Accreditation With State or Other Accrediting Bodies

Quality programs meet the 2003 NSTA Standards for program recognition. The NSTA Standards have three overriding categories: Content, Pedagogy, and Student Learning. Performance assessments include

• State Licensure Test (Standard 1a)
• Content (Standard 1a)
• Also include relevant Content Alignment form(s)
• Content Analysis Form for Secondary Programs (Word document)
• Content Analysis Form for Middle School Teachers and Elementary Science Specialists (Word document)
• Unit Plan (Standards 1a, 1b, 1c, 2c, 3b, 4b, 6, 7b, and 8)
• Address NSTA Standards science content, unifying concepts, personal and technological applications, nature of science, inquiry, issues in science, and science in the local community, state/national standards, and assessment.
• Student Teaching evaluation form (Standard 9a, b, c, and d)
• Explicitly address the unique role of safety in a science classroom
• Evidence of K–12 student learning ( Standards 1a, 2c, 3b, and 4b)
• Address science content, nature of science, inquiry, and issues in science.
• Safety
• Understanding of the professional knowledge of safety that a science teacher needs to have a safe science classroom
• Science Research
• Ability to conduct research within a science discipline
• Contextual Content
• Demonstrate the content understanding of NSTA standards 1b, 2a–b, 3a, and 4a.

Helpful Resources

• Assessment and Standards Alignment Chart (PDF)
• NSTA Standards Matrix (PDF)
• Sample data analysis and presentation for Assessment 1 (PDF)

Example Assessments

• Student Teaching Observation Form for Science – PDF | Word
• Science Addendum to General Student Teaching Observation Form – PDF | Word
  • En Español: PDF | Word
• Evidence of K–12 Student Teaching Assessment – PDF | Word
• Research in Science Assessment – PDF | Word

Other Resources

• Video Series
• Safety First! (Windows Media)
• Ideas for a safety module (Word document)

Workshops “Writing to Improve Your Program” occur twice a year, once at the NSTA national conference in the spring and at one of NSTA’s regional conferences in the fall.

• NSTA 2010, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—March 26
  • Registration form (PDF)
  • A daylong workshop to discuss the process in developing a Program Review for NSTA preservice programs. Topics include a discussion of standards and sample assessments. Program recognition is about empowering institutions to use the NSTA standards to improve their programs and develop better science teachers.
  • For information on registration, contact Michelle Butler (mbutler@nsta.org).
• Fall 2009, NSTA regional conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida—November 13
  • Registration form (PDF)
  • Details above
  • For additional workshop information contact the Program Coordinator, Erica Brownstein, at ebrownst@capital.edu.

System to Review Program Reports

Programs are reviewed by a team of two or three trained NSTA reviewers. Each consensus report is then audited by a member of the NSTA Audit Team. The NSTA Audit Team is chaired by Erica Brownstein with members Elizabeth Allan, Cathy Ezrailson, Rita Hagevik, Joseph Shane, and William Veal.

Call for Program Reviewers

The National Science Teachers Association is soliciting experienced science teachers/educators to serve as NSTA-appointed reviewers to recognize science teacher preparation programs. A workshop to train new reviewers and update training of present reviewers includes two days of training on January 16, 2010, 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, and January 17, 2010, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, at the ASTE meeting in Sacramento, California. Reviewers must agree to review programs twice a year and serve as an NSTA reviewer for a minimum of three years. Attendance both days is required.

To attend the workshop, complete the application (Word doc). Questions? Contact the Program Coordinator, Erica Brownstein at ebrownst@capital.edu or 614.236.6390.

For up-to-date information on the NCATE submission process, please visit www.ncate.org.