FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          May 19, 2005

NORTHWESTERN TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM EARNS CONTINUED ACCREDITATION

            Northwestern Oklahoma State University has been notified that its teacher education program has been approved for continuing accreditation for another seven years. The approval comes as a result of an on-site visit conducted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in November 2004.

            At that time, the visiting team indicated that it would recommend the program’s approval, but NCATE’s Unit Accrediting Board, which meets twice a year, must give final approval. That approval marks 50 years of continuous accreditation for Northwestern’s program.

            Northwestern was a founding member of NCATE in 1954. The organization has become the premier accrediting agency for education programs in the United States, currently accrediting 602 education programs.

            “We are proud that our program has been continuously accredited for these five decades,” said Dr. James Bowen, dean of the School of Professional Studies and overseer of the education program for 17 years. “We have maintained our high quality programs, preparing teachers, administrators and counselors as the educational standards have evolved over the years. Responding to the NCATE guidelines and its national standards has helped us maintain that commitment to excellence.”

            NCATE-accredited colleges of education produce more than two-thirds of the nation’s new teachers each year. Fifty states have adopted or adapted NCATE standards for their own state accreditation systems.

            The NCATE accreditation system is based on periodic inspection visits. The next visit at Northwestern is scheduled in 2011.

            Since 1995, teacher education programs in Oklahoma must meet NCATE standards to be able to recommend their graduates for licensure and certification.

            “In some states, NCATE accreditation simply means national recognition for teacher education programs,” Bowen said. “In Oklahoma, teacher education programs must meet NCATE’s standards in order to stay in business.”

            Bowen said the Teacher Education Leadership Team was responsible for preparing for and coordinating the accreditation visit. The team consists of Dr. Greg Seay, chair of the Division of Education; Dr. Beverly Warden, director of teacher education; and Dr. Martie Young, director of student teaching and field experience.

            The team expressed thanks to Northwestern’s teacher education faculty for its central role in the process. It also recognized the roles of Northwestern’s School of Arts and Sciences faculty and the faculty and administrators of public schools who partner with the university to prepare future teachers.

-NW-

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