Washington, D.C. - Joseph B. Morton, Alabama State Superintendent of Education, has been named as the Chair of the Executive Board of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for the 2009-2010 year.

The NCATE Executive Board chair position rotates each year among representatives of the four major groups of NCATE's more than 30 member organizations: teacher educators, teacher, state and local policymakers, and school specialists. The member groups represent millions of educators and members of the public nationwide. Morton was appointed from the state and local policymaker quadrant through his membership in the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Morton has served as State Superintendent since 2004. Prior to the appointment as State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Morton served for eight years as Deputy State Superintendent of Education. As Deputy and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Morton has guided the creation and implementation of the Alabama Reading Initiative; the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative; the Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (Distance Education) Initiative; and FIRST CHOICE (a new graduation plan for Alabama’s students). While serving as State Superintendent of Education, Alabama has shown significant academic gains in reading and math assessment scores and has been judged a national leader in training future teachers and principals. Alabama is considered a national leader in student nutrition and student exercise initiatives.

In 2008 Dr. Morton was given the "State Policymaker Award" by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).

On his appointment to chair the NCATE Executive Board, Dr. Morton said, "I look forward to working with NCATE to continue the reform of educator preparation across the nation. NCATE affects the majority of educator preparation programs in the United States, and thus, plays a lead role in shaping the reform agenda. NCATE's recent redesign initiative is receiving positive feedback from the profession and the states as NCATE seeks to focus institutions on meeting urgent P-12 needs and building the evidentiary base of the profession."

Dr. Morton has a B.S. degree from Auburn University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from The University of Alabama.