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Accreditation Process for Utah In 1999, NCATE's State Partnership Board entered into a partnership with the Utah Department of Education for the purpose of conducting joint accreditation visits. NCATE/State visits will be conducted using Separate Teams/ Concurrent teams to conduct state program approval and national unit accreditation. The state partnership will be renewed in 2004. The following conditions are in effect as of 2000.    NCATE Requirements  State Requirements  Dates of Visit: Semesters and Years are negotiated with the state to move NCATE-accredited institutions into the same five-year cycle with the scheduled state visits.  Visits are scheduled from Sunday afternoon through Wednesday noon.  Semesters and years are negotiated with the state to move NCATE-accredited institutions into the same five-year cycle with the scheduled state visits. Timelines: NCATE's timelines by Semester/year are sent to institutions three years prior to the scheduled visit. One year prior to the visit Preconditions: The institution responds to Preconditions #1-7 and 9-10. One copy of these preconditions is sent to the NCATE office. The institution prepares a Self Study in which the content-area standards are addressed  Program Reviews (Optional):  NCATE coordinates program reviews by national specialty organizations. An institution may choose to seek a review by the national associations. For any program for which this review is requested, five copies of program standards must be submitted to NCATE with the required preconditions package. The state team as concurrent visit will review the program areas of the institution in order to document that the program standards are compatible with curriculum guidelines set by NCATE's constituent specialized professional associations.  In lieu of state program review institutions may contact the state about submitting program review materials for review by NCATE's national specialized professional associations. The state would defer to the decisions made by NCATE's program reviewers. OR the state would use the NCATE reviews to inform its own state decision at the onsite review.  Top   NCATE Requirements  State Requirements  Preconditions Report:  The "Preconditions Report" is mailed to both the institution and the Utah Department of Education. The Self Study addresses the curriculum areas. Standards:  NCATE standards apply to the professional education unit. The Utah State Board of Education approved the NCATE standards. Preconditions Report:  The "Preconditions Report" is mailed to both the institution and the Utah Department of Education. The Self Study addresses the curriculum areas. Institutional Report:  The institution responds to Sections 1, 2, and 5 of the required institutional report as outlined in the Handbook of Institutional Visits. Section 3 on program descriptions is prepared according to the guidelines of the state. The institution sends a copy of the institutional report to each NCATE/state team member and two copies to NCATE. The Utah State Board of Education will accept the institutional report of the NCATE/state team. Top   NCATE Requirements  State Requirements  Pre-visit:  The NCATE chair meets with the state assistant chair, personnel from the Department of Education, and the institution's unit head and/or designee to make plans for the visit. This pre-visit occurs at the institution to be visited within sixty days of the visit. The assignment chair of the state team will represent the Utah State Office of Education during the pre-visit to the institution and the state observer to the NCATE team may be present. Team Members:  A Board of Examiners (BOE)team is selected from NCATE's Board of Examiners. The BOE on-site team determines whether the unit standards have been met. The chair of the state team will select the state team members. Reference:Procedures for the Evaluation of Teacher Education Programs. Team Size:  Initial/Probation: An institution is assigned a five-member team if it has no program beyond the master's; six-member teams are selected for an institution with postmaster's programs.  For continuing accreditation visits, the size of teams will be three or four members. The state team will include individual team members who will review the approved content programs at the institution (number will vary with institution).   NCATE Requirements  State Requirements  Team Chairs:  An NCATE BOE team member is appointed chair. The chair has overall responsibility for the joint visit. The state Office will appoint the chair of the state team. Team Decisions:  The BOE on-site team members vote on whether NCATE unit standards are met. The state team will vote on whether curriculum guidelines set by NCATE's constituent specialized professional associations are met. Team Expenses:  The institution covers all travel and maintenance expenses for the five or six member BOE team and the team's pre-visit The state will cover all travel and maintenance expenses for the state team, excluding the opening meeting, which includes a meal. Top     NCATE Requirements  State Requirements  Team Training:  BOE team members undergo a week-long training session. State team members will undergo a training session of several hours. Team Observers:  NCATE invites the state affiliates of the NEA and AFT to appoint observers for the on-site visit. All expenses for these observers are covered by the respective agencies. The state will not appoint observers for the on-site visit. On-site Visit:  The NCATE template for on-site visits is used.  The chair conducts a planning meeting with the two assistant chairs and the state observer prior to the Sunday team meeting. The assistant chair for the NCATE completes the assistant chair's checklist and returns it to NCATE.  An exit interview is held following NCATE's guidelines. An exit conference is conducted by the NCATE chair, the representative from the state department of education, and the institution's unit head.  The state template for on-site visits will be used (See Procedures).  The state chair will conduct several planning meetings during the year prior to the on-site visit.  An exit interview will be held following NCATE's guidelines. Both the state team chair and state NCATE team observer will be present. Top     NCATE Requirements  State Requirements  BOE Team Report:  The BOE team report includes the joint team's response to the 18 unit standards at both the basic and advanced levels as appropriate and the team's recommendations regarding state approval.  The BOE team chair mails ten copies of the report to the NCATE office and a copy to each member of the NCATE team.  NCATE mails two copies of the report to the institution and two copies to the state department of education.  The state team report will be prepared by the state team chair and will include the curriculum standards evaluation. The state team chair will be in contact with the BOE team chair. The state report will be presented to the Utah State Board of Education and copies will be mailed as outlined in NCATE procedures. Institutional Rejoinder:  NCATE Requirements The institution submits to NCATE six copies of its rejoinder to the BOE report on unit standards within thirty days after receipt of the BOE Report.  The institution submits two copies of its rejoinder to the BOE report to the state department of education. State Requirements The institution will submit to the state its response to the report within thirty days after receipt of the state report. Final Action Report:  Within a month after NCATE's Unit Accreditation Board takes action on the accreditation of the institution, NCATE sends the chief executive officer and head of the professional education unit a letter that indicates the official action. This action letter also lists standards not met and all weaknesses that must be addressed annually by the institution in its report to NCATE.  One copy of the action report is mailed to the state department of education. Same procedure for the state report. Top

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