Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State's teacher-training programs at both the Starkville and Meridian campuses are receiving continuing accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Following an extensive and voluntary review process that included visits to both campuses by an accreditation team, officials of the professional organization recently notified the university's College of Education that its programs meet its rigorous standards.
The five-year accreditation process is designed to ensure that collegiate programs continue producing teachers who meet the highest standards and are successfully prepared to help students learn, said college Dean Richard Blackbourn.
Mississippi State has continuously received accreditation since 1961, with the next NCATE assessment scheduled for 2014.
"This process allows us to demonstrate that Mississippi State is responding to the needs of teachers and students in today's classrooms," he said. "NCATE accreditation is a nationally recognized benchmark that says our programs are achieving the highest professional standards."
Nearly 625 institutions that annually produce two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates currently are accredited.
"The organization revises its standards every five years in order to incorporate best practices and research," Blackbourn explained. "Institutions must adjust and demonstrate that students have in-depth knowledge of subjects they will teach.
"Education colleges and schools also must have partnerships with public schools, adequate technological and other teaching resources and faculty members who provide models for effective teaching practices," he added.
Content and professional knowledge, as well as practice in the classroom, are among other areas examined in the process, Blackbourn said.
"Our college has worked so hard to demonstrate its commitment to education in Mississippi," the dean observed. "We're especially appreciative of the efforts of Associate Dean Sue Minchew, who led our on-campus assessment effort."
MSU's education college includes the departments of curriculum and instruction; counseling, educational psychology and special education; instructional systems, leadership and workforce development; kinesiology; music; and Meridian's Division of Education.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional information, contact Dean Blackbourn at 662-325-3717 or rlb277@msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.