Comparison of the Standards for Accreditation of Teacher Education Program Developed by ACTE & NCATE

 

Introduction

Standards refer to the systems and procedures developed by professional development practitioners to enhance the effectiveness of the system (CICA, 2007). Professional standards describe the important skills, knowledge, and attitudes that the professional is expected to demonstrate. Standards constitute the ‘critical knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to perform a specific role effectively’. They explain the primary components of performance rather than providing a comprehensive list of responsibilities. Furthermore, they serve to specify as to what performance or behaviours an institution is particularly looking for. The extent to which professional standards have been met can be assessed via performance indicators set by the authorities (MOE, 2009).  They describe what teachers need to know and do to provide relevant and valuable learning experiences for learners and groups of individuals.

Standards are not only useful for the teachers in their profession but also for other relevant practitioners to enhance the credibility of the system (Khan 2004).

Mostly it is observed that teachers have invariably lagged behind in developing core competencies and knowledge, fundamental to their profession. These core competencies and knowledge are the pillars on which subsequent knowledge and skills are built upon. (UNESCO & USAID 2005). Though we are spending a lot of amount on teacher education system, according to a study conducted by the Academy of Educational Development (AED).Producing low-grade trained teachers at such a high cost should be a matter of concern. The National Education Census data and a number of studies indicate that professional preparation of teachers in Pakistan is neither standardized nor based on acceptable professional standards (Butt, 2008). We have introduced many new concepts but have failed to achieve the desired outcomes due to non-implementation of proper professional standards (AED 2006).007

Quality assurance requires professional development standards of teacher education and an effective mechanism and procedure of accreditation of teacher education programs and institutions. Various countries have developed standards according to their teacher education needs.

NCATE ( National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education)

In US, NCATE was founded in 1954. This National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is officially recognized by the US Department of Education as an accrediting body for institutions that prepare teachers and other professional personnel for work in pre, elementary, and secondary schools. NCATE helps to ensure that the accredited institutions produce caring, competent and qualified teachers and other school personnel who can help all students learn.

The NCATE accreditation process determines whether schools, colleges, and departments of education, and other organizations preparing teachers, meet demanding standards for the preparation of teachers and other school personnel. Through this process, NCATE assures the public that the graduates of accredited institutions have acquired the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn (Cibulka, 2008).

NCATE Unit Standards

The NCATE Unit standards have evolved over a period of time and are revised from time to time. The latest version was developed in 2002 and is currently being used to accredit teacher education institutions. It recognized twenty subject specialty professional associations in addition to six unit accreditation standards.

These standards are developed by groups that are nationally recognized in the teaching field. These standards are designed to assess teachers’ performance (Standards 1 & 2) and institutional capacity (Standards 3-6). Each of the six core standards has three components.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework(s) is established to share the vision for a unit’s efforts in preparing educators to work effectively in schools and also provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidate performance, scholarship, service, and unit accountability. These six standards are as;

Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Standard 2: Assessment System and Unit Evaluation

Standard 3: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

Standard 4: Diversity

Standard 5: Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and Development

Standard 6:Unit Governance and Resources

Each standard includes three types of behaviour demonstrated by the professionals:

Unacceptable
Acceptable
Target

 

NCATE standards are based on the belief that “all children can and should learn“.

In order to attain this goal, NCATE accredits schools, colleges, and departments of education (professional education units) in U.S. colleges and universities along with non-university entities that prepare educators. These schools, colleges, departments of education, and non-university entities have primary responsibility preparing teachers and other school professionals. Now quality of education is a matter of great concern in Pakistan as in other developing countries. Keeping in view the global needs and challenges to teacher education, teams of experts and scholars are working on accreditation of teacher education programs and institutions.

ACTE (Accreditation Council of Teacher Education)

The Federal Government in the Gazette of Pakistan, August 30, 2007 Part (111) has published the notification of the Accreditation Council for Teacher Education vide No.10-25/HEC/A&C/2004/2517, Islamabad. www.acte.org.

It can be seen in NCATE standards that they require educators to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work successfully with children of all races, ethnicities, disabilities/exceptionalities, and different socioeconomic groups and the mission of ACTE is to ensure high quality teacher education programs as an integral part of higher education through a sustained & professional internal academic audit & external accreditation.

