Accreditation is an external review process by which experts authorize or give credentials that indicate standards and expectations have been met by academic programs or institutions.
NCATE's accreditation standards focus on candidate performance. In fact, NCATE is one of the first accrediting organizations to use candidate performance as an integral part of its accreditation system. Other accreditation agencies have consulted with NCATE on incorporating performance outcomes into their own systems.
NCATE institutions are expected to use multiple sources of performance-oriented data, including actual candidate performance in the classroom, before the completion of the program and/or recommendation for licensure. NCATE wants to know-What does the teacher candidate know, and how well can he or she apply that knowledge to teach all of the students in the classroom?
