NCATE Preconditions

Please note: (pdf) requires Adobe Acrobat; (doc) requires Microsoft Word

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.

Precondition #2: A dean, director, or chair is officially designated as head of the unit and is assigned the authority and responsibility for its overall administration and operation.

Precondition #3: Written policies and procedures guide the operations of the unit.

  • 3.1 Cover Pages and Tables of Contents for Policies and Procedures

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. (pdf) (doc)

This document includes:
*Introduction to the Institution
*4.1 The Vision and Mission of the Institution and Unit
*4.2 The Unit's Philosophy, Purposes, and Goals
*4.3 Knowledge Bases Informing the Conceptual Framework
*4.4 Candidate Proficiencies Alignment with Professional, State, and Institutional Standards
*4.5 Description of the Unit Assessment System

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.

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 at exit.

Precondition #7: The unit's programs are approved by the appropriate state agency or agencies, and, in states with educator licensing examinations and required pass rates, the unit's summary pass rate meets or exceeds the required state pass rate.

Precondition #8: 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 committed to submitting program reports for each program for which NCATE has approved program standards one year prior to the visit.

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.