WASHINGTON – Today, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation announced that 60 providers from 26 states earned accreditation for their educator preparation programs (EPPs). These providers join those previously accredited in promoting excellence in educator preparation, bringing the total of CAEP-accredited EPPs to 423.

The CAEP Accreditation Council held its Spring 2021 review in April, during which 60 providers were approved under the rigorous, nationally recognized CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards.

“These providers 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 a 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 700 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: 

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 60 EPPs to those previously accredited brings the total number of CAEP-accredited providers to 423. These schools span across 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Class of Spring 2021: