Mississippi State University’s College of Education will continue its professional programs after receiving a note of approval last week from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Established in 1909 as the School of Industrial Pedagogy, MSU’s College of Education is the third oldest major academic unit in service, ranking only under the schools of agriculture and engineering. The department enrolls the second largest number of majors and has the largest number of living alumni, with about 20,000.
In the United States, 540 institutions today hold certification from the NCATE. Two-thirds of the teachers in America receive their degree is from institutions holding this certification.
Arthur Wise, NCATE president, recently notified MSU officials that the organization’s rigorous standards of certification for preparing future K-12 instructors had once again been met.
“The goal of accreditation is to ensure that the standards reflect a consensus about what is important in teacher education today,” Wise said.
Under NCATE’s performance-based accreditation system, the school must meet each of six standards in order to be accredited. MSU’s College of Education met all of the standards for accreditation, which means that the next evaluation will take place in five years.
Dean of the MSU College of Education, Roy H. Ruby served on an interim basis for over a year before taking the permanent title.
“We are most gratified and happy to continue an accreditation that first was awarded back in 1973,” Ruby said. “This latest achievement is a result of the long-term and focused efforts of our college administrators, faculty, staff and students.”
Since May, Ruby has served double duty as dean and vice president of student affairs.
“Roy Ruby has a deep understanding of Mississippi State’s leadership role in preparing the teachers and other school personnel for this state. His commitment to quality and productivity in the College of Education has been evident during the past year,” said longtime colleague, Interim Provost George Verrall.
The departments of MSU’s College of Education include counselor education, educational psychology and special education; curriculum and instruction; health, physical education, recreation and sport; music education; and instructional systems, leadership and workforce development.