Special education program earns national accreditation
Released: March 14, 2008
Students interested in the field of special education have another reason to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has awarded UW-Whitewater's special education program with its prestigious accreditation. That makes UW-Whitewater's program the only special education program in the state to be nationally recognized by the NCATE and the Council for Exceptional Children.
To achieve NCATE accreditation, programs must offer intellectually rigorous programs that are relevant to today's classroom needs. NCATE emphasizes content knowledge, professional knowledge and practice in the classroom. To receive accreditation, UW-Whitewater's special education program underwent extensive external evaluation by special education professionals. The department submitted four independent reports for each licensure program.
"We had to demonstrate that our program meets national knowledge and skill standards for special education that exceeds what the state of Wisconsin requires," said Diana Rogers-Adkinson, chair of the special education department. "This recognition speaks to the quality and high standards our program maintains."
Graduating from an institution with NCATE accreditation puts students ahead. The NCATE standards provide better preparation for new, more demanding initial licensing expectations and board certification.
"Receiving this accreditation means that students can feel confident that if they choose UW-Whitewater, they are attending one of the best licensure programs in the country," Rogers-Adkinson said.
For more information on NCATE's accreditation standards and requirements, visit www.ncate.org. For more information about UW-Whitewater's special education program, contact Rogers-Adkinson at 262-472-4847.
- Katie Rankin,rankinkd12@uww.edu
