Accreditation Overview

NCATE/CTC Accreditation Site Visit News

four gold starsWe in the School of Education at Sonoma State are proud to announce that we have completed our Accreditation process and have our preliminary results. We have met all of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) Program Standards for all of our programs and we have met all six National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Standards.

The thirteen member expert review panel did not find any Areas of Concern nor did they find any Areas for Improvement. In fact they gave us four commendations:

  • our candidates develop highly creative learning activities and effectively assess student learning
  • our candidates exhibit professional dispositions
  • our candidates employ pedagogy aligned with state standards
  • they commended our programs because social justice permeates every aspect of every program as evidenced by the eloquent and inspiring testimonials that our candidates recent grads provided

We are grateful to be a part of a collaborative community of educators here in Northern California, and we are thankful for all the people who contributed to this important endeavor. These preliminary results are validation of the important work we all endeavor to do in our school and community.

link to accreditation website

Accreditation is a process for assessing and enhancing academic and educational quality through peer review. Accreditation informs the public that the accredited college or university operates at a high level of educational quality and integrity. The process may be voluntary such as that of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) or mandated such as that conducted by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Sonoma State was first accredited by CTC and then reaccredited in 2005 for seven years.  The School of Education credential program expects to be reaccredited in a joint review by NCATE and CCTC in 2012.

The process involves SSU preparing institutional reports that address the standards of both organizations. These reports are validated by a team of examiners that review institutional data and evidence and interview all major SSU School of Education constituencies – current candidates (students), faculty, staff, administrators and P-12 colleagues (mentor teachers, administrators and others with knowledge about the School and its programs.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)

Professional accreditation is the process of ascertaining and verifying that, at each college and university that prepares individuals for state certification, sufficient quality characterizes that preparation. State certification is the process of ascertaining and verifying the qualifications of each future member of a profession like education. These two processes -- professional accreditation and state certification -- have distinct objectives but they serve a common set of overarching purposes. It is critical, therefore, that accreditation and certification function as an integrated system.

For More Information:

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

Accreditation informs the public that the accredited college or university operates at a high level of educational quality and integrity. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is a national accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education authorized by the U.S. Department of Education. NCATE determines which schools, colleges, and departments of education meet rigorous national standards in preparing teachers and other school specialists for the classroom

For More Information:

Contacts:

Dr. MaryAnn Nickel, Director of Assessment and Accreditation

Kristen Boland, Accreditation Specialist