The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that Samford University’s Orlean Beeson School of Education is one of 59 providers to receive accreditation for their educator preparation programs. The fall 2019 review by the CAEP Accreditation Council resulted in 59 newly accredited Educator Preparation Providers (EPP), bringing the total to 281 providers approved under the CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards —rigorous, nationally recognized standards that were developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs.
“These institutions 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 Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”
Prior to the new accreditation, Orlean Beeson School of Education was accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education since 1954. In addition, it has the highest number of nationally recognized programs in the state of Alabama.
The school has earned full CAEP accreditation through spring 2027 by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical experiences, selectivity, program impact, and capacity for continuous improvement.
“We are thrilled to achieve CAEP accreditation as it validates the hard work of our faculty, staff and students,” said Orlean Beeson School of Education Dean Anna McEwan. “We are committed to excellence in all areas of educator preparation and we honor the purpose to which we are ‘called’ by investing our time, energy and creativity in programs that meet high standards.”
CAEP is the sole 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. It is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused on educator preparation.
Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on two principles. There must be solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and 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.
“Our colleagues in Orlean Beeson School of Education should be incredibly proud of the program they have built,” said J. Michael Hardin, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Achieving CAEP accreditation is an impressive accomplishment and serves to validate the hard work they have already been doing. Students can feel confident knowing they are choosing to be part of a rigorous program that will prepare them for a successful future as an educator.”
The Department of Teacher Education houses teacher education programs with certification available in elementary-early childhood-special education, secondary education, as well as elementary education with a concentration in Christian education and missions. It also offers traditional degree programs in elementary and gifted education, as well as alternative master’s degree programs in elementary, collaborative special education, and secondary education. The Department of Educational Leadership offers a master’s degree (and an 18-hour certification only option), an educational specialist degree in instructional leadership, as well as a doctor of education degree in educational leadership.
About Samford University—Samford is a premier nationally ranked Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts and a distinct blend of graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The Wall Street Journal ranks Samford 3rd nationally for student engagement and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranks Samford 34th among private universities in the U.S. for value and affordability. Samford enrolls 5,692 students from 46 states and 28 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 NCAA Division I teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference.
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.
