A Roadmap for Meeting the NCATE Preconditions*

*(and keeping everyone in the unit on speaking terms)

Pamela EhrenbergNCATE

Purpose of Preconditions To ensure that institutions are ready to host

a site visit To give institutions a chance to start

collecting and aggregating the kind of information that will be needed for visits

What does it mean to meet the preconditions? It means the unit will be nominated for

candidacy at the next Unit Accreditation Board meeting.

It means the unit meets the minimum requirements to host a visit.

It does not mean the conceptual framework and assessment plan will be automatically free from challenge during the site visit.

The preconditions section of the NCATE website (www.ncate.org/accred/precon.htm) contains information on:

Deadlines Formatting Sample conceptual frameworks

Tip: Check the website to ensure you are using the most up-to-date information.

Precondition #1: The institution recognizes and identifies a professional education unit that has responsibility and authority for the preparation of teachers and other professional education personnel.

1.1 A letter from the institution’s chief executive officer that designates the unit as having primary authority and

responsibility for teacher education programs.

The letter should: Be on institutional letterhead Be addressed to NCATE’s president,

Dr. Arthur Wise State the name of the unit State that the unit has primary authority and

responsibility for teacher education programs Be signed by the CEO of your institution Usually be 1-2 sentences long

Precondition #1: The institution recognizes and identifies a professional education unit…

1.1 A letter from the institution’s CEO… 1.2     A chart or narrative that lists all professional education

programs offered by the institution (including any nontraditional/alternative programs). The chart or narrative report should depict (a) the degree or award levels for each program; (b) the administrative location for each program—for example, School of Education, Department of Music; and (c) the structure or structures through which the unit implements its oversight of all programs. If the unit’s offerings include off-campus programs, a separate chart or narrative as described above should be prepared for each location at which off-campus programs are geographically located.

In a chart, include: All programs offered by the unit Where they are administratively housed “Structure for oversight” (how the unit keeps track

of programs that are housed in various places) In a small institution, all programs might be within the

Department of Education In a larger institution, oversight might be provided by one

or more committees

Tip: Remember to include a separate chart for each off-campus location so it’s clear what’s offered where.

Tip: This chart is used later to ensure that preconditions 7 and 8 are met.

Precondition #1. The institution recognizes and identifies a professional education unit …

1.1 A letter from the institution’s CEO… 1.2 A chart or narrative that lists all professional

education programs… 1.3 An organizational chart of the institution that depicts

the professional education unit and indicates the unit’s relationship to other administrative units within the

college or university.

In one or two organizational charts, depict:

The structure of the unit How the unit fits into the structure of the

institution Any committees mentioned in 1.2

Precondition # 2 A dean, director or chair is designated as

head of the unit and is assigned authority and responsibility for overall administration and operation.

2.1 Job description of the professional education unit head

This job description is usually: Of a type issued by a Human Resources

department About one page long

Precondition # 3 The unit has written policies and

procedures that guide the operations of the unit.

3.1 The cover page and table of contents for the documents that contain codified policies and procedures for the unit’s operations, including policies and procedures pertaining to its candidates.

This precondition requires evidence of TWO kinds of policies:

Policies related to candidates (may be found in student handbook or student teaching handbook)

Policies related to unit operations (may be found in faculty handbook)

Tip: Evidence of policies is fine (web-based or print-based tables of contents). Actual policies aren’t needed at this stage.

Precondition # 4: The unit has a well developed conceptual framework that establishes the shared vision for a unit’s efforts in preparing educators to work in P–12 schools and provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidate performance, scholarship, service, and unit

accountability.

4.1 The vision and mission of the institution

and unit.

Tip: The conceptual framework is the only precondition reviewed by the Annual Report and Preconditions Audit Committee. Therefore, it should be a self-contained document that includes everything the committee needs for review.

What are the mission and vision? Mission: What is the unit going to do? (an

action statement) Vision: What does the unit hope to achieve

for the future?

Tip: It is helpful if the unit’s mission aligns clearly with the institution’s mission.

Precondition # 4: The unit has a well developed conceptual framework …

4.1 The vision and mission… 4.2 The unit’s philosophy, purposes, and

goals.

What are philosophy, purposes, and goals?

Philosophy: What is the unit’s overarching belief system?

Purposes/goals (sometimes called “outcomes”): More specific statement of how the unit will use the philosophy to achieve the mission

Precondition # 4: The unit has a well developed conceptual framework …

4.1 The vision and mission… 4.2 The unit’s philosophy, purposes, and

goals. 4.3 Knowledge bases, including theories,

research, the wisdom of practice, and education policies, that inform the unit’s conceptual framework.

Knowledge bases What theories/research undergird the belief

that these purposes/goals are worthwhile?

Tip: This section should be sufficiently fleshed out to describe how these sources influenced section 4.2.

Precondition # 4: The unit has a well developed conceptual framework …

4.1 The vision and mission… 4.2 The unit’s philosophy, purposes, and

goals. 4.3 Knowledge bases… 4.4 Candidate proficiencies aligned with the

expectations in professional, state, and institutional standards.

