NSU School of Education Meets Profession’s Standard

NCATE Accreditation Continued  

Norfolk, Va.—Norfolk State University’s School of Education has proven its commitment to producing quality teachers for our nation’s children by achieving accreditation under the performance-oriented standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the organization responsible for professional accreditation of teacher education.  Accredited by NCATE since 1970, the School of Education’s continued accreditation is effective until spring 2015.

“We successfully completed the very rigorous accreditation process” said Jean Braxton, dean of the School of Education.  “Our programs meet the same standards as other universities in the country that prepare teacher educators.”

NCATE currently accredits 623 institutions which produce two-thirds of the nation’s new teacher graduates each year. Ninety-nine institutions are candidates or pre-candidates for accreditation. 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.

NCATE revises its standards every five years to incorporate best practices and research in order to ensure that the standards reflect a consensus about what is important in teacher preparation today. In the past decade, NCATE has moved from an accreditation system that focused on curriculum and what teacher candidates were offered, to a data-driven, performance-based system dedicated to determining what candidates know and are able to do. The new system expects teacher preparation institutions to provide compelling evidence of candidate knowledge and skill in the classroom.  Meeting NCATE accreditation standards also helps institutions prepare new teachers for new, more rigorous licensing standards in many states. 

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.  NCATE continues its mission today: the profession and the states working together for excellence in teacher preparation and development.

For more information about Norfolk State University’s School of Education teacher education programs, visit www.nsu.edu or call 757-823-8701.