NCATE’s standards for teacher training programs have been a national standard for the last 25 or so years. Despite their widespread adoption by states, legislators and state agencies have very little understanding of what those standards mean with respect to the training given teachers. For example, in their 2000 incarnation, NCATE’s standards required teacher training programs to adopt a “global and multicultural perspective” and a dedication to “equity, diversity, and social justice.” See Capturing the Vision: Reflections on NCATE’s Redesign Five Years After by H.D. Gideonese, E.R. Ducharme, M.K. Ducharme, D. Gollnick, M.S. Lilly, E.L Shelke, and P. Smith, (Washington, DC: American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, 1993).
Improved student achievement as measured by state accountability systems are not mentioned. Since the time of this article, NCATE has undergone a number of transformations, but its underlying commitment to social reform first has remained constant.