National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
source
Name	National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
Abbreviation	NCATE
Formed	1954
Dissolved	2013
Merged into	Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education was a U.S.-based accrediting body for Schools of Education and teacher preparation programs. Established in the mid-20th century, it interacted with institutions such as Teachers College, Columbia University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education, University of Michigan School of Education, and University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education while informing policy debates involving the U.S. Department of Education, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and state agencies like the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing.

History

NCATE was founded during the post-World War II era when organizations including the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Education Association, the Association of American Universities, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and practitioners from institutions such as Columbia University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and Ohio State University sought national standards. Over decades NCATE worked alongside groups like the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and state departments such as the New York State Education Department. Key moments involved interactions with federal initiatives from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorizations, dialogues with lawmakers in the United States Congress, and responses to reports by the National Research Council and the Carnegie Corporation.

Mission and Standards

NCATE's mission aligned with institutions like Princeton University, Yale University, Duke University, University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University to promote quality in educator preparation through standards influenced by organizations including the American Psychological Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Science Teachers Association, and the International Reading Association. Standards development invoked scholarship from scholars at Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Boston College. NCATE published expectations for program outcomes that referenced professional norms articulated by the National Association for Music Education, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the National Council for Geographic Education.

Accreditation Process

NCATE's accreditation process involved self-study reports by programs such as Michigan State University College of Education, University of Florida College of Education, Texas A&M University, Arizona State University Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Education, followed by peer review visits drawing reviewers from University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, Pennsylvania State University College of Education, and Indiana University School of Education. The review process interacted with state licensure systems like the Texas Education Agency and federal policy frameworks from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education, while referencing assessment tools developed in partnership with groups such as the Educational Testing Service and the American Institutes for Research.

Governance and Funding

NCATE's governance included a board composed of representatives from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Education Association, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and deans from Columbia University Teachers College, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin, and Rutgers University. Funding sources included dues from member institutions like Boston University Wheelock College of Education, grants from foundations such as the Spencer Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and contracts related to programs initiated with the U.S. Department of Education and state agencies including the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Criticisms and Controversies

NCATE faced critiques from organizations such as the American Association of University Professors, advocacy groups like Teach For America, think tanks including the Brookings Institution, and commentators in outlets associated with The Chronicle of Higher Education and Education Week. Controversies included debates over standardized assessment emphasis connecting to the No Child Left Behind Act, disputes with state bodies like the Florida Department of Education, and critiques from scholars at Brown University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Oregon, and University of Colorado Boulder about accreditation consistency, cost burdens for smaller colleges such as Hampton University and Spelman College, and the balance between research-intensive preparation at places like University of Texas at Austin and alternative pathways promoted by Relay Graduate School of Education.

Impact and Legacy

NCATE influenced educator preparation practices at institutions including Columbia University Teachers College, University of Michigan, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University Peabody College. Its standards informed subsequent accreditation frameworks adopted by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and shaped policy dialogues in venues such as the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, reports by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and commissions convened by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. NCATE's legacy persists in program reviews at traditional schools and alternative providers like City University of New York, California State University, and University of Phoenix College of Education.

Category:Education accreditation organizations Category:United States educational organizations