CQAIE

Colleges of education which declare interest in undergoing the IRTE process will be carefully reviewed to determine readiness before an external review takes place. It is anticipated that, in a global context where self-evaluation and external review are rare events, considerable consultation will be needed in most institutions interested in the IRTE process before the process can be applied in full.

? Who is eligible to serve on the Recognition Council and Board of International Reviewers of the International Recognition in Teacher Education process?

Eight persons were appointed to the Recognition Council and thirty two to the Board of International Reviewers through a selection process conducted by NCATE and the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education. As international colleges of education are recognized, it is anticipated that international appointments will be made to the Recognition Council and the Board of International Reviewers and that these appointments will be approved by the Recognition Council.

? Is it possible that the NCATE process will be effected by this double duty?

It is improbable that NCATE will experience a reduction in its BOE capacity to carry out external reviews domestically for the foreseeable future. Typically, the total number of IRTE reviews is 2 per annum. The scheduling of reviews will take place at least 6 months in advance, utilizing but 4-5 persons per each external review.

The Center for Quality Assurance in International Education , a membership organization made up predominantly of U.S. accrediting bodies, was founded in 1991. It grew out of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (the umbrella organization for U.S. accreditation) where the Center's Executive Director was Vice President, responsible at COPA for nationally recognizing the accreditors as well as overseeing the professional development and publications programs related to national procedures of accreditation. The COPA publication, Conflicts of Interest in the Accreditation Process, appears on the publications list of the Center for Quality Assurance in International Education.

Conflicts of interest can come in many forms, from previous consultative relationships with institutions to viewing the external review primarily as an occasion for a "trip" to be hosted by the evaluated institution. Neither will be tolerated in the IRTE process.

? What is the potential for the NCATE Standards to be compromised/watered down when applied in different contexts?

Standards which are outcomes (or competency) driven such as the NCATE 2007 Standards travel better across diverse contexts both within and outside of the United States. Because the members of the IRTE Recognition Council and Board of International Reviewers are trained in NCATE 2007, interpretations of standards are expected to be in keeping with this training.

In an international context, language interpretation and document translation are important issues. Each are expensive but are necessary to the proper fulfillment of the IRTE process.

NCATE is an observer in the IRTE process and, as such, is informed on all key policy activities.

? Is there the potential for Standards to be interpreted differently in different contexts?

The foundation upon which American accreditation has rested since the 1930's is that the mission/purpose of the institution/unit being evaluated is the driving factor of the evaluative process ("fitness of purpose"). Therefore, as an example, applying the diversity standard (number 4) to an Islamic all-women's institution in another country, would most probably be interpreted for the context.

? Will faculty of IRTE recognized Colleges of Education be eligible for jobs in U.S. Colleges of Education?

It is the intent of the IRTE process to make itself available to institutions around the globe which wish to meet internationally accepted/world class standards related to professional preparation. Eligibility for teacher education faculty positions in the United States is the purview of institutions of higher education and is unrelated to the IRTE process ..

? Will graduates of IRTE recognized Colleges of Education be eligible for teacher education jobs in the United States ?

It is the intent of the IRTE process to make itself available to institutions around the globe which wish to meet internationally accepted/world class standards related to professional preparation. Eligibility for teacher education jobs in the United States remains the purview of the states and local school districts, each of which must make their own determinations regarding factors associated with employment eligibility.

There are a finite number of teacher education units around the globe which would on first glance be capable of meeting the NCATE Standards for quality. An estimate of numbers of applicants and reviews would be overly speculative at this point, although it would be reasonable to expect small numbers over the first five years or so of operation.