WASHINGTON – Today, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation announced that Dickinson State University and Minot State University joined 42 providers from 23 states and the District of Columbia in earning accreditation for their educator preparation programs (EPPs). These providers join 196 previously accredited providers in promoting excellence in educator preparation, bringing the total of CAEP-accredited EPPs to 238. Dickinson and Minot are the first two North Dakota EPPs to achieve CAEP Accreditation.
The CAEP Accreditation Council held its spring 2019 review last month, during which 42 providers were approved under the rigorous, nationally recognized CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards.
“Dickinson and Minot 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 providers focused on educator preparation. Approximately 800 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including some previously accredited through former standards.
“We are committed to excellence in educator preparation and Dickinson State and Minot State are the first two of our providers to achieve CAEP accreditation,” said Dr. Becky Pitkin, Executive Director of the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. “Using the CAEP standards and processes provide outside assurance that our programs are high quality and will better serve the needs of North Dakota’s unique K-12 population.”
Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on two principles:
1. Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and
2. 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, it is placed on probation for two years. Probation may be lifted in two years if a program provides evidence that it meets the standard.
“For more than 100 years DSU has been training teachers to meet the needs of our rural communities and we are thrilled to have our teacher education program recognized for excellence by CAEP," said Marie Moe, Chief Communications Officer at Dickinson State University.
“Accountability in education is essential. CAEP provides that, assuring that CAEP accredited programs provide a quality, rigorous educator preparation program,” said Deborah Second, Chair of the Department of Teacher Education. “We are thrilled to be one of the first two institutions in North Dakota to earn CAEP accreditation; having fully met all five CAEP standards with no areas for improvement.”
“Six years ago we started the work to ensure our education programs were aligned with the CAEP standards and requirements,” said Erik Kana, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Head of Minot State University's Teacher Education Unit. “Many people aided in this work, including Minot State University faculty, staff, and area P-12 school partners. We are overjoyed at the successful completion of this accreditation cycle, and we are proud of the quality accredited teacher education programs we offer. Minot State produces high-quality educators for our state and region, continuing the original mission of the institution.”
The addition of these 42 EPPs to those previously accredited brings the total number of CAEP-accredited providers to 238. These schools span across 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
American Museum of Natural History – NY
Brigham Young University – UT
Crowley’s Ridge College – AR
Dickinson State University – ND
Emporia State University – KS
Fairmont State University – WV
George Mason University – VA
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
James Madison University – VA
John Carroll University – OH
Loyola University Chicago
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minot State University – ND
Morehead State University – KY
Mount St. Joseph University – OH
New York Institute of Technology
Northeastern State University – OK
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Nova Southeastern University – FL
The Ohio State University
Purdue University Fort Wayne – IN
Shenandoah University – VA
Southeast Missouri State University
University of the District of Columbia
University of Saint Mary – KS
University of the Ozarks – AR
University of Sioux Falls – SD
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
West Virginia Wesleyan College
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.