FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington and president Theodora J. Kalikow were recently notified by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education that the UMF Teacher Education Unit and its professional teacher preparation programs have once again been awarded NCATE’s full accreditation, without qualifications.

NCATE accreditation is a voluntary peer review process that involves a comprehensive evaluation of professional education programs to ensure that schools are graduating qualified teachers who are well prepared for today’s classrooms. According to the accreditation report by the NCATE Board of Examiners, UMF’s teacher preparation programs provide UMF students with the knowledge, skills, assessment and field experience needed to become competent and qualified educators.

“NCATE accreditation is an external affirmation of the high quality educational experiences we provide to all students in teacher education programs at UMF,” said Katherine Yardley, UMF associate provost and dean of education. “As one of only three nationally-accredited institutions in the state of Maine, UMF works diligently to ensure our graduates are well-prepared to be caring, competent, and confident teachers who can help P-12 students succeed in their classrooms and beyond.”

Additional strengths in the UMF program noted in the NCATE report include: the incorporation of student portfolios to help demonstrate students’ application of content knowledge; the effective integration of technology to enhance student learning; and the support of highly competent faculty, staff and administrators to provide for student success on every level.