NCATE: Frequently Asked Questions About State Partnerships

Frequently Asked Questions About State Partnerships

Please check this list for answers to frequently asked questions about state partnerships. Please contact Cindy Lips, Associate for State Relations, if you have questions that are not answered here or elsewhere in these pages.

Which state agency is the “official” NCATE partner?

How does a state form a partnership with NCATE?

What happens after the proposed agreement is submitted to NCATE?

What is the State Partnership Board?

What happens during the State Partnership Board (SPB) meeting?

How long is an NCATE state partnership in effect?

Do states require public and/or private institutions to obtain NCATE accreditation?

Is my state an NCATE partnership state?

How many institutions are NCATE-accredited in my state?

Which state agency is the “official” NCATE partner?

The agency responsible for approving teacher education institutions right to operate programs that lead to teacher licensing may seek to enter into a partnership with NCATE to conduct joint evaluations of the education unit and programs for the preparation of professional educators. It may be an independent professional standards board or the state department of education. In some states (currently West Virginia, Colorado, and Puerto Rico), the higher education commission may join the partnership if that governing body has oversight of public teacher education institutions.

How does a state form a partnership with NCATE?

States interested in establishing a partnership should contact Shari Francis, Vice President of State Relations.

What happens after the proposed agreement is submitted to NCATE?

NCATE staff conducts a staff review of the application to assure its completeness.
If the state selects the NCATE State standards framework in which state program standards are applied and NCATE program review documents are optional. The state compares its teacher education program standards with NCATE’s specialized professional associations’ (SPAs) program standards. NCATE sends the state’s completed matrices comparing its teacher education program standards to each specialized professional association (SPA). The organization reviews the state standards against its program. The organization sends its review to NCATE, which returns it to the state.
The state decides whether to respond to (rejoin) the SPA’s review by clarifying or providing additional information and sends its rejoinder to NCATE.
NCATE sends the state rejoinder to the SPA to revise or confirm its original evaluation. The organization sends its final critique of state program standards to NCATE.
The results of these reviews are compiled by NCATE for use by the State Partnership Board when considering the application. The summary of reviews is also sent to the state director of teacher education, and where applicable, to the chief executive officer of the independent state professional standards board.

What is the State Partnership Board?

The State Partnership Board, comprised of a majority of state education policy makers, establishes policy for the NCATE State Partnership Program and ensures the state’s perspective in NCATE governance. The chair of the SPB is always a state education policymaker. The board also directs the NCATE State Partnership Program establishment and renewal process. The SPB meets once a year in the fall at NCATE’s All Boards Meeting.

What happens during the State Partnership Board (SPB) meeting?

The state’s agreement and supporting materials will be reviewed by members of the SPB who have been assigned to an audit committee to conduct an in-depth review.
Audit team members must meet the conditions established by the Board’s conflict of interest policy.
The SPB’s audit committee meets to review the state’s responses to the Partnership conditions and to develop a recommendation regarding the partnership before the full board.
The SPB acts on the recommendation of the audit committee and reports its results to the state representative and, in a written report, to the state director of teacher education and the chief executive officer of the state professional standards board.
States should ensure a representative is available by telephone during the SPB meeting.

How long is an NCATE state partnership in effect?

The partnership agreement is effective for five years. NCATE will notify the state of requirements and timelines for continuing the partnership. You may wish to check our renewal schedule for state partnerships, which is located in our directory of state partnership contacts.

Do states require public and/or private institutions to obtain NCATE accreditation?

For more information, see the chart indicating those states which currently require NCATE accreditation of public and/or private institutions.

Is my state an NCATE partnership state?

Forty-six states, including the District of Columbia, currently have partnerships with NCATE. For more information, see the chart identifying the NCATE partnership states and the type of partnership they have formed.

How many institutions are NCATE accredited in my state?

For more information, see the chart indicating the number of institutions in each state that have achieved NCATE accreditation combined with those that have filed “Intent to Seek NCATE Accreditation” forms with NCATE in order to begin the accreditation process.

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