UNC Asheville's Education Department was awarded continuing accreditation this week by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The NCATE accreditation process ensures that colleges and universities are graduating well-qualified, well- prepared teachers.

UNCA differs from many educational institutions in that it requires each teacher candidate to earn a degree in a specialty area in which they will be licensed to teach -- such as history, math or English -- as well as take the professional education courses needed to qualify for state licensure.

"Our approach provides in-depth preparation for our students and it's an approach that works well," said Mark Sidelnick, education department chair. "Our students consistently score above the state average in each of the teacher testing areas required by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction."

In December 2000, UNCA's teacher education program was one of only four in the state to receive an exemplary rating from the State Board of Education.

Nationally, NCATE accredits 520 institutions, which produce two-thirds of the nation's new teachers annually. NCATE-accredited schools meet rigorous standards set by the profession and members of the public. NCATE standards expect schools of education to ensure that subject matter content, and how to teach it, is a priority; to emphasize school district collaboration; to ensure that candidates can use technology in instruction; and to prepare teachers to teach students from diverse backgrounds. The standards also require the school of education to design a conceptual framework for each program that is based on current and established research and best practice.