The goal of the Teacher Education Department is to prepare reflective teachers who possess the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effectively teaching students in a diverse and global society.

The Department of Teacher Education at Catawba College is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), www.ncate.org. This accreditation covers the initial licensure and M.Ed. in Elementary Education programs at Catawba College. However, the accreditation does not include individual education courses that the institution offers to P-12 educators for professional development, relicensure, or other purposes.

Catawba's Teacher Education program has a rich tradition of turning out excellent teachers dating back to 1925. Since 2004, graduates of the program have enjoyed a 100 percent pass rate on Praxis II and have had great success in landing teaching jobs immediately after graduation.

Catawba College is now accepting three semester hours of graduate credit for National Board Certification. The policy for accepting these credits is given below.

Policy Regarding the Acceptance of National Board Certification for Graduate Credit

A graduate student entering in the fall of 2010 who has successfully completed all requirements of the National Board Certification process as an Early Childhood Generalist or Middle Childhood Generalist may receive three semester hours of graduate credit. These hours will be transfer credit substituted for an elective.

To receive graduate credit for National Board Certification, the graduate student must provide a copy of the dated "letter to the Candidate" sent by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) informing the candidate that he/she has met the standard for National Board Certification.

No graduate credit will be given for the completion of any part of the National Board process without certification. Catawba College will grant graduate credit for National Board Certification awarded within the five years preceding the graduate program, and that certification must be retained through completion of the master's program.