Teacher Education Program Recognized for Excellence

By Janet Roehl

The College of Education and Technology’s commitment to student success, quality programs, and teaching excellence has lead to national accreditation of its teacher education preparation program. This program of undergraduate and graduate degrees has earned full accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The teacher education program is accredited through 2018, when it will be eligible for reaccreditation.

“The continual focus on quality at ENMU has been recognized at both the state and national levels,” says Dr. Penny A. Garcia, dean of the College of Education and Technology. “The NCATE accreditation endorses our longstanding reputation for preparing teachers who excel in the classroom.”

The NCATE accreditation process takes approximately one to two years. In NCATE’s standards-based accreditation system, institutions must provide evidence that teacher education candidates possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively teach diverse learners and to impact student learning. Teacher candidates must know and understand the subject matter they plan to teach and be able to teach effectively, so that all students learn. The NCATE accreditation covers all ENMU’s teacher education programs, including elementary education, early childhood education, secondary education, special education, education administration, counseling, physical education, agriculture education, and all other emphases in teacher education at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

“Eastern’s teacher education program joins a select group of programs across the country in having both our graduate and undergraduate programs accredited by a national association,” explains Dr. Janet E. Roehl, professor and NCATE coordinator. “Our students and potential students can be assured that our teacher education program meets the highest state and national standards for academic excellence.”

“This national recognition speaks well for our college, the University, and educational partners. It reflects our ongoing efforts toward excellence in preparing teachers and working together to improve PreK-12 student achievement,” Garcia concludes.