The Department of Education at West Virginia State University (WVSU) has received reaffirmation of accreditation through the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
WVSU has had continued accreditation through NCATE since 1963.
“NCATE accreditation is important because it provides assurance that our Department of Education has met national standards set by the teaching profession and has undergone a thorough third party review,” said Dr. Paige Carney, Dean of the College of Professional Studies at WVSU. “For our students, this means they will be well positioned to enter the job market because graduates from NCATE accredited teacher programs are in high demand because they are well prepared for initial licensing and certification.”
A seven-member onsite review team visited the WVSU campus March 15-17, 2015, to validate the six standards contained in the Institutional Report. The findings revealed all six standards were met.
The WVSU Department of Education also received notification of the recognition of the programs leading to the initial teaching license. Programs receiving national recognition through the Specialized Professional Association in the NCATE/CAEP Program Approval Process were: Business Education, Elementary Education, English Education, Health Education, Math Education, Physical Education, Social Studies Education, Biology Education, Chemistry Education, General Science Education and Multi-categorical Special Education.
Programs receiving state recognition through the Curriculum Analysis Report in the West Virginia Department of Education Program Approval Process were: Art Education, Music Education, Spanish Education, French Education, Early Childhood Education and Reading Education.
“The accreditation process validates the belief that high quality education is a fundamental right of all children,” said Professor Patricia Wilson, NCATE Coordinator for the WVSU Department of Education. “The most important determinant of high quality education is a well prepared teacher. Rigorous standards are essential in the development of quality assurance for the education profession and help in ensuring that our education candidates attain the necessary content, pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills to teach both independently and collaboratively.”
Founded in 1954, NCATE is recognized by the United States Department of Education as a specialized accrediting body for schools, colleges and Departments of Education.
NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) have consolidated and are now transitioning into the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). For more information visit, www.ncate.org.
