Stephanie Platt of The Current

Kathleen Haywood, associate dean of the School of Education, speaks to prospective students on Thursday, Aug. 19.

by Shavon Perkins
of The Current staff

The UM-St. Louis School of Education has been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The School of Education, which was established in 1966, has received this accreditation every year. This year, however, they passed with a higher rate of success than any previous year.

"We are very proud," said Charles Schmitz, dean of the School of Education at UM-St. Louis. "We have proven our commitment to producing quality teachers for our nation's children by achieving accreditation under the NCATE standards."

These standards require the accredited schools of education to ensure that subject matter content and teaching methods are a priority and to emphasize school district collaboration. Additional standards are set to ensure that teacher candidates can use technology in instruction and to prepare teacher candidates to teach students from diverse backgrounds. The standards also require the schools of education to design a conceptual framework for each program that is based on current and established research and practice.

The standards set by the NCATE have gone through many transformations. In the 1960s the board focused more on a numerical system for evaluating programs. Students' test scores and grade point averages were given a lot of weight. In the next transition, the Board focused on performance. Graduates had to prove their teaching skills in the classrooms. More recently the NCATE has encouraged a student portfolio. Students are expected to keep their own records for future evaluation.

Schmitz said the process of accreditation is lengthy and thorough and that over a year ago the School of Education began preparing by submitting a report to the NCATE outlining their commitment to meeting the established standards. The report itself was a year in the making. The next step in the process was a four day, on-site visit by the accreditation team. The purpose of this visit was to verify that the school meets the published standards. This verification process includes looking through student folders, checking faculty resumes, reviewing student teachers, and conducting many interviews.

Schmitz said that the accreditation is very important to the success of the School of Education and that it results in a higher standard of performance for the school. To meet the standards set by the NCATE, the School of Education is in a constant state of re-evaluation. They are currently undergoing major curriculum redesign to connect community agencies to their programs.

Schmitz said the accreditation also better prepares students in the School of Education for more rigorous licensing standards in many states.

Seventy-five to eighty percent of teachers in the workforce graduate from schools that have NCATE accredited programs.

"I would not hire a teacher who did not go through an accredited program," said Schmitz, "It's like letting a doctor practice without a license. Our children are as important as someone who fixes a broken bone. Why not expect the same level of accountability?"