Evangel passes national accreditation review, again
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
May 15, 2008
Contact: Paul K. Logsdon, director of public relations and publications (417) 865-2815, ext. 7292 or cellular (417) 838-0425; Dr. Glenn H. Bernet, academic dean, (417) 865-2815, ext. 7306; or Dr. Becky Huechteman, chair of the Department of Education, (417) 865-2815, ext. 8244
Springfield, Mo. — Evangel University’s teacher education program has proven its commitment to producing quality teachers by once again successfully passing an accreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
The review was completed in fall 2007, and the final report was issued last week.
NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a professional accrediting body for schools, departments and colleges of education.
Evangel has held NCATE accreditation continuously since 1972.
“Studies show that teacher quality is the most important factor in K-12 student achievement,” said Dr. Glenn Bernet, academic dean and vice president for academic affairs at Evangel.
“Professional accreditation is one way to assure the public that Evangel is graduating well-qualified teachers ready for today’s classrooms.”
The NCATE report
In its final report, the NCATE Board of Examiners highlighted a strength of Evangel University is “the concerted effort each faculty person makes to individualize for student needs.”
The visiting team was also impressed with the transformation of the campus in the past 10 years. “Evangel University is to be commended for its campuswide development of new facilities to meet the needs of its students,” they said.
The value of NCATE
Out of approximately 3,600 colleges and universities nationwide, only 623 have earned accreditation by NCATE, and those institutions produce two-thirds of the nation’s new teacher graduates each year.
“We are very pleased to receive this recognition and the continuation of national accreditation for our teacher education program,” said Dr. Becky Huechteman, chair of Evangel’s Education Department.
“Our students come from all 50 states, and many return home to teach. The NCATE accreditation is what enables them to easily do so.”
NCATE-accredited schools must meet rigorous standards that emphasize teacher performance. They focus on what teacher candidates should know and be able to do, and they expect candidates to demonstrate specific skills prior to the completion of the program.
Founded in 1954, NCATE continues its mission today: the profession and the states working together for excellence in teacher preparation and development.
Learn more about Evangel University’s teacher education program.
For more information about NCATE, visit www.ncate.org.