33 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 Missouri joined CAEP by signing a state partnership agreement. Missouri joins 32 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.”

Missouri’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. 

“We hold new teachers to the highest possible standards so they are able to provide our K-12 students with the best chance at future success,” stated Dr. Paul Katnik, Assistant Commissioner, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Office of Educator Quality. “We know that when those programs in Missouri receive CAEP Accreditation, they meet the highest possible standards and have evidence to support their claim. These CAEP accredited programs demonstrate through evidence that they are delivering programs that most likely will lead to successful teaching, content expertise, and strong outcomes for K-12 learners.”

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.