Sources: Michael Holen, 785-532-5525, mholen@k-state.edu;
and Janice Wissman, 785-532-5765, wissman@k-state.edu
Web site: http://www.coe.ksu.edu

Monday, March 8, 2010

K-STATE'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION EARNS CONTINUING NATIONAL AND STATE ACCREDITATION

MANHATTAN --The professional education programs offered by Kansas State University's College of Education have earned continuing accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Kansas State Department of Education.

"By achieving national and state accreditation, the College of Education has proven its commitment to producing quality educators for our nation's children and youth," said Michael Holen, dean of the college. "Accreditation provides assurances to our students and their employers that K-State's College of Education meets the highest standards of the profession. Our most fundamental commitment is to deliver the highest quality pre-service and in-service preparation for school personnel; we believe the accreditation process promotes this mission."

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education as a specialized accrediting body for schools, colleges and departments of education. The council currently accredits 661 institutions that produce two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates each year. K-State's professional education programs have been continually accredited by the council since the organization was founded in 1954.

The College of Education's accreditation is good through 2016 and covers both initial and advanced teacher education levels.

As a part of the accreditation process, K-State had to verify that rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public were being met. The university also had to demonstrate that in-depth subject matter knowledge and skills of candidates are assessed, and that there are partnerships with P-12 schools that enable candidates to develop the skills necessary to help students learn, according to Janice Wissman, associate dean and accreditation coordinator for the College of Education.

K-State confirmed that its teacher education candidates are prepared to understand and work with diverse student populations, and that the college and university faculty model effective teaching practices, she said.

"Both the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Kansas State Department of Education reported that based upon a recommendation of a team of independent site review experts from within the state and across the nation, Kansas State University met all accreditation standards with no areas for improvement cited," Wissman said.

More information about K-State's teacher education program is available online at http://coe.ksu.edu/

More information about National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education is available at http://www.ncate.org and information about the Kansas State Department of Education is available at http://www.ksde.org