Accreditation and the Professionalization of Teaching

Abstract

For several years the National Commis sion on Teacher Education and Profes sional Standards, in cooperation with several other interested organizations, has been studying the problem of developing a national professional accrediting pro cedure for teacher education which will have the united support of the teaching profession. Other major professions in American life have established such pro cedures, some of them dating back to the early years of this century. The 1950 National Conference of the Commission at Indiana University was devoted en tirely to this problem, as was a portion of the 1951 National Conference at Palo Alto. The Indiana Conference recom mended that a national council be estab lished and asked the Commission to take the lead in calling an exploratory meet ing for that purpose. The meetings re sulted in a proposal to establish a Na tional Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. This proposal is now being studied by members of the con stituent groups. Mr. Stinnett, Executive Secretary of the National Commission, presented much pertinent background material in an address to a general ses sion of the Palo Alto Conference, June 28, 1951. This article is an abstract of that address. It admirably provides a framework for consideration, by members of the profession everywhere, of this chal lenge to unify professional effort.