Thursday, June 29, 2006

 

NCATE : What every aspiring teacher should know before choosing a school

NCATE or The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is a national accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education authorized by the U.S. Department of Education. NCATE determines which schools, colleges, and departments of education meet rigorous national standards in preparing teachers and other school specialists for the classroom.
Professional accreditation of preparatory education programs is the bedrock upon which all professions (e.g., architecture, engineering, medicine, law) have built their reputations. It assures that those entering the respective field have been suitably prepared to practice through assimilation of a body of knowledge and pre-service practice in the profession. Accreditation of schools of education indicates that the school underwent rigorous external review by professionals, that performance of a teacher candidate in the program has been thoroughly assessed before he or she is recommended for licensure, and that programs meet standards set by the teaching profession at large.

So when someone is selecting a school for pursuing their Bachelors or a Masters in Education, it is always best to consider a school which is accredited by NCATE. This also assures that you will be able to secure a job more easily everywhere around the US. Especially if you are planning to move to different states, you will have less complicatiions in getting an initial license in the state you moved if you had obtained your degree and license from an institute which is NCATE accredited.

For more information abotu NCATE and institutes which are accredited by it visit : http://www.ncate.org/
Comments:
NCATE has some good features, to be sure, but it also has some drawbacks. At the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education, we've elected to work with the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, which follows a new approach to accreditation based on a business audit approach (show what you do). The Curry School was the first fully accredited teacher education program in the country to recieve TEAC approval in February, 2001. So, prospective teachers might also look at TEAC-approved schools.
 
Thanks a lot for adding that wonderful piece of Information Johnl. I am sure the readers will take note of it as I did.
Meanwhile I had a small question for you. I wanted to know if you have any more information about how to get a teachign license in the US which would be valid through out the states. I would appreciate if you could provide me with the info
 
Swapna, please send me a message via back channels. You can find an address at VirginiaDOTedu by pursuing links to my server.--JohnL
 
As far as I know, there is no US-wide license. Each state (Virginia, California, etc.) has its own procedures. There is a group seeking to make national certification possible

http://www.nbpts.org/

but I don't know to what extent they have succeeded.

JohnL
 
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