The Ohio University College of Education and Education Unit, comprised of 6 campuses and programs within 4 colleges, welcomed a nine-member Board of Examiners team from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) to McCracken Hall for an official visit beginning on October 10, 2009.

The visit closed on October 14 with an exit conference from the Board of Examiners. The Board issued preliminary findings, provided as a courtesy to the Education Unit. The findings stated that the Unit had met each of the six NCATE standards, with only one area for improvement (AFI).

The NCATE visit was a rigorous five day process, during which the Board of Examiners reviewed an institutional report, created by the Unit, and spoke to various bodies within the Unit and the University in order to assess how the Unit had met the six accreditation standards.

The six standards are as follows:

Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions
Standard 2: Assessment System and Unit Evaluation
Standard 3: Field Experiences and Clinical Practices
Standard 4: Diversity
Standard 5: Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and Development
Standard 6: Unit Governance and Resources

The Board of Examiners reported, in their preliminary findings, only one area for improvement, falling under standard four, diversity: “Field experiences and clinical practice do not ensure that all candidates have experiences with P-12 students from at least two ethnic/racial groups and English language learners.”

Dean Renée Middleton stated that it is highly unusual for any university to have only one AFI. She shared the finding wasn’t completely unexpected, “given the challenges of diversity within the region, however, it is a challenge that the Unit will continue to focus on through its Rural/Urban Collaborative and other unique initiatives.”

"I commend the College and Unit of Education faculty and leadership for their continuing focus on delivering high-quality academic programs to our students," said President Roderick J. McDavis. "Ohio University graduates the second largest number of licensed teachers in the state of Ohio, a key contribution to the future of our state. As we continue our service to the state, region, nation and the world, we will continue to lift our academic programs to even greater heights."

During the 2007 NCATE visit, the Unit met 5 out of 6 standards held by the accreditation board, and was therefore put on a probationary status until this year’s visit. Standard two, Assessment standard, is one of the most failed standards nationwide. Since then, the Unit has put a lot of time and energy into implementing and using a successful assessment system. Preliminary results stated the Unit had met the Assessment standard with no areas for improvement.

Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit praised the College of Education for the extensive preparation undertaken in advance of the NCATE visit. "They have done everything that they needed to do in order to make sure that there is an effective process in place to measure student success and unit operations," said Benoit.

Benoit attended an electronic poster session featuring student projects held for NCATE officials on Sunday. "It was a wonderful start to the visit," she said. "The students were inspiring. They were passionate about what they do and knowledgeable about their curriculum and its quality. Their e-posters and their comments clearly demonstrated the integration of the conceptual framework and the core values of the college into their curriculum."

Within the next 35 days, the Education Unit will receive the official Board of Examiners Report. The Unit is then provided the opportunity to respond to the final report, in order to clarify any information and ensure nothing was overlooked.

In the spring, the NCATE Unit Accreditation Board (UAB) will consider all information gleaned from the institutional report received from the Unit, the report issued from the Board of Examiners who visited the Unit, and the final response from the Unit. They will meet in March, 2010, to review the three documents, and will issue an official accreditation decision, expected in April, 2010.

“This is an exceptional outcome,” said Dean Middleton. “I would like to thank all faculty, staff, students, our alumni and administrators for participating in this process. The support offered by the Ohio University community and our P-12 schools and community has been invaluable in keeping our Education Unit positive throughout the process. It was truly appreciated by all members of our College of Education. Let us continue to go out and do great things!”

Story by Natalie LaConte