CAEP - Oregon

CAEP

CAEP is the Council for Accreditation of Educator Programs. 2015's Senate Bill 78 required that Oregon's educator preparation programs (EPPs) be accredited by a national organization by July 1, 2022.

In 2009, there were two accreditation bodies: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). The NCATE and TEAC boards, in 2010, accepted a Design Team Report that recommended the formation of a new accrediting body: CAEP. In 2012, the Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting convened to develop the next generation of EPP accreditation standards and performance measures.

CAEP became fully operational as the sole accrediting body for EPPs on July 1, 2013, and the CAEP Board of Directors approved the current accreditation standards in August of that year. In 2014, CAEP was recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

CAEP is a professional accreditor because it reviews departments, schools, and colleges that prepare teachers and other educators. After completing a program, teachers generally seek licensure or certification from the state in which they learn.

Accreditation Council

The Accreditation Council:

Operates independently of the CAEP Board of Directors.
Is responsible for all decisions specific to accreditation.
Consists of public, P-12, and academic professionals.
Has three major areas of responsibility:

Establish policies and procedures for the accreditation process;
Conduct accreditation review and determine accreditation status of EPPs; and
Manage the accreditation process to ensure equity and consistency in decision-making.

The Accreditation Council is comprised of three commissions that represent the three CAEP accreditation pathways:

Inquiry Brief (IB) Commission;
Selected Improvement (SI) Commission; and
Transformation Initiative (TI) Commission.

As the accrediting body of CAEP, the Council determines accreditation and appoints volunteers to serve in roles related to the accreditation process.

Committees help bring recommendations to the CAEP Accreditation Council and carry out the work of accreditation.

Understanding accreditation

CAEP Accreditation:

What is accreditation?

Accreditation is quality assurance through external peer review. When an institution or specialized program is accredited, it has demonstrated that it meets standards set by organizations representing the academic community, professionals, and other stakeholders. To maintain accreditation, the institution or program must undergo a similar review on a regular basis. In Oregon, that typically is every seven years.

Who needs to apply for accreditation?
EPPs not currently accredited by NCATE or TAEC need to apply to participate in the CAEP accreditation process. EPPs accredited by NCATE or CAEP do NOT need to complete an application to CAEP.

NCATE, TEAC, and CAEP accredited institutions:

It is recommended you confirm your place in the CAEP schedule at least two years prior to the end of the current accreditation term. You should also continue to complete annual reports, update information in AIMS, and maintain contact with CAEP staff.

The accreditation process:

EPPs seeking accreditation for the first time complete a two-phase application process.

Candidacy for accreditation status is the appropriate starting point for EPPs that opt to enter the accreditation process in order to ensure they are better prepared to address all of CAEP's standards successfully in their accreditation bid within five years.
Accreditation eligibility status is for EPPs that judge themselves to be ready to engage directly in the accreditation review and are confident they will have sufficient evidence of meeting all five CAEP standards within two years.

Initial Licensure:
Initial licensure includes all speciality licensure areas that lead to an initial teaching license.

Undergraduate teacher education programs;
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT);
Post-secondary or fifth-year programs; and/or
Alternative routes (district programs, FTA, ITeach, UTeach).

Advanced Level Programs:
Advanced level programs include:

Programs designed to further develop P-12 teachers (already licensed in a subject area) or other school professionals for employment in P-12 schools/districts.
More than 50% of the programs' enrollees serve as teachers and/or other school professionals ni P-12 schools/districts;
Any M.Ed., M.S., M.A., Ed.D. or Ph.D. program specific to P-12 schools/districts (e.g. reading specialists, school librarian, school counselors, school administrators).

CAEP standards for advanced programs and their components flow from two principles:

Solid evidence that the provider's graduates are competent and caring educators.
There must be solid evidence that the provider has the capacity to craete a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.

While the CAEP Standards for Advanced Preparation Programs parallel the CAEP Standards for Initial Programs, there are distinct differences in the evidence required.

Standard 1 focuses on candidate outcomes specific to advanced-level study.
Standard 2 allows for flexibility specific to clinical experiences that encompass the uniqueness and diversity found at the advanced level.
Standard 3 emphasizes the admission of qualified candidates who have demonstrated the proficiency for advanced-level study.
Standard 4 focuses on completer and employer satisfaction.
Standard 5 requests evidence on a quality assurance system specific to continuous improvement.