The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced today that Friends University’s Teacher Education program is one of 43 providers from 22 states and the District of Columbia to receive accreditation for their educator preparation programs.
The fall 2017 review by the CAEP Accreditation Council increased to 101 the total number of providers approved under the CAEP teacher preparation standards—rigorous, nationally recognized standards that were developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs.
“These institutions meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” said CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”
CAEP is the sole nationally recognized accrediting body for educator preparation. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. It is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused on educator preparation. Currently, more than 800 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including many previously accredited through former standards.
Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on two principles:
- Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and
- Solid evidence that the provider’s educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.
If a program fails to meet one of the five standards or required components under the standards, it is placed on probation for two years. Probation may be lifted in less than two years if a program provides evidence that it meets the standard. Providers, seeking first time accreditation, that do not meet one or more of the standards are denied accreditation.
“Our students and instructors should be very proud of the work they are doing. We’ve set a very high bar for our teacher prep program and CAEP Accreditation validates this,” said Jan Wilson, chair of education and professor of education. “Our students and their families are investing in an education program that is designated as nationally accredited for teacher preparation and has been accredited since 1954.”
Wilson noted that CAEP accreditation is replacing the University’s previous accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Friends University Division of Education has sustained NCATE approval since NCATE was formed in 1954.
Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage, equips students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (www.CAEPnet.org) advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.