The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is a national accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education authorized by the U.S. Department of Education. NCATE determines which schools, colleges, and departments of education meet rigorous national standards in preparing teachers and other school specialists for the classroom.
NCATE is the profession's mechanism to help establish high quality teacher preparation. Through the process of professional accreditation of schools, colleges and departments of education, NCATE works to make a difference in the quality of teaching and teacher preparation today, tomorrow, and for the next century. NCATE's performance-based system of accreditation fosters competent classroom teachers and other educators who work to improve the education of all P-12 students. NCATE believes every student deserves a caring, competent, and highly qualified teacher.
The Minnesota Board of Teaching (BOT) was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1973. Since its inception, the Board has worked to provide leadership for improvements in teacher education programs and to assure that the state has well-qualified, professional teachers to guide Minnesota students to academic excellence.
The eleven-member Board, appointed by the Governor, consists of six classroom teachers, one higher education faculty member, one school administrator, and three members of the public - two of whom must have spent some time on a local school board. Together, these teaching professionals determine the standards and practices that will serve the state's teachers and teacher preparation institutions.