Colleges of education must provide evidence that graduates are competent.

John Leo (Sun Journal, Oct. 23) is entitled to his opinions; he is not entitled to misstate the facts.

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is a voluntary professional accrediting agency, which seeks to hold colleges of education accountable for high quality educator preparation. It has established rigorous standards that hold colleges of education accountable for preparing teachers, who have the competence necessary to teach the nation’s schoolchildren. Seven hundred of the nation’s colleges of education have chosen to seek the agency’s approval. States (48 out of 50) formally accept NCATE accreditation, and the U.S. Department of Education has determined that NCATE meets congressionally mandated criteria for accreditation agencies.

NCATE’s standards require colleges of education to provide evidence that graduating teachers:

• Know the subject matter;

• Demonstrate knowledge of research on teaching and learning;

• Use effective teaching strategies;

• Reflect on practice and change what does not work;

• Can teach students of different backgrounds;

• Have been supervised by master teachers;

• Have had their performance professionally evaluated; and

• Can integrate technology into instruction.

Furthermore, research on teacher preparation indicates that it works: It helps candidates acquire the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions necessary to be effective classroom teachers. Research also indicates that high quality teacher preparation makes a difference in student achievement, from preschool through high school. And in 1999, Educational Testing Service examined the pass rates of teachers on state licensing exams. It found that “passing rates for those who attend institutions with NCATE approved programs are higher than for those students who attend institutions not accredited by NCATE,” and therefore, “NCATE accredited institutions appear to increase the likelihood that candidates will meet state licensing requirements.”

Leo cites alleged inappropriate teaching behavior by one or two professors, which he calls “thought control.” If these behaviors did occur, they would be inappropriate by any educational standard. On the basis of no evidence, he then accuses all colleges of education of enforcing “political conformity” on their teaching candidates. He then insinuates that some unspecified NCATE requirement makes them do it.

This is nonsense. NCATE standards produce teachers with the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions (honesty, responsibility, fairness) necessary to help all children learn. NCATE has no standard authorizing thought control. NCATE accredited institutions represent the full spectrum of American higher education. These institutions range from large public to small private, from avowedly secular to proudly Christian. They include Stanford University, Teachers College Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, Illinois State University, Oral Roberts University, Brigham Young University and Alverno College, among 615 that are accredited and 80 more that have applied. The notion that NCATE requires political conformity is absurd.

And for the record, NCATE does not require colleges of education to have a disposition on social justice. Leo’s “fact” was incorrect. (However, social justice has been the goal of Christianity and Judaism for the last 2000 years – would he prefer social injustice instead?)

NCATE is widely recognized as a standard of excellence in teacher preparation. In fact, U.S. News and World Report, in its Best Graduate Schools publication, uses NCATE accreditation as an indicator of quality in listing graduate schools of education.

In addition, to correct the record, NCATE did not invent dispositions. A task force of representatives from 34 states, under the aegis of the Council of Chief State School Officers, developed model “core” state licensing standards in the early 1990s. Dispositions are now an integral part of the core state licensing standards for teachers in many states. Since colleges of education are preparing individuals for state licenses and state employment, NCATE naturally drew on this work. Why do the states and the professional accrediting body for teacher preparation include dispositions in their standards? Teachers may have appropriate content knowledge but still use inappropriate behaviors in the classroom, such as verbally abusing students or showing favoritism. Yes, good teachers have content knowledge, but they also have the requisite skills and professional dispositions to help all students learn.

Arthur E. Wise is the president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

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