12/13/01

Roy Summerford and Kim Ellis, 334/844-1324.

AU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION NOTIFIED OF ACCREDITATION RENEWAL

AUBURN The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has notified Auburn University that the AU College of Education has been reaccredited for five more years.

The accreditation notice followed an NCATE inspection of the college's faculty, programs and performance. NCATE is the primary accrediting agency for 525 teacher education schools and colleges in the United States. Auburn's College of Education has been continuously accredited by NCATE since 1976.

Frances Kochan, interim dean of the AU College of Education, said the renewal of accreditation confirms that the college meets high performance-oriented standards of teacher education.

"Our college is committed to producing future teachers that are well prepared for their careers," she said. "By using NCATE standards, we ensure that our college is on the cutting edge of best practices and research."

Kochan noted that studies show teacher quality to be the most important factor in P-12 student achievement. Professional accreditation is one way to ensure the public that colleges of education are graduating well-qualified teachers ready for today's classrooms, she said.

To achieve NCATE-accreditation, the AU College of Education must meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public. Teacher candidates must have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that they plan to teach as well as the skills necessary to convey their knowledge so that students learn.

The college must carefully assess this knowledge and skill to determine that candidates may graduate. The institution must have partnerships with P-12 schools that enable candidates to develop the skills necessary to help students learn. Candidates must be prepared to understand and work with diverse student populations. Faculty must model effective teaching practices. The college must have the resources, including information technology resources, necessary to prepare candidates to meet new standards.

The U.S. Department of Education and the State of Alabama Department of Education recognizes NCATE as the professional accrediting body for schools, departments and colleges of education. On-site visits, document review and accreditation decisions are all carried out by professionals from the education community, including teachers, school specialists and teacher educators, as well as members of the public and education policymakers.

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CONTACT: Kochan, 334/844-4446.