Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2007

	THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234
TO:
FROM:		Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:		Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education Recommendation of Accreditation Action: Marymount Manhattan College
DATE:		November 16, 2007
STRATEGIC GOAL:		Goals 1, 2, and 3
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision

 

Marymount Manhattan College has applied for Regents accreditation of its teacher education programs.  Should the Board of Regents accredit these programs?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

Required by State regulation.

             

Proposed Handling

 

The question will come before the Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee at its December 2007 meeting, where it will be voted on and action taken.  It will then come before the full Board at its December 2007 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

The Board of Regents adopted a new teaching policy, "Teaching to Higher Standards:  New York's Commitment," in 1998.  As a result of that policy, in 1999 the Board adopted section 52.21(b)(2)(iv)(c)(1) of the Commissioner’s Regulations, which requires New York State teacher education programs to become accredited by an acceptable accrediting organization.

 

 

 

 

Background Information

 

Marymount Manhattan College has applied for accreditation of its teacher education programs by Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE).  The Summary of the Application for Accreditation, available in the Regents office, lists the registered programs leading to certification offered by Marymount Manhattan College.

 

Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, independent, liberal arts college located on East 71st Street in the upper east side of Manhattan. The College describes itself as a “vertical campus” – occupying adjoining buildings consisting of two former townhouses and the first eight floors of a 30-story residential building.  It shares with Barnard and St. Francis Colleges the distinction of being one of three urban liberal arts colleges in New York City. The College was originally established by the religious Order of the Sacred Heart as the city campus of Marymount College. In 1961 the College was independently chartered by the Board of Regents and separately incorporated as Marymount Manhattan College. In 1970, the College became coeducational.

 

              The teacher preparation program courses are offered through the Education Department, which is one of the departments in the Division of Social Sciences.  All teacher education candidates are also liberal arts and sciences majors and, therefore, their liberal arts courses are offered in four of the five academic divisions of the College - Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences and Fine and Performing Arts. 

 

Accreditation Review Process

 

              The RATE review process at Marymount Manhattan College consisted of the following steps:

 

• College prepared its Self Study;

 

• RATE team conducted the site visit;

 

• College responded to the site visit team's report;

 

• The Higher Education Subcommittee of the State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching (PSPB) reviewed the site visit team report, the College's response, and the Department's preliminary recommendation; and

 

• The Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education reviewed all materials provided to the PSPB, as well as additional information the College submitted to respond to the PSPB's concerns.

 

The RATE team visited the College from November 12-15, 2006, as part of the accreditation review process.  The team reviewed documents; visited classrooms; inspected facilities and resources; and interviewed administrators, department chairs and faculty, candidates and graduates, principals, and cooperating teachers.  The team identified 20 areas for improvement across the following RATE standards:  Commitment and Vision; Program Registration; Teaching Effectiveness of Graduates; Assessment of Candidate Achievement; Advertising; and Candidate Complaints. 

 

The College's response is summarized in the Summary of the Application for Accreditation.  The PSPB reviewed all materials and, on September 27, 2007, voted to accredit for seven years the teacher education programs offered by Marymount Manhattan College, with the following condition: Submission of a comprehensive report within three years to document evidence of 1) identification of education program goals; 2) assessment of how well program goals are met; and 3) assessment of graduate effectiveness.           

 

Recommendation: 

 

It is recommended that the Board of Regents accredit for seven years the teacher education programs offered by Marymount Manhattan College, as listed in the Summary of the Application for Accreditation, with the following condition: Submission of a comprehensive report within three years to document evidence of 1) identification of education program goals; 2) assessment of how well program goals are met; and 3) assessment of graduate effectiveness.           

 

Accreditation will be effective December 14, 2007, for a period beginning immediately and ending on December 13, 2014.