By Scarlett Birge, student news writer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – “This means the most for our students,” said Dr. Lisa Allen, dean of the School of Education and associate professor of education, about the Campbellsville University School of Education’s first official accreditation through the national Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) by certification on April 27 and the state Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) approval of the recommendation on Oct. 12.
“It demonstrates that our students are graduating from programs that meet the highest standards in education,” Allen said.
The first joint visit by the CAEP and EPSB to the Campbellsville University School of Education was held on Oct. 27 in 2019 to begin the process of determining the accreditation status of the program.
The CAEP determines accreditation status of educator preparation providers by qualifying standards in order to offer bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, post-baccalaureate degrees and/or other programs leading to certifications, licensure or endorsement in the United States and/or internationally.
The mission of the CAEP is to advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation to assure quality education and support continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning. To seek accreditation through CAEP, institutions have to apply and pay annual dues based on the size of the educator preparation program.
“National accreditation is recognized as a more rigorous level of peer review than only state accreditation,” Dr. Carolyn Garrison, professor of education, said.
“It documents that the School of Education is preparing their candidates well for their future teaching positions,” she said.
Campbellsville University’s School of Education met all standards for teacher preparation in both initial and advanced programs, which is effective until the spring of 2027.
Teacher education is required to be reaccredited every seven years by the state through EPSB. The CU School of Education received its first national accreditation through the National Council for Accreditation (NCATE) in 2007 and its second in 2012. The NCATE later merged with another national accrediting agency to create CAEP.
The EPSB establishes standards of performance for preparation programs and practitioners, accrediting educator preparation providers and approving programs at colleges, universities, school districts, and private contractors for the state of Kentucky.
“This process has certainly been a team effort within the School of Education unit, across campus and among the various off campus stakeholders,” Garrison said.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 13,500 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.