Release

UAlbany School of Education Gains Prestigious Accreditation

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 19, 2006) -- The national Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) granted accreditation to the graduate teacher preparation program at the University at Albany School of Education. TEAC accreditation signifies that the graduate programs in teacher preparation; literacy; teaching English to speakers of other languages; and in elementary, secondary, and special education meet rigorous national quality standards.

"This new accreditation is a very special achievement; one that our faculty has been working toward for a number of years," said Susan D. Phillips, dean of the school of education. "I am very proud of their outstanding efforts and honored to report that the accreditation process was highly complimentary of our work in teacher preparation."

The TEAC review process includes a thorough site visit and audit that verifies the accuracy of the evidence that student learning meets high expectations, and that the program is following processes that produce quality. The quality of the evidence, and the quality of the system that produced it, are key factors in achieving TEAC's approval. Faculty across the School of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences worked to create an outstanding set of degree programs and a system of student assessment and program data analysis, assembling all components into a self-study to achieve accreditation.

TEAC is a nonprofit organization, recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and dedicated to improving academic degree programs for professional educators—those who will teach and lead in schools, pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Its primary mission is accrediting undergraduate and graduate professional education programs in order to assure the public about the quality of college and university programs.

The UAlbany School of Education is the oldest public school of education in New York State. It is the second largest school at the University and is ranked among the very best graduate schools of education in the nation. The School is comprised of four academic departments and is home to 2,800 graduate and undergraduate students, served by 160 full- and part-time faculty who are recognized as outstanding in their fields. Students pursue doctoral, masters, and graduate certificate programs in areas of study such as educational leadership and policy, educational technology, literacy, elementary, secondary, and special education, and counseling, school, and educational psychology.

As an active participant in many innovative partnerships, the School of Education is embedded in and engaged with the communities of Albany's Capital Region and across the State of New York, including the Capital Area School Development Association, and the Northeast Partnership for Literacy. The School is also the New York State affiliate of the national web-based project Just for the Kids.

The School of Education is one of the leaders of literacy research and instruction in the nation and houses several large-scale nationally funded research projects on literacy, including the Center on English Learning & Achievement, the Child Research Study Center, and the Capital District Chapter of the National Writing Project. The School is also a leader in mathematics and science education, including the National Science Foundation studies of equity in mathematics education, and leadership on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) international panels and the New York State Math Education panel. It recently joined IBM's Transition to Teaching initiative to help fill the nationwide need for qualified math and science teachers.

For more information visit the School of Education.