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| Vol. 18, No. 34 | June 10, 1999 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 34 | June 10, 1999 |
This spring, the University of Delaware's teacher education programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels were accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
"We're very pleased by this recognition of the quality of all the University's programs that prepare pre-K through grade-12 educators," Dan Rich, human resources, education and public policy, said. "Our graduates benefit from this national acknowledgment of the strength of their professional training, and their students in turn will benefit from being taught by very well educated and highly motivated teachers."
"NCATE scrutiny of program quality is extremely thorough and requires extensive documentation," said Carol Vukelich, Delaware Center for Teacher Education and chair of the University Council for Teacher Education.
"All 40 teacher education programs at the University were involved in the process, which takes almost three years. We began the individual program self-studies in fall 1996 and ended by hosting an NCATE site-visit team in fall 1999," she said.
The NCATE accreditation standards emphasize teacher performance. They focus on what teacher candidates should know and be able to do, and expect candidates to demonstrate specific skills. Multiple types of performance assessment are expected throughout the program of study, and candidate competence is assessed prior to the completion of the program.
"UD teacher education preparation programs merit this wonderful recognition," Iris Metts, Delaware's secretary of education, said. "Children need and deserve teachers who both know their subjects and are skilled at communicating that knowledge.
Certification programs- national ones like NCATE, as well as our own state efforts-are one way we all work to ensure our children get such well prepared teachers."
"Both Mary Lou Hyson, UD professor of individual and family studies and NCATE leadership team co-chair, and I have served on many NCATE site-visit teams," Vukelich said. "Neither of us ever remember serving on one that found no unmet standards, but the NCATE team didn't list a single one at the University of Delaware. That's an exceptionally strong endorsement of UD teacher education programs."
UD is one of 58 schools of education that received either initial or continuing accreditation by NCATE in its most recent round of decisions. The approximately 500 institutions accredited by NCATE produce two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates.
NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the professional accrediting body for schools, departments and colleges of education.
On-site visits, document review and accreditation decisions are all carried out by professionals from the education community, including teachers, school specialists and teacher educators, as well as members of the public and education policymakers. 
