Blackboard Integrates NCATE Teacher Preparation Standards with Blackboard Learn

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc. and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the nation's leading accrediting organization for teacher education providers, today announced that the organizations have made NCATE's standards for teacher preparation available directly in Blackboard Learn^™, the company's flagship learning management system (LMS). The integration, available now, makes Blackboard Learn the first and only major LMS to incorporate the standards.

Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education as the accrediting body for schools, colleges and departments of education, NCATE sets rigorous national standards for preparing teachers and other school professionals for the classroom.

With the integration, Blackboard is making it easier for instructors in teacher preparation programs to link their courses and content to the skills and knowledge included in the NCATE standards. The integration also lets program administrators more efficiently create and measure curriculum alignment to standards, streamlining the process of achieving and maintaining accreditation which can typically be very lengthy and labor-intensive.

"We are delighted to work with Blackboard to help our members readily access and measure standards directly within their online learning environment," said James G. Cibulka, president of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. "Through this partnership, the standards measurement process is made easier so they may focus on meeting standards and helping students succeed."

NCATE currently accredits over 750 colleges of education with many more seeking NCATE accreditation. The effort is part of Blackboard's continued focus on enhancing the capabilities of its learning platform to help its clients and users drive educational effectiveness and outcomes.

"NCATE's vision for teacher preparation is critical to the work happening in teacher preparation programs," said Jessica Finnefrock, senior vice president of product development and product strategy for Blackboard Learn. "We're excited to work with NCATE to leverage our platform to help institutions build and measure programs in line with the high standards set by NCATE."

The NCATE standards integration is available to institutions using Blackboard Learn 9.1 Service Pack 8 and higher. System administrators can download and install the data file from the client support site Behind the Blackboard to add instant access for instructors and administrators.

For more information about Blackboard Learn, please visit http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Overview.aspx. For more information about NCATE, please visit www.ncate.org.

About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

About NCATE
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) was founded in 1954 to accredit teacher certification programs at U.S. colleges and universities. NCATE is a council of educators created to ensure and raise the quality of preparation for their profession. NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accrediting institution.

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially as a result of various important factors. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

SOURCE Blackboard Inc.; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education