Education Department: Accreditation

Marywood University’s education unit is proud to be recognized and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the prestigious National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The accreditation process establishes rigorous standards for teacher education programs and holds accredited institutions accountable for meeting these standards.  

When a school of education is NCATE accredited, it provides an assurance that the school’s teacher preparation program has met national standards set by the teaching field at large and has undergone rigorous external and impartial review by professionals, policymakers, and representatives of the public.  The review is based on the NCATE Unit Standards, a set of research-based national standards developed by all sectors of the teaching profession.

NCATE’s standards used in the review of the education unit:

• Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional 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

Accredited colleges of education are expected to ensure that teacher candidates know their subject and how to teach it effectively.  Marywood received its initial NCATE accreditation on January 1, 1960.