 

Conceptual Framework

A knowledge based shared vision of the institution about mission goals and objectives, for preparing committed and competent professionals to provide guidance for action on all aspects of the program i.e., nature of curriculum and instruction, practice teaching, system of assessment, adequateness of resources and infrastructure, efficiency of management and status of research, scholarship and equity. Each standard has different sub standards to provide complete directions to the professionals to demonstrate their knowledge and competency in this field. These standards are described as:

Standard 1: Curriculum and Instruction

Standard 2: Assessment and Evaluation System

Standard 3: Physical Infrastructure, Academic Facilities and

Standard 4: Resources and Management

Standard 5: Research, Scholarship and Equity

Standard 6:Community Links and Outreach

Comparison between the standards of NCATE & ACTE

 

NCATE Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions.

Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other school professionals know and demonstrate the content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and skills, pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills, and professional dispositions necessary to help all students5 learn.

ACTE Standard 1: Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum is properly designed to attain the National Professional Standards for Teachers relating to knowledge, skills and dispositions, is approved by the competent authority and is disseminated to all concerned.

 

 

 

 

 

NCATE

a.   Content Knowledge for

Teacher Candidates

b.   Pedagogical Content

Knowledge and Skills for

Teacher Candidates

c.   Professional and Pedagogical

Knowledge and Skills for

Teacher Candidates

d.   Student Learning for Teacher

Candidates

e.   Knowledge and Skills for

Other School Professionals10

f.    Student Learning for Other

School Professionals

 

ACTE

Curriculum Design and

Description

Curriculum Delivery and Classroom Management

Instructional Procedures/Methodologies

Teaching Practice and Internship

Graduation/Certificate Requirements

 

 

g.   Professional Dispositions for All

Candidates

 

In NCATE standards the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions outlined are based on current research in teaching and learning and on best practices in professional education. Each element reflects an important component of the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions that educators need to develop in order to help all students learn. The knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in this standard should be reflected in the unit’s conceptual framework and assessed as part of the unit’s assessment system. The data from the assessment system should be used to demonstrate candidate learning of the knowledge, skills, and professional stated dispositions.

Teachers must have sufficient knowledge of content to help all students meet standards for P–12 education. The guiding principle of the teaching profession is that student learning is the goal of teaching. NCATE’s Standard 1 reinforces the importance of this goal by requiring that teachers know their content or subject matter, can teach effectively, and can help all students learn. All school professionals are expected to carry out their work in ways that are supportive of student learning.

On the other hand ACTE focuses more on curriculum design and development and the command of teacher in curriculum. The curriculum which is comprised of simple, interesting and dynamic ideas and meets the challenging needs of the society and compatible with the changing scenario of the society. The standard also focuses on the overall process of the class room learning and the involvement of the teacher in that process as: teachers are expected to be enabling to select and organize the content in logical and structured ways to meet learning needs. They are adept in managing the range of behaviours and situations that occur in the classroom and establishing a climate where learning is valued and fostered. Teachers know and understand the fundamental ideas, principles and structure of the disciplines they teach. They know and understand the links to other content areas and are able to integrate learning across and between content areas. They know how to effectively teach that content, and understand the prompts and barriers to learning likely to be encountered by students. They use varied and flexible learning experiences, including individual and cooperative learning through ensuring coordination among various components of the program. The roles and responsibilities of the teacher educators and student teacher are also specified in teaching practice.

Overall in first standard, ACTE focuses more on contents and instructional practices adopted by the teachers and provision of learning experiences to the students. It does not specify the skills required by the teachers as NCATE focuses more on child’s learning. The students’ learning is the goal of all school activities. All school professionals are responsible for supportive environment for students’ learning.

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NCATE Standard 2: Assessment System and Unit Evaluation

The unit has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the performance of candidates, the unit, and its programs.

ACTE Standard 2: Assessment and Evaluation System

The institution has a fair and transparent assessment system that collects data on various traits of students from their entry to exit in the program, follow-up, teacher performance and institutional functioning. It analyzes data and provides feedback for individual and institutional consumption and program improvement.

NCATE                                                         ACTE

 

a. Assessment System                                     Assessment and Evaluation System

of the Institution

b. Data Collection, Analysis,                          Candidate’s Assessment and Evaluation

and Evaluation

c. Use of Data for Program                             Faculty Assessment

Improvement

System-efficiency

 

 

NCATE Standard 2 describes that the unit has an assessment system that reflects the conceptual framework and professional and state standards and is regularly evaluated by its professional community. The unit’s system includes comprehensive and integrated assessment and evaluation measures to monitor candidate performance and manage and improve the unit’s operations and programs. Decisions about candidate performance are based on multiple assessments at admission into programs, appropriate transition points, and program completion. The unit has taken effective steps to eliminate bias in assessments and is working to establish the fairness, accuracy, and consistency of its assessment procedures and unit operations. Data show a strong relationship of performance assessments to candidate success throughout their programs and later in classrooms or schools. It also makes changes in its practices consistent with the results of these studies.

