If you are interested in seeking NCATE accreditation, you should send a letter of interest to NCATE’s president, Arthur E. Wise. The letter should indicate the semester and year in which you are planning to host a visit. NCATE will acknowledge receipt of the letter and classify your institution as a precandidate, which will give you access to support from NCATE staff, updates, and announcements about the NCATE process. Around that time, you will also receive an invoice for annual NCATE fees, prorated based on the time of year your letter is received.

The next step in the process is to complete the  “Intent to Seek Accreditation” form that is available on NCATE’s website. The form can be downloaded in Word, completed, and returned to NCATE as an email attachment or fax; it could also be sent through regular mail. The form does require the signature of both the unit head and CEO of the institution to initiate the candidacy process.

Preconditions must be submitted to NCATE on February 1 or September 15.

An outline of the institutional report is included in the Handbook for Accreditation Visits. It should provide an overview of the institution, a description of the unit's conceptual framework, and a response to each of the six standards. The unit should present the evidence that documents how it meets each of the standards. Standards 1 and 2 must be addressed in detail, responding to each element of the standard. Data with tables should be presented in response to Standard 1. The unit must address Standards 3 through 6 individually, but can present the information in a more holistic manner. However, data tables are also appropriate for these standards. See examples of IRs.

The IR may include links to exhibits that support the text. The IR, including any appendices, shall not exceed 100 pages, single spaced (double space between paragraphs), 12 point typeface. All national and state members should be sent both an electronic and printed copy of the IR; NCATE should receive an electronic copy.

The IR may include appendices or attachments, but it should not exceed a total of 100 pages including appendices.

An electronic and printed copy of the IR must be sent to each national and state board member, the state consultant, and the NEA and AFT representatives approximately 60 days before the visit. Team members should also be sent the website links to the college catalogs and any supplementary materials (i.e., student teaching handbook, brochures, etc.).The names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of team members are on the team list that is sent to the institution several months before the visit. An electronic copy of the institutional report and the website link to the college catalogs should be sent to the NCATE office (ncate@ncate.org) at the same time that it is mailed to team members. NCATE does not need a printed copy of the IR.

You may be required to submit program reports for national review if your state partnership requires program submission. To determine whether you must submit program reports, check http://www.ncate.org/institutions/process.asp?ch=10. An institution that is not required to submit program reports may voluntarily submit one or more program reports if it chooses to have its programs nationally recognized.

Program reports must be submitted electronically the semester before the visit (on February 1 or September 15) for all programs. See http://www.ncate.org/institutions/process.asp?ch=10 for additional information on the timelines for program reviews.

NCATE will consider your doctoral program as one among the offerings at the advanced level. Doctoral programs must be included in the NCATE review only if they prepare personnel to work in P-12 schools; the only doctoral program that most institutions include is the one that prepares school leaders, particularly school superintendents. If it is a new program, you may have limited assessment data at the time of the visit, but it must be included in the review. A program report for the program will have to be submitted if NCATE has standards for it and you are required to submit program reports for national review. At your previsit, you should discuss the program with the BOE team chair to ensure appropriate interviews and review at the time of the visit. A BOE team will pay particular attention to resource allocation when it examines doctoral programs.

Endorsements are usually included only when the endorsement is the only route to receiving a license in the field. Some fields are offered only at the endorsement level (e.g., ESL and computer education) at many institutions. Those programs must be included in the review. If you are not sure whether to submit a program report or include the program in the on-site review, contact a NCATE staff members to discuss your options.

The U.S. Department of Education asked accrediting organizations to require accredited institutions to call for comment about program quality as evidence of accountability and outreach to graduates and the general public. The announcement should reach a public audience in what is considered the service area of the institution. Examples of where notices could be placed include daily and weekly newspapers, alumni magazines, and the world wide web site of the institution. You can send a copy of this notice to NCATE or keep a copy available in the exhibit room at the time of the BOE visit. Read more about asking for third party comment.

The Board of Examiners team for your visit should be the same size as your previous continuing accreditation visit unless you have added a degree level or off-campus programs since that visit. The size of the team will be determined by the guidelines in the Handbook for Accreditation Visits.

NCATE’s transition plan requires that assessment systems be fully implemented by fall 2005 visits. Therefore, you will be expected to be implementing your assessment system at a different level than at your previous visit. You should be collecting, aggregating, analyzing, and using the data from the multiple assessments used to determine that candidates are performing at the levels expected to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

Annual reports and other NCATE data: Cora Mak and Tech Support

BOE training, scheduling, and BOE team member contactc: Marva Atwater

BOE reports and general accreditation questions: Patty Garvin and Marva Atwater

Institutional orientations: conference@ncate.org

Program reports and review process, and recognition status of programs: Margie Crutchfield.

Standards and the accreditation process: Boyce Williams, Antoinette Mitchell, or Donna Gollnick