Guide to Accreditation

1 MACTE Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education Guide to Accreditation April 2016 Revision MACTE Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education 420 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 202-7793 MACTE 420 Park Street Charlottesville, VA (434) 202-7793 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS USING MACTE S Guide TO Accreditation .. 4 SECTION A: MACTE HISTORY .. 5 About the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education .. 5 MACTE s Mission Statement .. 6 Accreditation in the United States .. 6 Benefits of MACTE Accreditation .. 7 SECTION B: OVERVIEW OF MACTE Accreditation PROCESS.

2 9 Eligibility for Initial and Renewal Accreditation .. 9 Quality Principles and Criteria .. 9 Affiliation .. 11 Accredited Course Levels .. 11 Distance Education .. 12 Overview of Costs .. 12 MACTE Resources .. 14 Confidentiality .. 15 Brief Overview of Accreditation Process .. 15 SECTION C: WRITING THE SELF-STUDY .. 17 The Self-Study Process .. 17 Self-Study Review Process .. 17 Third-Party Comments .. 18 SECTION D: SELF-STUDY QUALITY PRINCIPLES AND 19 MACTE s Quality Principles .. 19 Minimum Requirements for Each Certification Course Level .. 20 Self-Study Section 1 - Teacher Preparation Program Summary.

3 21 Self-Study Section 2 - Quality Principle I: Evidence of Candidate Learning .. 23 Self-Study Section 3 - Quality Principle II: Faculty Learning and Inquiry .. 27 Self-Study Section 4 - Quality Principle III: Program Capacity .. 33 Self-Study Section 5 - Distance Education Requirements .. 38 Self-Study Appendix A - Adult Learner Handbook(s) .. 39 Self-Study Appendix B - Affiliate Requirements .. 44 AMS Teacher Education Program Affiliation Requirements .. 44 Other Teacher Education Program Affiliation Requirements .. 46 Competencies For Montessori Teacher Candidates.

4 46 Review of the Quality Principles & Criteria .. 48 SECTION E: ON-SITE VERIFICATION VISIT .. 49 On-Site Verification Visit Overview .. 49 On-Site Verifiers .. 50 On-Site Visit Expenses .. 52 On-Site Verification Team Report .. 52 SECTION F: THE Accreditation DECISION .. 53 MACTE 420 Park Street Charlottesville, VA (434) 202-7793 3 MACTE Final Review .. 53 MACTE Board Action .. 53 Term of Accreditation .. 53 Reconsideration/Appeal .. 54 Regard for State and Other Accreditor Decisions .. 57 Maintenance of Records and Availability of Materials .. 58 SECTION G: PUBLICATION OF Accreditation STATUS.

5 59 Publication Guidelines and Requirements .. 59 Accreditation Status Definitions .. 60 SECTION H: SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES .. 66 Substantive Change List .. 66 Reporting Substantive Changes to MACTE .. 66 Change 1: Legal Name of a Program .. 66 Change 2: Mission Statement or Objectives of the Institution .. 66 Change 3: Director and/or Faculty/Staff Composition .. 67 Change 4: Time Structure or Length of an Accredited Certification Course .. 67 Change 5: Curriculum .. 67 Change 6: Legal Status, Control or Ownership of the Institution .. 68 Change 7: Relocation of Permanent Site.

6 68 Change 8: Additional Location (Additional Site/ Contract Site) .. 68 Establishment of a Branch Campus .. 71 Establishment of a Teaching Site .. 71 SECTION I: ACCREDITED PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS .. 72 Adult Learner Registration and Graduation 72 Annual Reporting .. 75 Graduation Rates .. 75 Placement Rates .. 77 MACTE Threshold Requirements .. 78 Teach-out Agreements .. 78 Complaints .. 80 SECTION J: DISTANCE EDUCATION POLICY .. 85 Definition .. 85 Review of Distance Education Certification Courses .. 85 SECTION K: FOR AFFILIATES .. 87 Affiliate Requirements.

7 87 Applying for Affiliation .. 87 Affiliate Fees .. 87 APPENDIX I: GLOSSARY .. 88 APPENDIX II: Accreditation PROCESS FOR INITIAL/RENEWAL APPLICANTS .. 92 MACTE 420 Park Street Charlottesville, VA (434) 202-7793 4 USING MACTE S Guide TO Accreditation The MACTE Guide to Accreditation ( the Guide ) is primarily for the faculty and administrators of current and prospective Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) accredited institutions/programs. It is designed for use in preparing for both initial and renewal Accreditation and as a reference for satisfying MACTE s operational requirements once a program is accredited.

8 Before starting the Accreditation process, program personnel should understand and accept each section of the Guide . The Guide is partitioned into twelve (12) sections that each focus on different stages of the Accreditation process and requirements for maintaining Accreditation . Program personnel are encouraged to closely follow the Guide as they enter into different stages of the process. The Guide will start with a brief history of MACTE and the importance of Accreditation . It will follow by a brief overview of the entire Accreditation process.

9 The Guide will then outline the Self-Study process, MACTE s Quality Principles and Criteria, and the Self-Study review process. Next, it will explain the On-Site Verification Visit and details behind the Accreditation decision. The subsequent Sections will focus on details of Accreditation status publication, filing of substantive changes, distance education policies, and accredited program requirements. A glossary is included in Appendix I for additional reference. During the writing process and preparation for Accreditation , the MACTE office is available to answer questions and support the program through the process: Dr.

10 Rebecca Pelton, President, Dr. Carolyn Pinkerton, Accreditation Specialist, Mrs. Aimee Fagan, Accreditation Specialist, Ms. Kathryn Rustin, Registrar, Mrs. Stacy Seapy, Operations Manager, Office: MACTE, 420 Park Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Inquiries should be emailed to MACTE 420 Park Street Charlottesville, VA (434) 202-7793 5 SECTION A: MACTE HISTORY About the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education The Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, Inc., (MACTE), formally the Accreditation Council for Childhood Education Specialist Schools, Inc.