PRESS RELEASE
Benedict College School of Education achieves national
accreditation
Columbia, SC –Benedict College School of Education is
celebrating a significant achievement -- reaching national
accreditation standards.
Under the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher
Education (NCATE), the organization responsible for professional
accreditation of teacher education, Benedict’s Teacher
Education Program met performance-oriented standards.
NCATE accredits over 560 institutions which produce two-thirds
of the nation’s new teacher graduates each year.
Benedict, a historically black college, like other NCATE-accredited
schools, had to meet rigorous standards set by the profession
and certain sectors of the public. Teacher candidates
must have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter they
plan to teach and the adequate skills to convey knowledge
for students to learn. Candidates must be prepared to
understand and work with diverse student populations.
Under the leadership of Dr. Janeen Witty, Dean for the
School of Education, Benedict revamped its teacher education
program to meet institutional, state, and NCATE standards.
In efforts to overhaul the program, the school realigned
its curricula, and strengthened its public school partnerships,
Dr. Witty said.
“Our goal is to prepare students to leave our institution
fully armed with the skills, knowledge, and disposition
to succeed as effective teachers with all children,”
Witty said.
In less than three years, Benedict’s Teacher Education
Program turned around the program and nearly tripled
the Praxis II pass rate, said Dr. David H. Swinton, president.
To meet the Praxis II requirements, Benedict’s faculty
actually took the exam to better prepare their students
for successfully passing, he added.
“It’s a major milestone for
this program to earn national accreditation, “ Swinton
said. “Our faculty and students worked extremely hard
over the past few years to achieve this goal.”
In addition to programmatic enhancements, Benedict’s
Teacher Education program is designed to provide a supportive
learning environment to students and graduates, Dr. Witty
said. After a student transitions into the teaching
arena, Benedict’s faculty continues to provide guidance
through its Induction Support Program, which gives added
support to new teachers.
As an example of Benedict’s commitment to producing
top-notch teachers, Denise Covert, a graduate of the
program, received the Williamsburg County School District’s
2002-03 First-Year Teacher Award. Covert, who earned
a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, is a prime
example of what Benedict is doing to prepare students
for successful teaching careers, Witty said.
“I am able as a teacher, to impact the future, by instilling
in my students a love for learning and a belief that
they can become successful, productive adults. I love
to teach as much as I love to learn,” Covert said.
For more information, you may contact Dr. Janeen Witty,
Dean of School of Education at 253-5330.
