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Birmingham-Southern's education program receives continued accreditation

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has continued accreditation of Birmingham-Southern College's professional education program.

The Board of Examiners Team from NCATE was on campus last spring to review BSC's Division of Education. After visiting all areas of the college, the team recently recommended continued accreditation of the education program for the next five years.

The program will not receive another NCATE on-site reaccreditation review until spring 2006.

NCATE, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the professional accrediting body for schools, departments, and colleges of education, accredits some 525 institutions, which produce two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates each year.

Among the rigorous standards that NCATE-accredited schools must meet include teacher candidates who have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that they plan to teach as well as the skills necessary to convey it so that students learn; the means to assess this knowledge and skill to determine that candidates may graduate; partnerships with K-12 schools that enable candidates to develop the skills necessary to help students learn; candidates who are prepared to understand and work with diverse student populations; faculty members who model effective teaching practices; and ample resources, including information technology resources, necessary to prepare candidates to meet new standards.

NCATE accreditation decisions are determined by professionals from the education community, including teachers, school specialists, and teacher educators, as well as education policymakers and members of the public.

Birmingham-Southern offers undergraduate majors in elementary/collaborative education; 11 areas of secondary education; art, dance