NCATE Network To Focus on Historically Black Colleges

By Joanna Richardson

The national body that accredits schools of education is expanding its efforts to improve teacher-preparation programs at historically black colleges and universities.

About 44 percent of African-American students in undergraduate teacher training programs attend such schools, according to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

That finding, coupled with the growing gap between the percentages of black students and black teachers nationwide, spurred NCATE to help create a network to assist black institutions that prepare teachers, said Arthur E. Wise, the president of...