College of Education Notified of NCATE Accreditation

Genevieve Brown

Sam Houston State University teacher educators have received good news, just in time for the celebration of Sam Houston Normal Institute's establishment as the first teacher-training school in the Southwest in 1879.

SHSU has been notified by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) that its teacher education program has received continued accreditation by that organization.

Sam Houston State will celebrate its 125th birthday this month, commemorating the April 21, 1879 signing of its charter legislation by then-Gov. Oran Roberts. Texas Gov. Rick Perry will participate in a campus event scheduled for 4:30 p.m. April 21.

Genevieve Brown, dean of the SHSU College of Education and Applied Science, was notified of the NCATE decision this week by Donna M. Gollnick, senior vice president for the council.

"NCATE's Unit Accreditation Board met last week to determine the accreditation status of the 60 institutions that hosted visits in the fall of 2003," Gollnick wrote in an e-mail to Brown.

"We are pleased to inform you that accreditation has been continued for the professional education unit at Sam Houston State University. The formal letter and action report will be mailed to you and your president within three weeks. Congratulations!"

Brown said she was happy to hear the news because so many of her colleagues had worked so hard during the accreditation process, which occurs every seven years.

"Our efforts to assure the highest quality educator preparation programs have been rewarded," said Brown.
"The NCATE accreditation process holds institutions accountable for meeting high and rigorous standards that ensure educator preparation candidates know their subject and how to teach effectively."

The Sam Houston State University educator preparation program is one of 10 programs in the state of Texas accredited by NCATE.

A six-member team from NCATE conducted an on-site visit at SHSU Oct. 11-15. Hollis Lowery-Moore, NCATE coordinator for SHSU, said that despite the hard work required from everyone, the process is a good one.

Hollis Lowery-Moore

"The last two years have been a whirlwind of effort," said Hollis Lowery-Moore, NCATE coordinator at SHSU. "But we welcomed the opportunity to strengthen our program through this process."

The board of examiners interviewed key administrative personnel, educator preparation faculty, staff and a host of others to determine whether the SHSU program met national standards. The team also conducted site visits at partnership schools in Region 6 and at The University Center in The Woodlands.

Lowery-Moore said the Sam Houston State University Educator Preparation Program's goals are to enhance the future through collaborative instruction, field experience, and research that ensures SHSU students have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to plan, implement, assess, and modify instruction for diverse learners using all technologies available.

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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
April 7, 2004
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