NCTE/NCATE Standards for English Language Arts - Previous Revision

The National Council of Teachers of English is one of eight subject specific organizations with membership in the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the professional accrediting agency for teacher preparation. Institutions seeking NCATE accreditation must meet carefully developed specific conditions. One of those conditions is program approval. NCTE is responsible for reviewing undergraduate English language arts education programs for institutions seeking NCATE accreditation.

English language arts education/English departments preparing curriculum reports for NCTE/NCATE review must follow the NCATE designated process described at   http://www.ncate.org/Accreditation/ProgramReview/tabid/116/Default.aspx.

Below are links to the approved NCTE/NCATE Program Standards:

• NCTE/NCATE Program Standards for Initial Preparation of Teachers of Secondary English Language Arts, Grades 7-12 (October 2003) -- (PDF format) 
• NCTE/NCATE Program Standards for Initial Preparation of Teachers of Secondary English Language Arts, Grades 7-12 (October 2003) -- (WORD format)

For help in preparing the NCTE/NCATE Report, institutions should use the documents below:

• A Guide for Preparing the NCTE/NCATE Program Report for the Preparation of English Language Arts Teachers 
• Frequently Asked Questions about NCATE's Web-based Program Review System as It Applies to NCTE  
• Representative Examples of Assessments
• NCTE Guidelines for Using and Documenting Course Grades as a Program Assessment
• Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing Your NCTE Program Report
• Assessment Exemplars (2-7)

The following documents were prepared for NCTE/NCATE Program Reviewers:

• A Handbook for Reviewers of NCTE/NCATE Program Reports on the Preparation of English Language Arts Teachers 
• Lead Reviewer Tech Editing Style Guide for Team Reports
• PowerPoint for NCTE Lead Reviewers Web Seminar, January 21, 2010
• PowerPoint for NCTE Team Reviewers Web Seminar, January 21, 2010
• Powerpoint for NCTE Program Reviewers Web Seminar, January 31, 2011
  • Program Reviewers may contact Linda Walters for access to recordings of the Reviewer Web Seminars.

Institutions which have "nationally recognized" programs by NCTE will be listed on our Web site. The list is updated periodically.

Program Report Examples

The institutions listed below are examples of reports from programs that were granted full national recognition by NCTE. Each program has given NCATE permission to post its report on the NCATE web site. Numerous examples are provided in order to show the multiple ways that programs can be successful. None of these reports are perfect; but each has strengths and each was able to demonstrate to NCTE that the program had developed assessments that could adequately demonstrate that their completers have mastered the NCTE Program Standards.

Muskingum College                                                        Northern Arizona University

Peabody College at Vanderbilt University                  Teachers College/Columbia University

Eastern Illinois University                                              Radford University

Additional information on the NCATE accreditation process is available from NCATE, 2010 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036-1023, or call 202-466-7496.

NCTE/NCATE Program Coordinator   

Paul Yoder
Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
660-785-4502

NCATE Contact

Monique C. Lynch
Vice President, Program Review
NCATE
2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20036-1023
202-466-7496

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