In the past, the accreditation process put a premium on compliance and included some reporting requirements that did not necessarily lead programs toward excellence or increase teacher candidates' impact on schools and learning. The accreditation process enabled institutions to think they were "done" once they earned accredited status, and did not do enough to encourage programs to tackle complex challenges confronting P-12 schools. Though teacher education programs have focused on measuring teacher and program performance in recent years, some research institutions that prepare teachers have not put their research capacity to use to further development of evidence-based practice in teaching and learning in schools or teacher preparation. Beginning this year, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is implementing a new approach to ensuring quality in programs that prepare the majority of the teachers, school leaders, and education specialists in the United States. The redesigned accreditation process is designed to help educator preparation programs attain excellence and meet urgent national needs. This article cites examples of what some institutions are doing that meet new expectations and identifies the values upon which the redesign has been built. They can serve as models for other institutions.