NCATE Seal of Approval for WCU Teacher Education
Good news! Dr. Joseph F. Malak, Interim Dean of the College of Education and Professional Education Unit Head at West Chester University, received official word from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) of the reaccreditation of its teacher education programs for the next seven years. Dr. Joseph Malak “appreciates the extensive work by our faculty, administrators, staff, students, and school and community partners.“
NCATE is the premier higher education accrediting board for teacher education programs in the country. A teacher education program that achieves its seal of approval becomes recognized for high quality, like a Mercedes-Benz of teacher education programs. NCATE accreditation requires presentation of performance-based evidence that is aligned with institutional, state, specialty professional association and NCATE standards. The core of NCATE requirements focus on the performance of West Chester students and the achievement of the PK-12 students they teach.
The NCATE website states:
“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.”
To receive the NCATE seal, a teacher education program must perform at the highest standards, simultaneously meeting performance standards for all systems and across all programs, such as Math Education, Special Education and others.
For reaccreditation NCATE required West Chester University’s teacher education program to submit a large body of evidence in such areas as teacher candidates’ skills and performance, national recognition from professional associations, an in-depth self-study report, operational and assessment systems, a new teacher governance body, campus community involvement, community partnerships, and supporting reports and documents. Two of the key requirements for reaccreditation were the self-study process with a comprehensive report and an on-campus visit from an NCATE accreditation team.
Beyond the NCATE credential, West Chester University will garner the benefits of having gone through this rigorous review. The summary of the self study document reports:
“During the past five years, the Professional Education Unit has made great strides in the areas of leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities and resources. The new governance body provides additional venues for collaboration across the Unit; the Unit Head is the undisputed head of all professional education programs; new facilities have given us greater ability to meet the needs of students and faculty; technology (and faculty’s ability to use it) has been upgraded; and we have managed our resources well. “
According to Dr. Malak, few institutions in the nation and the Philadelphia region have achieved the distinction of NCATE accreditation:
“We at West Chester have been preparing a large percentage of Pennsylvania’s teaching force for more than 100 years and we believe that we are the best teacher- preparing institution in the region. Now a national association with the highest standards in education has confirmed it!”
To learn more about NCATE, visit their web site at www.NCATE.org. Read about West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s teacher education program at http://www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMICS/CoED/.