Section 2. Accreditation Requirements.
(1) An institution offering an educator certification program or a program leading to a rank change:
(a) Shall be accredited by the state; and
(b) May be accredited by NCATE.
(2) State accreditation shall be:
(a) A condition of offering an educator certification program or a program leading to a rank change; and
(b) Based on the national accreditation standards which include the program standards enumerated in
KRS 161.028(1)(b), and which are set out in the "Professional Standards for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation Institutions" established by NCATE. The accreditation standards shall include:
1. Standard 1 - Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions. Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers or other professional school personnel know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Assessments indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards.
2. Standard 2 - Assessment System and Unit Evaluation. The unit has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the unit and its programs.
3. Standard 3 - Field Experience and Clinical Practice. The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.
4. Standard 4 - Diversity. The unit designs, implements, and evaluates curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. These experiences include working with diverse higher education and school faculty, diverse candidates, and diverse students in P-12 schools.
5. Standard 5 - Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and Development. Faculty are qualified and model best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching, including the assessment of their own effectiveness as related to candidate performance; they also collaborate with colleagues in the disciplines and schools. The unit systematically evaluates faculty performance and facilitates professional development.
6. Standard 6 - Unit Governance and Resources. The unit has the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources including information technology resources, for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.
(3) NCATE accreditation shall not be a condition of offering an educator certification program or a program leading to a rank change.
(4) All educator preparation institutions and programs operating in Kentucky that require licensure by the Council on Postsecondary Education under KRS 164.945, 164.946,164.947, and 13 KAR 1:020 shall:
(a) Be accredited by the state through the EPSB under this administrative regulation as a condition of offering an educator certification program or a program leading to rank change; and
(b) Comply with the EPSB "Accreditation of Preparation Programs Procedure".