NCATE: Applauds President Bush's Focus on Teacher Quality (Release)















NCATE works to make a difference in the quality of teaching and teacher preparation today, tomorrow, and for the next century.

Archived October, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—January 25, 2001
CONTACT: Jane Leibbrand Phone: (202) 466-7496

NCATE Applauds President Bush’s Focus on Teacher Quality

Washington, DC—Arthur E. Wise, president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, today commended President Bush for the emphasis on teacher quality in his proposal to Congress. “Accountability and high standards are empty promises without quality teaching,” said Wise. “NCATE welcomes President Bush’s call that every child in America deserves a high quality teacher. We all support the goal of a competent, caring, and qualified teacher for every child,” Wise continued.

NCATE welcomes the Administration’s emphasis on high quality professional development for teachers. NCATE believes that high quality teacher preparation and development first and foremost includes a candidate’s in-depth knowledge of the subject to be taught. Also critical are research-based learning on how to teach subject matter effectively; how to ensure that no child is left behind, and to be able to teach so that all students learn; effective partnerships between P–12 and university colleagues that ensure supervised clinical practice, including longitudinal assessment of candidate performance from a variety of mentor teachers and supervisors; how to use technology effectively as an instructional tool; and how to employ motivational and classroom management strategies based on child development research. All of these principles are embedded in NCATE’s performance-based accreditation standards for colleges of education.

NCATE also welcomes the proposals to reform outmoded teacher licensing regulations, which have sometimes hindered good teachers from being hired. NCATE supports performance-based licensing, with candidates’ performance being assessed to determine their licensure status. “Initial licensing should be based on more than ‘seat time’ in courses; it should involve demonstrations and forms of evidence that the teacher is ready to teach autonomously,” says Wise. “Institutions must provide evidence that candidates know their subjects and can teach effectively so that all students learn,” he added.

Alternate routes to licensing are important to bring non-traditional candidates, such as former military and business personnel, into teaching. For these non-traditional candidates to be successful, however, research reveals that they must satisfactorily complete high quality programs of study, not simply ‘quick-fix’ two- or four-week seminars. Many accredited institutions have high quality post-baccalaureate paths to licensure for those individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree but want to teach. These programs include partnerships with schools and school districts. For schools that cannot find qualified teachers in certain subject areas, NCATE supports job titles that match roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of those in the classroom, and urges other areas to follow Texas’ lead in public disclosure of teacher qualifications.

Wise said that NCATE looks forward to working with President Bush’s team to move toward the common goal of a competent, caring, and qualified teacher for every child.

NCATE is the professional accrediting body for teacher preparation in the United States. The organization accredits colleges and universities that prepare teachers and other professional school personnel to work with pre-school, elementary, and secondary students. NCATE provides assurance to the public that the graduates of accredited institutions have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to help all students learn. Through standards that focus on systematic assessment and performance-based learning, NCATE encourages accredited institutions to engage in continuous improvement based on accurate and consistent data. By providing leadership in teacher preparation, NCATE ensures that accredited institutions remain current, relevant, and productive, and that graduates of these institutions are able to have a positive impact on P–12 students.

Copyright © 1997–2001, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
All rights reserved. NCATE is the professional accrediting organization for schools, colleges, and departments of education in the United States. It is a coalition of over 30 organizations representing teachers, teacher educators, policymakers, and the public.

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NCATE works to make a difference in the quality of teaching and teacher preparation today, tomorrow, and for the next century.

NCATE Applauds President Bush’s Focus on Teacher Quality