Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Photo courtesy of CAEP
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s (UAH) College of Education has received accreditation for its educator preparation programs. The spring 2020 review by the CAEP Accreditation Council provides nationally recognized standards developed to ensure excellence in Educator Preparation Programs (EPP).
“I am very proud of our faculty, staff and students,” says College of Education Dean Dr. Beth Quick. “We’ve set a very high bar for our teacher prep program, and CAEP Accreditation validates the tremendous achievements and accomplishments of our programs.”
CAEP is the sole accrediting body for educator preparation nationally recognized by the Council for High Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement.
“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,” explains CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”
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 720 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.
- 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.
UAH College of Education offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in educator preparation. A wide variety of licensure programs are offered, including collaborative education, early childhood education/early childhood special education, elementary education, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), music education, physical education, reading specialist, secondary education, visual arts education, visual impairments and more.
“Our students and their families are investing in an education program that prepares equipped and effective educators, as evidenced by our national accreditation,” Dr. Quick says. “This is particularly notable, given that the College of Education was founded in 2014. It acknowledges the passion, expertise and experience of a gifted and committed faculty and staff, coupled with capable and committed students.”
The UAH College of Education joins 59 other providers to receive accreditation this spring, bringing the total number to 341 CAEP-accredited providers from 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
