32 States and D.C. in Partnership to Better Serve K-12 Students through Enhanced Teacher Preparation
WASHINGTON – The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced today that the state of Alaska joined CAEP by signing a state partnership agreement. Alaska joins 31 other states and the District of Columbia committed to the rigorous CAEP educator preparation standards, designed by deans, higher education faculty members, teachers, and K-12 administrators from throughout the country.
“States partnering with CAEP establish and enhance the public’s confidence that future teachers and educational leaders from teacher preparation programs meet challenging standards and are prepared to lead K-12 schools and classrooms successfully,” said CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. “CAEP Standards and processes were developed and agreed upon by professionals in the field. The rigor embedded in these standards focuses on ensuring high-quality strategies are part of successfully preparing caring and competent teachers ready to serve in the diverse classrooms in the United States.”
Alaska’s state agreement with CAEP provides a formal process for accreditation through ongoing evaluation and program improvement. CAEP Accreditation ensures public accountability because an accredited educator preparation provider presents evidence that the program produces strong outcomes for candidates, completers, and the students served by the teachers.
“All Alaskan students deserve the opportunity to learn in a classroom with a highly effective teacher,” said Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson. “We know that when Alaskan institutions receive CAEP Accreditation, Alaskan students will benefit from higher standards in our teacher preparation programs. The CAEP Standards and accreditation process align with Alaska’s commitment to provide an excellent education for every student.”
“The CAEP Standards reflect what research shows successful educators do and provides education candidates a solid background to enter the K-12 teaching profession,” said Dr. Steve Atwater, Interim Dean, School of Education, University of Alaska Fairbanks. “CAEP Standards ensure that all accredited education programs in our state are meeting the same high standards and producing quality K-12 professionals.”
CAEP is the sole national 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 uniform accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all providers focused on educator preparation. Currently, more than 900 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including many previously accredited under former standards.
CAEP is recognized by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), providing states and consumers quality assurance. It is the only national accreditor with a governing body that includes professionals who prepare teachers, state licensing authorities, those who hire teachers, and teachers themselves. CAEP has more than 750 trained volunteers. The 32 states, and the District of Columbia, partnering with CAEP are: