future)
• Certified teachers' students experienced 20 percent more progress in a ten-month school year. (Laczko-Kerr, Arizona Dept. of Education, & Berliner study)
• Graduates of NCATE accredited colleges of education pass ETS subject matter and pedagogy examinations at a higher rate than do graduates of unaccredited colleges of education and those who did not prepare. (The Academic Quality of Prospective Teachers, Educational Testing Study, 1999)
• A 1996-97 study conducted by the University of Texas' Charles Dana Center showed that student achievement increases when teachers are fully licensed in the subjects they teach.