NCATE Accreditation

The Seattle Pacific University School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The most recent onsite visit by the NCATE Board of Examiners took place in Spring 2006. All NCATE standards for initial and advanced programs were met, and the School of Education received continuing accreditation until 2013. The NCATE Board of Examiners will conduct its next onsite evaluation of the SPU School of Education in Spring 2013.

NCATE accreditation is a mark of distinction, and provides recognition that a school of education has met national professional standards for the preparation of teachers and other educators.

What Is NCATE?

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education is a nonprofit, nongovernmental alliance of 35 national professional education and public organizations representing millions of Americans who support quality teaching. The organization is the teaching profession's mechanism to help establish high-quality teacher, specialist, and administrator preparation.

NCATE currently accredits 656 colleges of education with nearly 70 more seeking its accreditation. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognize NCATE as an accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education.

In NCATE's performance-based accreditation system, institutions must provide evidence of competent teacher candidate performance. Teacher candidates must know the subject matter they plan to teach and how to teach effectively so that all students learn. NCATE makes a difference in teacher preparation, and prepared teachers make a difference in P–12 student learning. Studies indicate that student achievement increases when teachers are fully prepared and licensed.