An analysis of issues concerning the certification of teachers and the accreditation and approval of teacher education institutions is presented. In the first part, generally accepted definitions of certification, licensure, program review, and accreditation are clarified. A brief historical overview is presented of the state's role in controlling licensure, and the growth of the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is described. Key issues regarding certification and accreditation guide the discussion of major strategies for improvement in the second part: (1) certification based on approved programs or qualifying examinations; (2) specific rules governing college programs and general certification; (3) renewal of teaching licenses; (4) incompetent teachers or low-quality programs; (5) rule-making process; (6) attraction of more academically able students; (7) social needs to recruit people from protected groups; (8) five year or longer teacher education programs; (9) teacher supply and demand; and (10) duplicate and redundant program review standards or procedures. The paper's third part offers recommendations and conclusions concerning general teacher education standards, identification of teacher competence, examination of entry-level teachers, teacher internships, certificate renewal, redundancy of NCATE and state agency program-approval, restructuring of NCATE process, and elimination of substandard teacher education programs. (JD)