On the other hand in the standards developed by ACTE, teachers plan for learning, and utilize a range of formative and summative assessment techniques to report on learning and to inform their planning. They understand the need to evaluate their teaching and the importance of providing both formal and informal feedback to students as a stimulus to learning. Assessment system provides complete and systematic measures to monitor and evaluate the performance of candidates and faculty and ensures the fairness, accuracy, consistency and transparency of its procedures. The assessment system has an efficient and effective mechanism to analyze internal and external feed back data according to this standard, use of multiple tools suitable for the assessment and evaluation of goals and objectives of the courses/ program, use of multiple sources of assessment and evaluation from within and outside the institution, mechanism and procedures for faculty assessment and evaluation, notified modes of performance evaluation of faculty. (Personal evaluation reports, peers’ review, students’ evaluation, course maintenance files and class room observations). The system is effectively run with the complete record of students and all the faculty members. Accomplished teachers can assess the progress of individual student as well as that of the class as a whole. They employ multiple methods for measuring student growth and understanding and can clearly explain student performance to parents.

Standards developed by both NCATE & ACTE are same in the sense that the focus is on overall assessment and evaluation of the candidates as well as teachers and also there is the concept of utilization of the results for useful purposes accurately and efficiently.

 

NCATE Standard 3: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates and other school professionals develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

ACTE standard 3: Community Links and Outreach

The institution evidences links with community through its involvement in research, development work and other relevant activities.

 

NCATE                                                                 ACTE

a. Collaboration between Unit and School Partners               Priorities and Relevance

 

b. Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of                       Funding and other

Resources

 

c. Field Experiences and Clinical Practice                             Community/Stakeholders Involvement

 

d. Candidates’ Development and Demonstration of

Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions

to help All Students Learn

 

In NCATE standards, the unit, its school partners, and other members of the professional community design, deliver, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice to help candidates develop their knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. Field experiences facilitate candidates’ development as professional educators by providing opportunities for candidates to observe in schools and other agencies, tutor students, participate in education-related community events, interact with families of students, attend school board meetings, and assist teachers or other school professionals prior to clinical practice. Field experiences and clinical practice are integral program components for the initial and advanced preparation of teacher candidates and candidates for other professional school roles. They provide the opportunity for candidates to develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in the unit’s conceptual framework in a variety of settings appropriate to the content and level of their program.

On the other hand, in ACTE standards faculty upholds high professional ethics with regard to their own conduct and that of others, and respects their students and values their diversity. They act professionally at all times in their dealing with their students, peers, members of the profession and members of the community, involving community in the planning and implementation of such projects, functional linkages with other government and non-government organizations for the generation of funds and resources, active involvement of the people in the institutional activities, involvement of Federal/Provincial educational institutions/NGOs. Community management committees are also a great source of community involvement in upholding the standard of education but the problem is the functionality of these organizations. Through these standards, it is expected to enhance community links through different projects and activities. It provides a well thought out plan of extension projects based on the felt social needs and educational issues of community.

A new concept was introduced in NCATE standards that is; field experiences and clinical practice. It will provide the candidates with knowledge and dispositions requires in the field. It describes a strong relationship between candidates’ experiences and other school partners. On the other hand, ACTE also reflects community cooperation and involvement in different projects and resource generation activities. The more concentration of ACTE is on resources and community shares in these resources

 

NCATE Standard 4: Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and Development

Faculty are qualified and model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching, including the assessment of their own effectiveness as related to candidate performance. They also collaborate with colleagues in the disciplines and schools. The unit systematically evaluates faculty performance and facilitates professional development.

ACTE Standard 4: Resources and Management

The institution has adequate resources, experienced leadership, qualified faculty and other support staff for effective conduct of the program, opportunities and mechanism for faculty and staff development through an appropriate budget maintained transparently following standard procedures.

