April 10, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE) has notified the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that its School of Education has received continued accreditation. The renewal covers all levels of teacher education for the next 5 years.

“This is confirmation and affirmation of all the work we have been doing since the last accreditation visit in 1999,” said Michael Froning, Ed.D., dean of the UAB School of Education. “This review in particular was significant because of the changes in NCATE standards to an outcome-based model. It required a monumental effort by our faculty to put into place, and we are very proud of the result.”

The UAB School of Education received its continuance at the spring meeting of the NCATE Unit Accreditation Board. Although preparation for accreditation visits are always ongoing, says Froning, the faculty worked intently to prepare for the site visit over the last two years.

“The reviewers all indicated how forward thinking our faculty has been and how relevant our programs are,” said Froning. “The school is connected to the absolute best research and practices across the country, and this review reaffirms that.”

NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the major accrediting body of colleges and universities that prepare teachers and other professionals for work in elementary and secondary schools.

NCATE standards require that colleges and universities of teacher education prepare teachers who have the professional knowledge and skills to teach independently or collaboratively, work with a diverse community of students, apply effective methods of teaching students from different developmental stages, learning styles and backgrounds, and effectively integrate technology into instruction. NCATE currently accredits 614 colleges and universities with nearly 100 more seeking NCATE accreditation.