Accreditation With NCATE: NSTA Program Recognition
NSTA recognition requires that programs meet the 2003 NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation. Eight performance-based assessments fall under three categories: Content, Pedagogy and Student Learning. The first five assessments are common to all of the Specialty Professional Organizations (such as elementary, mathematics, social studies, etc.). For NSTA, all assessments must specifically address science. These are
- Assessment 1: State Licensure Test (Standard 1a)
- Assessment 2: Content (Standard 1a)
- Also include relevant Content Alignment form(s)
- Assessment 3: 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.
- Assessment 4: Student Teaching evaluation form (Standard 9a, b, c, and d)
- Explicitly address the unique role of safety in a science classroom
- Assessment 5: Evidence of K–12 student learning ( Standards 1a, 2c, 3b, and 4b)
- Address science content, nature of science, inquiry, and issues in science.
Assessments 6, 7, and 8 are unique. The science specific requirements are
- Assessment 6: Safety
- Understanding of the professional knowledge of safety that a science teacher needs to have a safe science classroom
- Assessment 7: Science Research
- Ability to conduct research within a science discipline
- Assessment 8: Contextual Content
- Demonstrate the content understanding of NSTA standards 1b, 2a–b, 3a, and 4a.
Helpful Resources
Example Assessments
- Assessment 4: Student Teaching Assessment – PDF | Word
- Assessment 4: Science Addendum to Unit Student Teaching Assessment – PDF | Word
- Assessment 5: Evidence of K–12 Student Teaching Assessment – PDF | Word
- Assessment 7: Research in Science Assessment – PDF | Word
Other Resources
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 2009, New Orleans, Louisiana—March 20
- Registration here (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 Alex Early (aearly@nsta.org).
- Fall 2008, NSTA regional conference in Portland, Oregon
System to Review Program Reports
Programs are reviewed by a team of 2 or 3 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, Dewey Dykstra, Rita Hagevik, and William Veal.
Call for Program Reviewers
A workshop to train new reviewers and update training of present reviewers will be held on January 7, 2009, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM before the ASTE meeting in Hartford, Connecticut. Reviewers must agree to review programs twice a year and serve as an NSTA reviewer for three years.
To attend the workshop, complete the application (PDF). For 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.