Earlier this spring, the College of Education received notification that the teacher education programs at the University of Kentucky would continue their accreditation through the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).  Programs encompassed in the accreditation include the Family and Consumer Sciences Education program in the School of Human Environmental Sciences.

NCATE is the accrediting organization for schools, colleges, and departments of education, and functions as the teaching profession's mechanism to establish and maintain high quality teacher preparation programs.  For the public, NCATE accreditation for a program signifies that the program has undergone rigorous external review and meets standards set by the teaching field at large.  Teacher candidates graduating from NCATE-accredited institutions are recognized as better prepared for new, more demanding state licensing requirements and for board certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Upon conclusion of the site visit in November 2007, the NCATE Board of Examiners deemed the review at the University of Kentucky as "one of the best reviews NCATE has administered."  The accreditation report cited no official areas for improvement relative to any of the review standards.

The School of Human Environmental Sciences offers our congratulations to Dr. Cheryl Mimbs and Mrs. Ginny Ellington, faculty for the Family and Consumer Sciences Education program who assisted with the accreditation process and site visit.