College earns NCATE reaccreditation & commendations

SUNY New Paltz has been awarded National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) reaccreditation, a vital conferral of national recognition on educator preparation programs across the country.

NCATE reaccreditation, which colleges and universities must seek every seven years, affirms that New Paltz’s Professional Education Unit (made up of the School of Education and the Art Education, Communication Disorders and School Counseling programs) meets the rigorous standards set forth by the professional education community.

“The NCATE’s decision to continue accreditation for SUNY New Paltz’s teacher training programs attests to the impact of the work being done, on and off campus, by the faculty and staff of the School of Education and their community partners,” said President Donald P. Christian. “This milestone underscores that SUNY New Paltz continues to build on its strong tradition in preparing teachers, and educational leaders, adapting to 21st century needs and demands.”

The Board of NCATE Examiners reviewed numerous program-specific reports submitted to them and visited campus in March 2015. They not only cited no areas for improvement for New Paltz, but also recognized five areas of commendation, both rare achievements even for institutions that are found to meet all of the NCATE’s expectations.

The examiners noted the high performance of many regional education partnerships run through the School of Education, such as the Hudson Valley Writing Project and the volunteer program that connects teacher candidates and young learners at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

Other points of commendation were the success of the Extended Experience Model for uniting teachers and candidates in student teaching roles and the collaboration between faculty and Hudson Valley P-12 educators in developing curricula and bringing new technologies to school districts and students.

“I am gratified by the accreditation body’s recognition of the work we’re doing, and am particularly proud of their commendation of our diverse community outreach initiatives,” said School of Education Dean Michael Rosenberg. “While we feel that the work of improving our services to teacher candidates and to regional educators is never done, the NCATE’s report reflects how our faculty has pulled together and committed to a common conceptual framework in support of our mission of preparing the next generation of high-quality teachers.”

The accreditation cycle at SUNY New Paltz is overseen by School of Education Assistant Dean Sunny Duerr. It requires educator preparation programs to seek assessment from the array of Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs) that set the standards and best practices of teacher education in each discipline. The resulting SPA reports are a major consideration for the final NCATE review.

When the NCATE Board of Examiners visited campus from March 8-10, they were received by administrators, staff, faculty, students from the School of Education and other disciplinary programs, as well as affiliated community members, who all came together to demonstrate the efficacy of various education initiatives.

More information about the accreditation process is available at the website of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The CAEP is the new national accrediting body following the 2013 merger of the NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC); SUNY New Paltz has earned accreditation under the NCATE standards, but going forward will be called on to report to the CAEP in accordance with its guidelines and practices.