All nominees must successfully complete an intensive week-long training session to be eligible to serve on BOE teams. Training sessions are held twice a year. The first one is almost always scheduled for the third week of July; the second one is scheduled one or two weeks before Thanksgiving. They usually begin on Sunday with an orientation for NEA and AFT members, followed by the opening dinner session for all participants. The training session is finished by noon on Friday.
After NCATE receives BOE nominations from its member organizations, NCATE sends the nominees a letter notifying them of the two training sessions and asking them to indicate the session they can attend. Details about the training session and materials that should be read before training are sent to nominees several months before the training session. BOE nominees are also asked to work through the Online BOE Training Modules prior to training.
The training is a combination of large and small group work that simulates the work of BOE teams. Trainees must attend the entire training and are expected to attend and participate in all sessions. NCATE covers all costs of training. The following is an outline of the training schedule:
Sunday
- Welcome and Introduction of Participants
- Introduction to NCATE by NCATE President, Arthur Wise
- Dinner
- Community Building
Monday
- NCATE: Performance-based Accreditation
- The Role of the BOE
- Preparing for an NCATE On-site Visit
- Conceptual Framework
- NCATE Unit Standards Pre-test
- Standard 1 -Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions and Standard 2 – Assessment Systems and Unit Evaluations
- Judging the Quality of Evidence
- Standard 3 - Field and Clinical Experiences and Standard 4 -Diversity
- Using the Planning Instrument
Tuesday
- BOE Recommendations: New Accreditation Decisions
- Standard 5 – Faculty Qualifications, Performance and Development and Resources and;
- Standard 6 – Unit Governance and Resources
- Conducting Interviews
- Code of Conduct
- Writing the BOE Report
- Reviewing Not Met Standards
- Introduction to the Simulation
- Simulation of 1st Team meeting (Using the planning instrument)
Wednesday
- On-site Simulation at a College or University
- Meeting with team/writing
Thursday
- Simulation of Wednesday Morning Team meeting
- Review of the Process
- Reception, Dinner, Celebration
Friday
- Feedback on Writing BOE Reports
- Dialogue with BOE and UAB Members
- Review of BOE Role/Code of Conduct
- Closing Remarks
Trainees are evaluated at the end of training by their peers and cadre leaders who are experienced BOE members. If it is determined, upon review of peer or trainer evaluations, that an individual is unsuitable for BOE work, NCATE will notify the individual and contact the constituent organization that nominated them. In these cases, NCATE will train a replacement from the constituent group at the next training.
To be a BOE member, individuals should have:
- demonstrated expertise in the field of professional education, teaching, research and/or evaluation;
- skill in use of evaluation techniques such as the interpretation of quantified data, use of rating scales and questionnaires, interviewing and observation techniques, and analyzing written information;
- good writing skills; the ability to convey clearly and concisely observations and judgments in writing;
- ability to make unbiased professional judgments about education units based on the application of national standards;
- good interpersonal skills: ability to interact with team members and institutional personnel in a courteous and collegial manner, ability to work toward consensus in team deliberations; and
- word processing and internet skills.
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