The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) sets national standards that help assure quality in the preparation of professional school personnel (e.g. teachers, principals, etc.). NCATE is a coalition of 33 member organizations of teachers, teacher educators, content specialists, and local and state policy makers. All are committed to quality teaching, and together, the coalition represents over three million individuals. NCATE is the profession's mechanism to help establish high quality teacher preparation. Through the process of professional accreditation of schools, colleges, and departments of education, NCATE works to make a difference in the quality of teaching and teacher preparation today, tomorrow, and for the next century. NCATE's performance-based system of accreditation fosters competent classroom teachers and other educators who work to improve the education of all students in preschool through grade 12. NCATE believes every student deserves a caring, competent, and highly qualified teacher.

NCATE was founded in 1954. Five groups were instrumental in the creation of NCATE: the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), the National Education Association (NEA), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and the National School Boards Association (NSBA). When NCATE was founded as an independent accrediting body, it replaced AACTE as the agency responsible for accreditation in teacher education. These groups represented the field at large at that time. They recognized the need for a strong, independent, quality assurance mechanism composed of all key stakeholders in education.

Click the following link to visit the official NCATE Web site 

ARCHIVED NCATE WEB SEMINARS

April 29, 2009 - Proposal for the Redesign and Transformation of NCATE Accreditation (.pdf file)

April 30, 2009 - Diversity in the NCATE Standards (.pdf file)