The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has announced that the Marshall University College of Education and Professional Development is one of 42 providers from 23 states and the District of Columbia to receive accreditation for their educator preparation programs. The spring 2019 review by the CAEP Accreditation Council resulted in 42 accredited programs, bringing the total to 238 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.”
“Marshall’s teacher preparation programs have been accredited for a number of years, previously through NCATE,” said Dr. Teresa Eagle, dean of Marshall’s college.
“We are pleased that the hard work of our faculty and staff in preparing for this accreditation has been recognized,” Eagle said. “It has given us a chance to renew our commitment to the students at Marshall who are pursuing education as a career, as well as the greater university community.”
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. Approximately, 800 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including some 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.
The educator preparations programs at Marshall are fully accredited through 2026, at which time the programs will be re-evaluated.