 

NCATE                                                                   ACTE

a.  Qualified Faculty                                                   Faculty Qualification and Status

 

b.  Modeling Best Professional Practices                    Professionalism, Scholarly Work,

in Teaching                                                            Faculty Development and Stability

 

 

c.  Modeling Best Professional Practices                    Workload of Faculty

in Scholarship

d.  Modeling Best Professional Practices in               Budget of the Institution

Service

e.  Unit Evaluation of Professional Education           Management

Faculty Performance

f.  Unit Facilitation of Professional

Development

 

In NCATE unit standards, Faculty in higher education and partner schools are critical to the development of high quality professional educators to staff the nation’s schools. They can introduce candidates to research and good practice that counter myths and misperceptions about teaching and learning. Through modelling of good teaching, they help candidates develop multiple teaching strategies to help all students learn. Faculty knows and understands the professional, state, and institutional standards identified in the unit’s conceptual framework and work to ensure that candidates master these standards. The unit’s responsibility for the performance of professional education faculty includes systematic and comprehensive evaluations conducted by both candidates and peers. Evaluations are designed to collect data on the quality of faculty teaching, scholarly contributions, and service. They are used to improve faculty performance through the provision and support of professional development activities. Professional education faculty are teacher scholars who value teaching and learning in their own work. They inquire into and contribute to one or more areas of scholarly work related to teaching, learning, or teacher education. They exhibit intellectual vitality in their teaching, scholarship, and service. Faculty participate in professional development activities through their own initiatives or those conducted, sponsored,
or arranged by the unit to enhance teaching competence and intellectual capability.

On the other side ACTE indicates program wise academic and professional qualification of the teachers and the number of students allocated to them in each class. Faculty observe professional code of conduct and ethics, attending faculty meetings, participating in co-curricular activities, and exercising academic freedom. Effective graduate teachers are equipped to engage in and negotiate a process of on-going professional learning. They identify their development needs and seek advice and support from colleagues. They have high expectations of themselves as professional learners, and for the learning of their students. Their commitment to students and student learning is reflected in their desire to support students. Teachers develop their knowledge, skills and practices throughout their professional lives, but teacher development is not a simple linear process. They enter the profession with varying levels of prior learning, work experience and professional preparation, and work in a range of different contexts. Pay structure of the teachers and fee structures are also of great concern in this standard and institution is expected to follow various rules and regulation of managing all activities inside and outside class room.

Both types of standards concentrate on faculty development and its code of conduct. NCATE specifies some areas in which the performance of the faculty is more crucial than others, which are knowledge and their professional practices. ACTE is also indicating the same pattern of faculty development but its focus is on overall professional development activities and its link with other teachers’ duties and responsibilities, it seems more clear and coherent for the teachers to make them aware of all types of activities along with teaching and learning.

NCATE Standard 5: Unit Governance and Resources

 

The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

ACTE Standard 5: Physical Infrastructure, Academic Facilities and Learning Resources

The institution has adequate and necessary physical infrastructure and learning resources to prepare teachers following the prescribed curriculum. It provides field experiences to the candidates in the form of teaching practice, internship and other modes through linkages with the local school systems and community.

 

NCATE                                                                 ACTE

a.  Unit Leadership and Authority                              Area /Location

b.  Unit Budget                                                           Buildings, Amenities and Utilities

c.   Personnel                                                               Classrooms/Lecture Theaters and

Laboratories

d.  Unit Facilities                                                        Library and Learning Resources

e.  Unit Resources including Technology                   Student support services

Schools for Teaching Practice and

Internship

 

In NCATE standards the unit performs the key leadership role in governance and management of curriculum, instruction, and resources for the preparation of professional educators. The unit is responsible for the quality of all school personnel prepared at the institution regardless of where the program is administratively located within the institution. Thus, units are expected to directly manage or coordinate all programs offered at the institution for the initial and continuing preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel. The unit maintains an adequate number of personnel and sufficient resources to ensure that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards. Sufficient resources, including information technology resources, are necessary to offer all of the programs at the institution that prepare educators to work in schools, including the delivery of high-quality field experiences and clinical practice.

On the other side, ACTE focuses on the overall location and infrastructure facilities in classroom, library, laboratories and other building amenities. in institution, furniture/ equipments are Properly managed, functional and standard furniture  like adjustable/movable shelves, magazine display shelves, newspaper racks, standard tables and chairs, desks and chairs for staff, charging desks, dictionary and  atlas stand, bulletin board and display cabinets, vertical file cabinets, book trucks, map stands/cabinets, periodical records, typewriter/ computer with printer. Library collections comprising of all types/formats of recorded information (Books, periodicals, microforms, maps, government documents, video tapes and other electronic resources), schools and other educational institutions for internship.

