AACTE Celebrates Approval of New Professional Accreditation Standards

(September 3, 2013, Washington, D.C.) – The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) applauds the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Board of Directors upon its adoption of historic and ambitious national accreditation standards for educator preparation.

AACTE member representatives and other critical stakeholders concerned with quality educator preparation were engaged in each step of drafting and approving the standards.  While proposed standards prompted debate, the process culminated in the CAEP Commission on Standards and Performance Reporting presenting the board with consensus recommendations that will challenge providers to use quality evidence in new ways.

“This triumph of professional consensus is an important milestone for AACTE members and the educator preparation community writ large,” said Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D., president and CEO of AACTE. “All stakeholders were represented, and we must now be unified in supporting providers in meeting the standards. AACTE looks forward to working with our members and partners to better communicate educator preparation’s impact on PK-12 student learning to the public. AACTE supports the CAEP board’s recommendation to document and research the standards’ impact throughout the implementation process. As providers navigate largely uncharted territory, it will be important to make any required adjustments based on observations and data collected from the field.”

All involved in educator preparation should have confidence in the advancement of the profession through a single accreditor that seeks to improve and support providers through the application of rigorous standards. AACTE is committed to continued collaboration with other stakeholders around the professional development, research and continuous improvement needed to implement the standards effectively. This professional alliance will be essential to achieve the greater goal of ensuring that every new educator enters the classroom ready to teach.

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AACTE: Serving Learners
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE’s reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education. For more information, visit www.aacte.org.