| Relationship with Other Nationally Recognized Accrediting Bodies
Regard for Decisions of States and Other Recognized Accrediting Agencies
All institutions applying for accreditation or currently accredited by NCATE must be accredited, without probation or the equivalent, by an institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, if eligible. (See "Policy on Providers Not Eligible for Institutional Accreditation"). Furthermore, NCATE will not grant first or continued accreditation to a professional education unit if it knows that the institution in question is the subject of (1) pending or final action brought by a State agency to suspend, revoke, withdraw, or terminate the institution's legal authority to provide postsecondary education in the state; (2) a decision by a recognized institutional accreditation agency to suspend, revoke, withdraw, or terminate the institution's accreditation; or (3) probation, or an equivalent status, imposed by a recognized institutional accrediting agency.
If NCATE learns that a candidate for accreditation or an accredited institution is the subject of an adverse action [1] by a state agency or a recognized institutional accrediting agency, it will initiate a review of the institution's NCATE accreditation status at the first Unit Accreditation Board meeting following receipt of such information. (See "Policies on Revocation of Accreditation" for action that may be taken at that time.)
Accreditation by Other National Specialized and Professional Associations
NCATE reduces the amount of evidence needed from programs accredited by other national specialized accreditors for inclusion in NCATE's review of the education unit (school, college or department of education). The following specialized accrediting organizations have met the criteria identified by NCATE:
For programs accredited by one of these national organizations without conditions, probation or similar stipulations, NCATE requires units to present the official notice of accreditation from the other specialized accrediting organization during the on-site visit. Assessment data presented to the program’s national accreditor should be available to the BOE team. Other evidence required for the NCATE review related to these accredited programs will be limited to documentation for Standard 6 providing evidence that the professional education unit is involved in the coordination of the nationally accredited programs. Candidates and faculty members from these nationally accredited programs may be included in BOE interviews during the on-site visit. Programs in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and social work are not included in the NCATE review.
An accrediting organization can be added to NCATE's list of organizations above by meeting the following criteria:
- Be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an accrediting organization for a specified field that includes the preparation of professionals to work in schools.
- Have an established set of standards that identify the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that candidates must meet in the field. The standards must include requirements for (a) a conceptual framework or mission that clearly defines the vision for the program; (b) field experiences that are sufficiently intensive and extensive; (c) curriculum and/or experiences that prepare candidates to work with diverse P-12 students; and (d) the qualifications, performance, and evaluation of faculty.
Accrediting organizations that would like to be added to NCATE's list must submit to NCATE's president (1) a letter from its chief executive officer attesting to that fact and (2) a copy of its current standards or a link to them. Staff will conduct a preliminary review to determine the organization's degree of alignment with the criteria above and prepare a memo for the Standards Committee of the UAB. Based on substantive alignment with the criteria, the Standards Committee can recommend that UAB add the organization to NCATE's list. Recognition should be reevaluated every 10 years.
Accrediting organizations currently on NCATE's list need not submit a letter from the CEO nor the organization's standards, as they are grandfathered into the system because of longstanding relationships with NCATE. However, the standards of these organizations will be reviewed every 10 years, beginning in 2011 to ensure that the criteria above continue to apply.
Revised: 10/06; 04/08; 04/09
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