National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher education (NCATE):
Established in 1954, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE) is the largest member institution supported accrediting
body for colleges and universities that prepare
teachers and other professional
personnel for work in P -12 settings. NCATE's six standards include candidate
knowledge, skills and dispositions; assessment system and unit evaluation;
field experiences and clinical practice; diversity; faculty qualification,
performance, and development; and unit governance and resources. Western
has had continuing NCATE accreditation since 1954. Western's Teacher Education
Program was reviewed by a joint NCATE/ISBE team during April 2003. WIU
was found to have met all NCATE/ISBE Standards.
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE): The State
of Illinois has aligned its program approval standards with those of NCATE.
As a result, NCATE standards are the basis for WIU's national accreditation
and state approval in teacher education.
Benefits of Accreditation: NCATE/ISBE reviews promote
Western's Teacher Education Program's self-study, continual revision and
improvement. Western's NCATE accreditation and ISBE program approvals
are important to our teacher education graduates as they indicate the
quality of our teacher education programs to potential employers.