 

Both types of standards indicate the condition of infrastructure and facilities provided at teacher education institution/ unit.

 

NCATE Standard 6: Diversity

The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and provides experiences for candidates to acquire and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates can demonstrate and apply proficiencies related to diversity. Experiences provided for candidates include working with diverse populations, including higher education and P–12 school faculty, candidates, and students in P–12 schools.

a. Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Curriculum and Experiences

b. Experiences Working with Diverse Faculty

c. Experiences Working with Diverse Candidates

d. Experiences Working with Diverse Students in P–12 Schools

America’s classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse; over 40 percent of the students in classrooms are students of different colour. Twenty percent of the students have at least one foreign-born parent, many with native languages other than English and from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Growing numbers of students are classified as having disabilities. At the same time, teachers of colour are less than 20 percent of the teaching force. As a result, most students do not have the opportunity to benefit from a diverse teaching force. Therefore, all teacher candidates must develop proficiencies for working effectively with students and families from diverse populations and with exceptionalities to ensure that all students learn. Therefore, the unit has the responsibility to provide opportunities for candidates to understand diversity and equity in the teaching and learning process. Coursework, field experiences, and clinical practice must be designed to help candidates understand the influence of culture on education and acquire the ability to develop meaningful learning experiences for all students.

On the other hand, there is no concept of diversity management in classrooms in ACTE standards. In Pakistan, the situation of diversity may not very crucial but even then the students come from diverse cultures and back grounds. There is a need to include some strategies to guide the teachers to manage their classrooms in diverse situations.

ACTE Standard 6: Research, Scholarship and Equity

 

The institution facilitates undertaking and conduct of research at the individual and institutional level. It promotes scholarship through merit scholarship and evidences equity measures by providing financial assistance to needy candidates.

a. Institutional Policy on Research

b. Funding and other Resources

c. Publication, Dissemination and Utilization

ACTE plans for the teachers to facilitate their research activities and publications. It also considers it important to coordinate research at national and international level. Institutions will develop a policy on research to enhance research culture and utilize the findings of these researches in a purposeful way.  For the purpose, they will coordinate with different agencies to sponsor them. It is also expected in these standards that there is Encouragement of publication and dissemination of ongoing /complete researches and proposal. institution Supports and promotes student learning in all areas of activity, core knowledge and professional values through mentoring and leading individuals and/or teams; incorporates research, scholarship and/or professional practice into those activities. Outcomes of educational research are reviewed and incorporated, where appropriate, in teaching and learning practices. Also teacher knows the new emerging concepts, theories, results of researches and latest trend at national and international levels. According to this standard, faculty also has the knowledge of how educational research and other methods of inquiry can be used as a means for continuous learning, self assessment and development.

NCATE standards do not include these types of research initiatives taken by the unit. It is a necessary requirement for the profession of teaching that the teachers must be able to understand new concepts and generate new ideas in teaching through research. It is also a global need of the profession. ACTE is appreciable for this effort.

Conclusion

Overall it can be concluded that:

NCATE’ s mission is to “enhance students’ learning”
ACTE’s mission is the “overall efficiency of the program”
Both councils have clear vision to prepare educators to work effectively but the preferences are different
NCATE standards give clear concept of desired and undesired behaviours of the professionals as compared to ACTE
In NCATE standards, all school professionals are responsible for providing supportive environment to the learner. In ACTE, only the teacher is important
Both expect fair and efficient system of assessment & evaluation and the utilization of assessment data
Both expect cooperation & involvement of community for resource generation and other school activities
NCATE standards specifies particular areas of faculty development that are: teaching, scholarship & service
Diversity of students seems a crucial factor in NCATE standards
Faculty publications & other research activities are not considered important in NCATE standards but in ACTE

Both organizations are worth appreciable for their efforts to enhance the credibility of teacher education program according to their preferences.

Recommendations

 

After studying the standards developed by both councils, following suggestions are made for ACTE:

ACTE needs to mention clear concept of acceptable & unacceptable behaviour of the teacher educators
Particular areas should be specified for faculty development after need assessment
Budget and other financial resources are a matter of concern because quantitative improvement is also crucial for qualitative improvement.
A clear and strong road map of implementation is required for the institutions to adopt the standards.
Both the councils should focus more on research skills of the faculty members and proper utilization of research findings.