30 The Journal of Adventist Education • December 2010/January 2011 http://jae.adventist.org The Latest North American Division Profile Survey Results BY LARRY D. BURTON AND ELVETHA DERRICK TELEMAQUE A round the world, schools and school systems seem to galvanize the populations they serve. People tend to align with one of two camps: supporters and critics. Some proclaim the achievements of the schools, others lament their shortcomings. The same is true for Adventist insti- tutions. In such an environment, it is important for school systems to assure their constituents that they maintain reasonable standards that support excellence in education. One generally accepted standard for teacher quality in the United States and Canada is the completion of a formal teacher-education pro- gram, which qualifies the candidate for a teaching certificate. For exam- ple, research indicates that graduates from programs accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) score better on measures of teacher content knowledge than do graduates of unaccredited programs. 1 Perhaps more importantly, the students of teachers who have completed a formal teacher-certification program tend to outperform the students of instructors who are not certified, even when those uncertified teachers come from “selective” universities. Only after completing a certification program do these teachers from “selec- tive” universities begin to have the same impact on student learning as do already certified teachers. 2 Research also shows that qualification levels affect teacher commitment to the profession. Teachers who have not completed teacher-education programs are much more likely to leave the Quality and Commitment of Adventist Educators