Chapter 16 Transformation from Tension to Triumph: Three Perspectives on the NCATE Process

Abstract

Miami University is a mid-sized public institution in southwest Ohio. Regarded as a “public ivy,” Miami has always prided itself on its high quality, liberal arts-focused, undergraduate programs. Teacher Education has been an important part of that focus for over 100 years. Accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954, Miami graduates approximately 600 educators each year across 35 programs at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. This chapter represents the combined stories of three individuals who were heavily engaged in Miami's 2009 NCATE accreditation process: Teresa McGowan, the unit's NCATE coordinator; Ellen Hill, the unit's Director of Clinical Experiences; and James Shiveley, the chair of the Department of Teacher Education. We each provide a brief contextual backdrop for our NCATE experience, explain the primary challenges we faced as we prepared for the NCATE accreditation review and how we worked to overcome these, and describe our perspective of the weeks leading up to and including the final Board of Examiners (BOE) visit. Many more people were, of course, essential in the preparation for Miami's NCATE visit, and we do not imply that our views or contributions were in any way more critical than others. This chapter is simply our story.

Citation

Shiveley, J.M., McGowan, T. and Hill, E. (2010), "Chapter 16 Transformation from Tension to Triumph: Three Perspectives on the NCATE Process", Erickson, L.B. and Wentworth, N. (Ed.) Tensions in Teacher Preparation: Accountability, Assessment, and Accreditation (Advances in Research on Teaching, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 271-291. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3687(2010)0000012019