April 21, 2004

Boise State College Of Education Receives Continuing Accreditation

Boise State University officials recently announced that the College of Education has met the rigorous standards set by the teaching profession and the public for continuing accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. NCATE, one of two accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, currently accredits professional education units in 575 institutions, which produce two-thirds of all new teachers in the nation. The largest college of education in Idaho, Boise State received renewed accreditation following an extensive review of its programs by the Idaho State Department of Education and an on-site visit by a national team of specialists who examined practices and procedures in six areas: candidate competence, assessment, field work, diversity, faculty qualifications and resources. “Individuals across campus, faculty, students, staff, alumni and our public school partners worked very hard to assure our successful continuing accreditation,” said Joyce Garrett, dean of the College of Education. “Candidates in our professional preparation programs and personnel in the schools to which we send them can rest assured that our preparation programs make it possible for new teachers to meet the increased demands of working in schools today.” The professional education unit at Boise State University is comprised of faculty and programs in the colleges of Education, Social Sciences and Public Affairs, and Business and Economics. Programs in professional preparation are offered at undergraduate and graduate levels. Units that are accredited by NCATE must meet standards that are reviewed every seven years to reflect changes in today’s schools. In the past decade, NCATE has moved from an “input” based model that focused on things like admission standards, credit hours completed and field-based activities to an “output” based model that requires a performance-based, data-driven system for determining what candidates know and are able to do. According to NCATE officials, the new system expects institutions that prepare educational professionals, such as the teachers, school counselors and school social workers prepared by Boise State, to provide compelling evidence of candidate knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Boise State does this by using multiple forms of performance assessments throughout the program of study, Garrett noted. Candidate qualifications are assessed upon entry into the various programs, reassessed at specific points during the program, including prior to placement in student teaching or internship, and finally upon completion of the program. According to Garrett, new programs in the College of Education have mirrored national efforts to ensure that candidates are well prepared for their future work in schools. Course content has been revised to assure a sound content knowledge base and field work has been increased from one semester to three semesters for secondary students and six semesters for students working in early childhood education, elementary education, special education and bilingual/ESL education. The College of Education enrolls more that 2,000 students in its undergraduate, graduate and endorsement programs. There are nine graduate programs that prepare professional educators, including one at the doctoral level, and five at the undergraduate level. In addition, 16 undergraduate degrees in secondary education are offered across campus. The College of Education at Boise State University is committed to preparing professionals using models that incorporate integrated teaching and learning practices to ensure high levels of knowledge and skill, commitment to democratic values, and the ability to work with diverse populations. More information about the College of Education and its partners is at http://education.boisestate.edu. -30- Contact Joyce Garrett College of Education 426-1134 Media contact Janelle Brown communications and marketing 426-1790