How specific candidate proficiencies align with…

Institutional standards (these are the purposes/goals from 4.2)

State standards National standards

Tip: “Align with” = show it in a chart

Precondition # 4: The unit has a well developed conceptual framework …

4.1 The vision and mission… 4.2 The unit’s philosophy, purposes, and goals. 4.3 Knowledge bases… 4.4 Candidate proficiencies aligned with …

standards 4.5 A description of the system by which

candidate performance is regularly assessed.

How does the unit assess whether candidates meet the proficiencies listed in 4.4? When are candidates assessed? What assessments are used? How does the unit ensure (or plan to ensure) that

assessments are accurate and consistent? What are the consequences for candidates

performing at different levels on the assessments (counseling, remediation, etc.)?

Precondition # 5:

The unit regularly monitors and evaluates its operations, the quality of its offerings, the performance of candidates, and the effectiveness of its graduates.

5.1 A description of the unit’s system for evaluating its operations, the quality of its offerings, the performance of candidates, and the effectiveness of its graduates.

The assessment system should: Include assessments for candidates and for

unit operations Give evidence that it will be in line with the

NCATE transition plan in time for the visit

In an assessment system,Candidate assessments

should:

Include multiple data sources

Be formative (i.e., they should take place at multiple checkpoints)

Be required of everyone in a given cohort

Unit assessments should:

Include multiple data sources

Be collected and analyzed regularly and systematically

“Multiple data sources” could include surveys of graduates, employers, and cooperating teachers; student teaching evaluations; state test results…

Precondition #6: The unit has published criteria for admission to and exit from all initial teacher preparation and advanced programs and can provide summary reports of candidate performance.

6.1 A photocopy of published documentation (e.g., from a catalog, student teaching handbook, application form, or web page) listing the basic requirements for entry to, retention in, and completion of professional education programs offered by the institution, including any nontraditional/alternative and off-campus programs.

In other words: Published admission, retention, and exit

requirements for all programs

6.1 Published documentation listing the basic requirements…

6.2 A brief summary of candidate performance on assessments conducted for admission into programs and exit from them. This summary should include (a) the portion of Title II documentation related to candidate admission and completion that was prepared for the state and (b) compilation of results on the unit’s own assessments.

Precondition #6: The unit has published criteria for admission to and exit from all initial teacher preparation and advanced programs and can provide summary reports of candidate performance.

.

Results of assessments At entry For example, “50% of undergraduate applicants

had an SAT score between 900 and 1100.”

At exit External assessments (e.g., state licensing test

results) Internal assessments that the unit designed

(portfolios, student teaching assessments, etc.)Tip: This is the only precondition that asks for data/assessment results.

Precondition # 7: In states with a program approval process, the unit’s programs are approved by the appropriate state agency or agencies. 7.1 The most recent state approval letters, including or

appended by a list of approved programs. If any program is not approved, the unit must provide a statement that it is not currently accepting new applicants into the non-approved program(s). For programs that are approved with qualifications or are pending approval, the unit must describe how it will

bring the program(s) into compliance.

The list might look familiar… It’s probably the same list of programs provided in

1.2. Any differences (e.g., programs being phased out

or new programs seeking state approval) should be explained in a cover memo.

Cover memo should also explain how the unit will achieve state approval for programs approved with qualifications or pending approval.

If the institution is located in a non-partner state or in a partner state that requires the submission of program reports for national review through NCATE, the unit has submitted program reports for each program for which NCATE has approved program standards.

8.1 A list of program reports that have been

submitted to NCATE

Precondition # 8:

Tip: NCATE’s program review staff check this list against the list of programs in 1.2 and against the program reports actually submitted.

Precondition # 9:

The institution is accredited, without probation or an equivalent status, by the appropriate institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

9.1 Current accreditation letter and/or report that

indicates institutional accreditation status.

This accreditation letter should be: The most recent one available From one of the six regional accrediting

bodies or USDE-recognized national accrediting body

Closing Tip #1: Start planning early.

Preconditions require collaboration, and people may not be available during summer and winter holidays.

It is difficult for NCATE to give extensions, because deadlines are tied to meeting schedules of the ARPA committee and the Unit Accreditation Board.

Closing Tip #2: Practice documenting things as clearly as you would for the site visit.

If the most important piece of information is in Appendix 37, it could easily be missed. If possible, avoid appendices altogether.

It might be helpful to have someone outside your institution look at a draft version of the preconditions to see how easily the document is understood.

Closing Tip #3: Remember the purpose of preconditions.

If you’re spending hours doing something that feels useless, that’s a sign that what you’re doing may not be required. It might also be taking time and energy away from something that is required.

Closing Tip #4: There are no sillyquestions.

It is helpful for NCATE staff to know when many people have the same question.

It takes less staff time to answer your question than to process a precondition that had to be resubmitted.