News release
Public Information Office
SLU 10880 Hammond,
LA 70402 phone:
985-549-2341 fax:
985-549-2061publicinfo@selu.edu
www.selu.edu/news
Contact: Rene Abadie
Date: 12/10/02
| SOUTHEASTERN TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM RECEIVES
NATIONAL REACCREDITATION HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s teacher preparation program has received a five-year national reaccreditation, making it the first Louisiana university to pass recently revised stringent standards. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the primary accrediting body for teacher preparation programs, approved the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs after a three-day site visit and comprehensive review conducted earlier this year. NCATE is an alliance of more than 30 national professional organizations of the teaching profession and education policy community. The organization currently accredits 540 institutions which produce approximately two-thirds of the nation’s new teacher graduates each year. Arthur E. Wise, NCATE president, congratulated Southeastern “for displaying the high quality necessary to be granted national accreditation.” “Achieving this reaccreditation ensures that Southeastern teacher candidates are engaged in a rigorous process to prepare them for a career in teaching,” said Southeastern President Randy Moffett. “Louisiana and the nation are facing critical shortages of qualified, certified teachers. It goes beyond just quantity, however. Today’s teachers need to be effective educators, with a strong depth of knowledge in the specific content areas they teach, an understanding of general subjects in arts and sciences, and knowledge of the general principles of effective teaching and learning.” “This reaccreditation marks a major milestone in our effort to ensure there are highly qualified teachers in every Louisiana classroom,” said Sally Clausen, president of the University of Louisiana System, which governs Southeastern and seven other regional universities in the state. Southeastern is one of the largest producers of teacher candidates in the state with more than 1,800 undergraduate students and another 600 studying at the graduate level. The university graduates approximately 300 teacher candidates each year, and its program has been nationally accredited since 1976. “The new NCATE standards are designed to ensure that the best prepared teachers will be in our classrooms teaching our children,” said Martha Thornhill, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “We recognize that the most important factor in improving student achievement is the quality of teaching in the classroom, particularly the teacher’s knowledge and ability to facilitate student learning.” Thornhill said the new standards are performance-based, dependent upon how well graduates score on state licensing exams, how much command they have of subject matter, and whether they can actually guide children to learn. “The revised standards shifted focus from structure of training courses to their academic outcomes,” she added. “This is in keeping with the general movement toward more accountability in education at all levels. Without improving the quality of our teaching force, we have no assurances our children will receive the kind of education they need to succeed.” She said the Southeastern program is closely aligned with Louisiana’s teacher preparation initiatives and recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Excellence in Education and with national initiatives, such as President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” program. One of the strongest elements of the university’s program is the emphasis placed on student field experiences and clinical practice. Southeastern requires education students to undergo extensive screening interviews, gain significant classroom experience in area elementary and secondary schools, and participate in service learning projects prior to beginning their student teaching. The university maintains partnerships with 10 school systems and more than 70 area schools for student teaching and clinical experience. “This helps us evaluate a student’s potential as a teacher, as well as provide the students with real-world experiences that aid them in deciding whether or not teaching is a profession they want to pursue,” she said. Southeastern was the first university in the state and one of the first in the nation to institute a “teacher guarantee” program, ensuring its education graduates know their subject matter, can teach to a diverse student population and can infuse technology throughout the curriculum. The program is in effect in 10 area school districts. The Southeastern education program has benefited from significant external funding in recent years, including a $1.8 million Congressional appropriation designed to offer an alternative certification program and a master of arts in teaching program using distance-learning techniques, including the Internet. Last month, the university received a five-year, $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund “Project Teach,” a program designed to improve and increase the number of teachers qualified to work with students who speak limited English and a major goal of the No Child Left Behind Act. Earlier in the year, a $147,946 grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents was received to identify and coordinate service learning opportunities for education majors. |
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