Our Shared Commitment to Quality
AACTE is committed to high-quality educator preparation and works continually to assist member institutions in understanding what is necessary to engage in quality assurance processes. A recent decision by the AACTE Board of Directors, described in this blog by AACTE Board Chair Renée A. Middleton, reaffirms the importance of a unified national accreditation system that assures our nation’s teacher candidates are of the highest caliber, and clarifies AACTE’s role in the quality assurance environment. The Board and the AACTE national office team are dedicated to listening to and serving our members, and Dean Middleton’s blog reflects that commitment to member value.
One of the primary roles of educators is to prepare learners to become engaged citizens in a 21st-century democratic society. Today’s educators enter highly diverse schools that reflect the breadth of our nation, and AACTE members are committed to ensuring that their candidates are ready and able to be successful with all of their students. National accreditation requires educator preparation providers to address profession-wide standards of excellence and supplies metrics that support high quality by promoting programmatic reflection and continuous improvement. AACTE members embrace accountability measures that demonstrate their programs’ effectiveness and contribute to program improvement.
Throughout our 70-year history, AACTE has supported member institutions in undertaking quality assurance efforts by providing a variety of resources. The national partnerships that AACTE develops with leaders in higher education and the PK-12 sector facilitate our members’ capacity to provide high-quality learning environments on their campuses, and in local classrooms where teacher candidates participate in real-world experiences. AACTE continues to expand its portfolio of resources and to celebrate members’ innovative work, such as that found in the recent report by the AACTE Clinical Practice Commission and in our upcoming Annual Meeting sessions.
In just 4 weeks, teacher educators from across the country will converge in Baltimore, Maryland, at our Annual Meeting to engage in deep dialogue and learning that assists members in creating solutions to the complex issues involved in providing high-quality education. The event’s lineup of offerings on quality assurance work are many, including a half-day preconference on February 28 and several concurrent sessions on accreditation, assessment, and program and continuous improvement. (View the AACTE Online Event Planner for more details.) AACTE has also added to its portfolio of resources the Quality Support Workshops, regional learning events that assist those individuals responsible for quality assessment at their institutions. Plans are under way for the next AACTE Quality Support Workshop, to take place in August 2018 in Columbus, Ohio – more details will be coming soon.
While AACTE and its chapters work on the national and state levels to advance the high-quality preparation of educators, the core of this work is achieved at individual institutions and with each teacher educator; it requires an individual as well as collective commitment to quality. Your commitment is strengthened when you stay engaged and informed, and AACTE connects you with the latest research, practice, and innovation to enhance your craft. A shared commitment by individuals, institutions, and the Association is what moves our profession forward.
Tags: accreditation, Annual Meeting, assessment, diversity, membership, program improvement, workforce development
