NCATE and Professional Accreditation

Siena College Education Department is fully accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation for Teacher Education. NCATE is the teaching profession’s organization to help establish high quality teacher, specialist and administrator preparation. NCATE is recognized by the U. S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as an independent body responsible for accreditation in teacher preparation and education. It is a non-profit accrediting body that accredits schools, colleges, and departments of education in U.S. colleges and universities, as well as non-university entities that prepare educators for P-12 schools. Siena College has held NCATE accreditation since 2005.

Siena Education Department is also registered with and accredited by the

New York State Education Department (NYSED). All Siena’s initial teacher preparation and certification programs lead to teacher licensure in New York State with certification in grades 7-12 and/or grades 5-6.

Professional Association Accreditation and Nationally Recognized Programs

Our individual programs are also nationally recognized by the program specialty or subject-specific associations that guide different fields within education. The following professional associations have reviewed our programs, assessments and student outcomes, and conferring national recognition on the education our graduates receive. A decision of national recognition indicates that a program, initial or advanced, has met professional standards and will continue the designation through the next review, five to seven years.

Nationally recognized programs at Siena College meet standards established by NCATE and a specialized professional association (SPA) that is a member organization of NCATE. The following professional education programs are offered that lead to the baccalaureate degree and/or initial certification:

The mathematics education program is fully accredited by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

The English/Language Arts education program is nationally recognized and fully accredited by the National Council of Teachers of English.

The Science teacher education programs in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics have been fully recognized and accredited by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).

The Modern Languages and Education Department’s French and Spanish Education programs are accredited and fully recognized by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

The Social Studies’ History and American Studies teacher preparation programs are nationally recognized with conditions by NCATE and the National Council for the Social Studies. A program report was submitted mid-March, 2013 and accreditation results will be available in August.

The School of Business and Education Department’s Business Education program in Business & Marketing and Business & Finance are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. We are the only AACSB accredited business program in a Franciscan college in the United States.