BU Response to NCTQ

Baylor NCTQ Institutional Response Statement

November 24, 2009

Consistent with Baylor University's record of embracing accountability and peer review, in October 2009 a 7-member team of examiners from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) conducted on-site review of Baylor teacher education: (a) reviewing assessments/data, curricula and other documentation and (b) interviewing faculty, candidates, graduates and graduates' employers. Upon exit, the team reported Baylor had met all national accreditation standards (and indicators), commending Baylor especially for the internship character of programs.

Like other Texas Association of Colleges for Teacher Education institutions, Baylor also undergoes periodic accreditation by Texas's State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). Indeed, SBEC expressed surprise that NCTQ did not contact them, since they are willing to share accreditation measures and copies of statute/rule that make compliance with NCTQ criteria unattainable.

While Baylor is pleased to share documentation/data collected for such accrediting bodies, we believe, given the nature of NCTQ criteria, these will not materially affect NCTQ ratings. We further believe the methodology employed by NCTQ is lacking and fails to meet federal guidelines for research (with human subjects) and assert that NCTQ ratings contradict reviews and commendations by both NCATE and the state. Baylor University therefore chooses not to participate in this study and thanks NCTQ for this opportunity for input.