WASHINGTON - The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation announced that the American Museum of Natural History, New York Institute of Technology, Nyack College, and Queens College joined 41 providers from 23 states and the District of Columbia in earning accreditation for their educator preparation programs (EPPs). These four EPPs join 13 other New York EPPs in attaining this achievement of national excellence in educator preparation, bringing the total number of CAEP-accredited EPPs in the U.S. to 238.

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.

"The American Museum of Natural History, New York Institute of Technology, Nyack College, and Queens College are each committed to 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 and shows a commitment to excellence and improving outcomes for K-12 students in New York."

CAEP is the sole nationally-recognized accrediting body for educator preparation by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. 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.

"Earning CAEP accreditation reflects [the New York Institute of Technology's] commitment to maintain the highest level of professional standards for its academic programs,” said Daniel Quigley, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the New York Institute of Technology. “NYIT has greatly benefitted from this accreditation process, using it as a welcome guide to assure excellence in how we are preparing the next generation of educators."

"It would be easy to say that this achievement is a welcome result for the past few years of diligent work, but the truth is that it represents the culmination of decades of meaningful collaboration and investment. The school of education community embraces the ‘continuous improvement’ heart of CAEP and has been steadily ratcheting up its systems and strategies from its inception until now,” said Kristen Luba, Director of Assessment and School of Education Accreditation Coordinator at Nyack College.

Queens College initially made accreditation history in 2013, when it became the first EPP to be accredited by the newly formed Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation; so earning CAEP Accreditation once again this spring particularly, as the college that graduates the most teachers, counselors, and principals serving in New York City public schools—is of special significance to the school, our EPP, and our P-12 partners from the NYC DOE. We welcome the constructive feedback in our ongoing process of self-examination and continuous improvement,” said Elizabeth Hendrey, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Queens College.

The Museum's Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in Earth science is extremely pleased with the CAEP Accreditation,” said Lisa Gugenheim, Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Strategic Planning, and Education at the American Museum of Natural History. “It validates the collaborative nature of the museum’s science and education departments to address urban instructional needs through pedagogical, and research-based practices with a focus on equity and scholarship. More importantly, the CAEP process promoted self-reflection and recognized the multiple steps taken by its designers in the following processes: identifying the most valuable resources and expertise needed for designing a residency teacher education program, introducing new approaches such as co-teaching between scientists and educators, creating strong collaborative partnership agreements with the residency schools, securing employment in high need schools for all its graduates, and institutionalizing a two-year induction model. This accreditation validates the work of the first freestanding museum-based master’s degree program to prepare science teachers in the United States. It’s also a strong affirmation of the museum’s scientific and educational leadership. Our instructors and all 94 MAT graduates who are teaching 9,000 students in New York State schools, are very proud.

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.

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.

All CAEP-Accredited New York EPPs:

American Museum of Natural History
Bard College
Canisius College
College of Staten Island/CUNY
Concordia College
Manhattanville College
Mercy College
Molloy College
Mount Saint Mary College
New York Institute of Technology
Niagara University
Nyack College
Pace University
Queens College
State University of New York at Fredonia
State University of New York College at Brockport
SUNY Cortland
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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.