ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers

• Call for ACTFL/NCATE Program Reviewers
• Download the 2002 Approved Standards
• New Guidelines for Preparing the Program Report
• Appendices to the Program Report
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Call for Program Reviewers
• Program Reviewer Application
• Visit the NCATE website

NEW GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING THE ACTFL/NCATE PROGRAM REPORT ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

For foreign language teacher preparation programs in the process of preparing the ACTFL/NCATE program report, new guidelines for preparing the report are now available. The guidelines reflect the new program report format recently adopted by NCATE. They offer step-by-step suggestions for how to write the report and present examples of the key assessments that are now required.

The original document that was previously available has been divided into two separate documents: the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers and guidelines for Preparing the ACTFL/NCATE Program Report. The guidelines will continue to be updated to reflect any future changes.

The National Foreign Language Standards Collaborative, in conjunction with ACTFL, designed foreign language teacher preparation program standards that were approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) on October 19, 2002. This is the first set of foreign language program standards to have been developed by the profession and approved by NCATE. Beginning in 2004, foreign language teacher preparation programs undergoing NCATE review were required to base their program report submissions on the 2002 standards.

This Web site provides access to the standards document, which includes the “Requirements for Programs of Foreign Language Teacher Preparation” and the standards, which were updated in July 2005. The site also includes instructions for “The New Guidelines for Preparing the ACTFL/NCATE Program Report,”using the new program report format developed by NCATE in 2004. A discussion of “Frequently Asked Questions” also available.

You will also find information for individuals who wish to be considered as ACTFL/NCATE program reviewers.

NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council of Higher Education as a professional accrediting body for teacher preparation. NCATE determines which colleges of education meet rigorous national standards in preparing teachers and other classroom specialists. Functioning as the profession's quality control mechanism for teacher preparation, NCATE is a coalition of 33 national education organizations, which represents teachers, teacher educators, subject matter specialists, and policymakers. ACTFL, in conjunction with the Standards Collaborative, joined NCATE as a member organization in 1998. Member organizations such as ACTFL represent millions of Americans who support rigorous, high quality teacher preparation.

NCATE-approved teacher preparation program standards in foreign languages reflect the profession’s expectations for the specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions that foreign language teachers should have as they enter our classrooms. These standards will enable the profession to monitor the quality of language teachers being certified by institutions throughout the country. Information about the process that was used to develop the foreign language teacher preparation standards is contained in the standards document itself.

For additional information about these standards or the review process, please contact Judith Shrum, ACTFL NCATE SPA Coordinator.

Further information about NCATE may be accessed at http://www.ncate.org.