Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation is a national accreditation agency which accredits Educator Preparation Programs. For more information on CAEP, read the blog.

TCM Staff

24th August 2020

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation or the CAEP is a national accrediting agency whose task is to promote excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement.

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Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

On Friday, October 22, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Boards of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) voted unanimously to consolidate educator accreditation under a new Council, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

The prime goal of CEAP is to uplift the performance of candidates as practitioners in the nation’s P-12 schools and to increase the standards of teaching. CAEP was granted recognition by CHEA in 2014. 

Educator Preparationsource - stock.adobe


Eligibility Requirements for CAEP Accreditation

The programs need to meet a certain benchmark and provide proficient education in Educator Preparation programs. The eligibility requirements for CAEP accreditation are given. 

  • The program must have a central mission and ample resources to achieve the same.

  • The program must offer a graduate degree in Educator Preparation and the quality of education must be following the standards.

  • The faculties should know the subjects and should be able to train students to become professionals and efficient educators. 

  • The unit must exhibit honesty and integrity throughout the accreditation process.

  • Accurate and complete information regarding the program and institution should be provided in the self-study. 


Process for CAEP Accreditation

CAEP follows a rigorous procedure to grant accreditation status to programs preparing teachers and other educators. The process for CAEP accreditation is given.

  • All providers who are seeking CAEP accreditation have to submit program review which is used to examine the content and efficacy of preparation in different fields for teachers, school leaders, school psychologists, reading specialists, librarians, and other school professionals.

  • The self-study process takes place where the provider gathers evidence for quality assurance. Providers gather and organize evidence so that they can indicate that their educator preparation programs meet CAEP standards.

  • After the submission of the self-study report, CAEP assigns a Visitor Team of experienced reviewers to do a formative off-site review in which they understand the quality of evidence that providers have used to make their case for meeting standards and determine the focus of the site visit.

  • Once the formative review is done, the decision team schedules a 3-day on-site visit to review evidence, verify data, and examine pedagogical artifacts.

  • The team prepares a site visit evaluation report and submits it to the decision body and the program for feedback.

  • The providers have to submit an annual report to the council which demonstrates an impact around student learning, teacher effectiveness,  and specific outcomes and consumer information, such as graduation, licensure, employment, and student loan default rates. 

  • The Council reviews the program against established standards and decides accreditation status. 

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparationsource - twitter.com


Decision-making bodies of CAEP

The Accreditation Council is responsible for granting accreditation status to Educator Preparation Programs. The Council appoints volunteers to serve various purposes during the accreditation process.

The Council receives recommendations from the Committees. The Committees offer assistance for the smooth implementation of the accreditation process. 

Standing Committees include experts in the field and permanent members of the Board who play a vital role in keeping up with the mission and vision of the Commission. 

Advisory Committees, on the other hand, have charges which are approved by Board on an annual basis, and their membership status is determined based on the Committee charge. 


Strategic Goals Of CAEP

CAEP aims to raise successful educators and pushes the Educator Preparation programs to self-evaluate and enhance educational quality.

The strategic goals of CAEP are given. 

  • Continuous Improvement - Educator Preparation Programs must continuously monitor, evaluate, and improve their programs to attain compliance with the minimum standards established by CAEP. 

  • Quality Assurance - The accreditation process followed by CAEP must be transparent, consistent, and data-driven. 

  • Credibility -The Commission should be respected as an authorizing body for providing accreditation of Educator Preparation Programs.

  • Equity - Evaluation of the programs must be guided by principles of equity and diversity. 

  • Strong Foundation - Continuous assessment and advancement of the standards, policies, and procedures to achieve accountability and excellence in quality. 


Universities accredited by CAEP

The Commission, through the process of accreditation, assures that the educational quality of Educator Preparation Programs meets the benchmark and comprehensive standards. 

Here is a list of a few universities that are accredited by CAEP. 

List of Universities accredited by CAEP

University of Colorado

Auburn University

Capella University

Aurora University

Eastern Michigan University

Syracuse University

 

Educator Preparation Programsource - stock.adobe


Conclusion

The Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is a national accrediting agency that accredits programs in Educator Preparation for the welfare of student learning. 

The mission of CAEP is to achieve excellence in educator preparation accreditation and support continuous improvement in the quality of programs and student learning. 

It continuously strives to advance the standards and achieve the goals to increase the educational quality of these programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • 1.What is CAEP?

    The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation or the CAEP provides accreditation for Educator preparation programs through a rigorous evaluation of the course and institution.  

  • 2.What is the mission of CAEP?

    The mission of CAEP is to achieve outstanding excellence in accreditation of Educator Preparation programs.

  • 3.How does an EPP change pathways for accreditation (i.e. from Continuous Improvement to Transformation Initiative)?

    In case you decide to change pathways for accreditation, do inform the CAEP staff as soon as possible. The staff should be informed one year prior to the next site visit. 

  • 4.If we are currently accredited by NCATE/TEAC, should we advertise ourselves as NCATE/TEAC accredited or CAEP accredited?

    The accreditation you must identify yourselves with depends on the standards that were used for the site visit. If CAEP standards were used for site assessment, then only you can identify your program with CAEP accreditation. 

  • 5.Can a Continuous Improvement Plan be submitted prior to the submission of the self-study?

    No, the Continuous Improvement Plan has to be submitted along with the self-study at the beginning of the accreditation review process.

  • 6.What is the CAEP Accreditation review process?

    The Accreditation process begins with the submission of the self-study. The self-study report is reviewed and a site visit is scheduled depending on the evaluation of the self-study. After the site visit, a site visit report is prepared by the team and sent to the site for feedback. The Council reviews the program thoroughly to ensure that it is in compliance with the required standards. 

  • 7.What is the fee to apply to CAEP?

    There is no fee associated with submitting the application and documents. The program is required to pay the annual dues in the beginning if the year of EPP's application to CAEP.

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