| All states have an agency that oversees the quality of programs for the preparation of teachers and other educators in their states. These agencies are often state departments of education or state departments of public instruction, or in Colorado, Florida, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and West Virginia, the state higher education commission, but sometimes these agencies are independent professional standards boards. |
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| State agencies, which are usually governed by state
boards of education or members of the profession, have standards for the
approval of professional education programs and licensure of individuals.
Nearly all states require preparation programs to be approved in order
to operate in the state. NCATE requires all education programs to be approved
by the state to be eligible for national accreditation. |
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| Some states use the NCATE unit and program standards
for state approval. Some use NCATE’s unit standards and state-developed
program standards; others have their own unit and program standards. To
reduce the time and effort required by institutions to prepare for reviews,
most states have developed partnerships with NCATE to work collaboratively
in the application of standards and conduct of visits. Because the standards
and review process vary from state to state, a protocol outlines
state and NCATE expectations in partnership states. |
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| Does the partnership agreement for your state require
submission of program reports? |
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| In some states NCATE accepts the state review of programs
in lieu of a national program review by professional associations. The
national review of programs is required in the few states that do not have
a partnership with NCATE. A number of states require their institutions
to submit programs for national review; the results of the national reviews
are used by the state to determine state approval. The unit always has
the option to submit one or more programs for national review, even though
the state partnership does not require it. Check the list of partnership
states to determine whether programs must be submitted for national
review or submission is optional. |
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| If a program meets state standards, is it nationally recognized by NCATE? |
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| Yes, in some cases. As part of the application for or
renewal of partnerships, states must submit their program
standards for review by the national professional associations. If the
state standards and the program review process are found to be comparable
to the national standards, approved programs in that state are nationally
recognized and included on NCATE’s list of nationally recognized programs. |
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