31 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 Georgia joined CAEP by signing a state partnership agreement. Georgia 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.”

Georgia’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. 

“In Georgia, we expect all new teachers to be learner-ready on the first day of their careers,” said Dr. Angie Gant, Director of Program Approval at the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. “The expectations are high because we want to ensure that new teachers are able to provide our P-12 students with the best opportunities for future success. When educator preparation providers in Georgia obtain CAEP Accreditation, they have demonstrated meeting rigorous standards, and we believe that those programs will produce individuals who are effective educators.”

“There is a rich body of research that informs our preparation programs as to how successful teachers might provide high impact instruction in our schools… the kind of instruction that engages students in meaningful and authentic learning,” said Dr. Zach Kelehear, Dean of the College of Education at Augusta University. “The CAEP Standards, anchored in that same body of research, seek to ensure that accredited preparation programs across Georgia prepare quality P-12 teachers who can be successful in schools from the first day on the job until the last day of the school year. Our children deserve that kind of school experience and I welcome this partnership with CAEP, as we can all agree that all children deserve an excellent school day every day, every year.”

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 31 states that partner with CAEP and the District of Columbia are listed below:

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The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (www.CAEPnet.org) advances equity and excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.