NCATE Standards

August 2002

Boyce C. Williamsncate@ncate.org

NCATE

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education is the professional accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes NCATE as the accrediting body for teacher preparation.

NCATE’s Mission

AccountabilityImprovement

Accreditation

Assures that institutions have met rigorous standards

Links national standards for teacher preparation with national standards for students

Encourages excellence in colleges of education

WHO IS NCATE?

NCATE is a coalition of over 30 national professional organizations representing over 3 million educators and members of the public committed to quality teaching

NCATE FACTS

NCATE accredits 519 institutions that produce approximately two-thirds of the nation’s new teacher grads each year

NCATE has a record number of candidates that have filed an intent to seek accreditation--near 90--

NCATE FACTS

NCATE has active partnerships with 46 states to mesh state and professional standards, thereby bringing increased rigor to teacher preparation

NCATE 2000 Standards

Candidate Performance Candidate Knowledge, Skills, & Dispositions Assessment System and Unit Evaluation

Unit Capacity Field Experiences and Clinical Practice Diversity Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and

Development Unit Governance and Resources

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework(s) establishes the shared vision for a unit’s efforts in preparing educators to work effectively in P-12 schools. It provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidateperformance, scholarship, service, and unit account-ability. The conceptual framework(s) is knowledge-based, articulated, shared, coherent, consistent with the unit and/or institutional mission, and continuously evaluated.

Conceptual Framework

Units will be expected to describe their conceptual frameworks in an early section of the institutional report to provide an important context for the unit’s approach to meeting the standards.

Units’ conceptual frameworks will be submitted with preconditions in the future.

Organization of Revised Standards

The Standard

Rubric

Explanation of the Standardincluding a rationale for the standard

2. Assessment System and Unit Evaluation

The unit has an assessment systemthat collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve

the unit and its programs.

External resources for measuring proficiencies

State licensure examsEmployer evaluationsNational and/or

state program reviews

Multiple choice tests & written essays

Transcripts

Internal resources for measuring proficiencies

Candidate work Lesson plans Reflections Case studies Portfolios

Observations & Assessments of Interactions with

students Parent communications Teaching in small and

large group settings Professional activities

Student learning- Student work- Student achievement

Features of Good Assessment Systems

Developed collaboratively Provide information on candidate

mastery of standards Embedded in instruction Conducted on continuing basis Use multiple indicators at

admission Occur at several decision points

throughout candidates’ programs Administer multiple assessments

Good Assessment Systems

Make use of candidate proficiency information from external sources.

Ensure credibility--fairness, consistency, accuracy, and avoidance of bias.

Include rubrics or criteria to determine levels of accomplishment.

Use results to improve programs. Include collection of information about

the unit’s operations and programs, which is used to improve programs.

CANDIDATE PERFORMANCE

1. Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other profes-sional school personnel know and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions

Dispositions (continued)

Dispositions are guided by beliefs and attitudes related to values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility, and social justice.

For example, they might include a belief that all students can learn, a vision of high and challenging standards, or a commitment to a safe and supportive learning environment.

from INTASC….

The teacher believes that all children can learn at high levels and persists in helping all children achieve success.

The teacher appreciates and values human diversity, shows respect for students’ varied talents and perspectives, and is committed to the pursuit of “individually configured excellence.”

from INTASC….

The teacher respects students as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds and various skills, talents, and interests.

The teacher is sensitive to community and cultural norms.

The teacher makes students feel valued for their potential as people, and helps them learn to value each other.

1. Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other profes-sional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions

1. Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other profes-sional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

1. Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other profes-sional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

Performance Evidence in Accreditation

Program Reviews State Reviews, and BOE Visits

Presentation of Performance Evidence

Evidence must be related to professional, state, & institutional standards.

Performance data must be aggregated and interpreted.

Examples of candidate work should illustrate the variety of assessments & depth of candidate proficiencies.

Presentation (continued)

Description of how courses & experiences provide opportunities for candidates to learn & practice the knowledge & skills in professional & state standards.

Description of how program faculty determine they make sound judgments about candidates’ readiness for licensure and initial work in their field.

Sampling Assessment Information

Provide a true representation of candidate proficiencies

Represent “all candidates”Be quantitativeBe qualitative, provide instruments or

tasks, rubrics/criteria, candidate responses

InterpretingAssessment Information

Help reviewers makes sense of the data; provide a context

Interpret results in relation to the standards

Use state licensure tests cautiously

Ask yourself: How am I convinced by data that the

candidates have met the standards? How can I help someone who does not know

this institution understand what we have achieved?

Can I build on what my institution has already done for previous NCATE assessment standards?

How do I make sense of data about candidates that come from many faculty, courses, and programs in differing forms?

Types of Performance Assessments

Classroom performance, live and video Micro teaching Early field experiences Student teaching & internships

Lesson artifacts Lesson/unit planning Handouts Slides Assessment documents

Assessment Examples

Paper/pencil tests of knowledge Praxis II/state tests End-of-course teacher tests

On-demand tasks Simulations Case studies Problem-based scenarios

Assessment Examples

Interviews of candidates Admission Continuation Debriefings

Testimonials Attestations by candidates, students,

peers, cooperating teachers, & university supervisors

Standard 3

Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

The unit and its school partners

design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates

and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

Standard 4

Diversity

Diversity

Differences among groups of people and individuals based on race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, language, excep-tionalities, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic region in which they live.

4. Diversity

The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. These experiences include working with

diverse higher education and school faculty, diverse candidates, and diverse and exceptional students in P-12 schools.

UAB Discussion of Diversity

Is diversity of faculty & candidates still an expectation of the standard?

- Yes

Does the UAB still expect teams to report numbers in regard to diversity?

- Yes

UAB Discussion (continued)

If the unit creates experiences—summer programs, visiting scholars, lecture series, etc.—can these be sufficient to meet the intent of the standard?

- If they are on-going and regularly offered, they may contribute to candidate

development of knowledge, skills, & dispositions related to diversity

UAB Discussion (continued)

If “good faith efforts” are being made to recruit & retain di9verse faculty & candidates, but there are no results, should a weakness still be cited?

- A weakness should be cited, but the “good faith” efforts should be described in the team’s findings

Standard 5

Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and

Development

Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and Development.

Faculty are qualified and model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching, including the assessment of their own effectiveness as related to candidate performance; they also collaborate with colleagues in the disciplines and schools.

The unit systematically evaluates faculty performance and facilitates profes-sional development.

Standard 6

Unit Governance and Resources

Unit Governance and Resources

The unit has the leadership,

information technology resources,

authority, budget, personnel,facilities, and resources, including

for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

Fall 2002 & Spring 2003

The unit is implementing the first steps of its assessment system.

The unit and its professional community have developed some internal performance assessments based on professional, state, and institutional standards.

Rubrics/ criteria for scoring and tests for credibility are being developed.

Fall 2003 & Spring 2004

The unit is in the third year of implementing its assessment plan.

The unit is using internal performance

assessment based on professional, state, and institutional standards to identify the competence of ALL candidates.

A system for testing the credibility of the assessments has been developed.

Fall 2004 & Spring 2005

The unit’s assessment system is being implemented, evaluated, and refined.

Performance assessments are being tested for credibility.

Data on candidate performance from external and internal measurements have been compiled and are being used to improve programs.