Southeastern College of Education awarded 7-year reaccreditation

Wednesday, December 2, 2015
by: Rene Abadie


    HAMMOND – The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has renewed a seven-year reaccreditation of Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Education.
    In its announcement, CAEP, the foremost accrediting agency for education programs, said Southeastern’s initial teacher preparation and advanced preparation levels met the rigorous standards set by the professional education community. In addition, the agency applauded the university’s efforts and reported that the commission’s findings indicated no areas requiring improvement related to any of the standards.
    “This is truly an impressive achievement that reflects the hard work and dedication of the faculty and staff in the College of Education to provide a high quality program for the preparation of future teachers and administrators for Louisiana’s schools,” said Southeastern President John L. Crain. “Highly effective educators are essential in order for K-12 students to achieve their highest potential.”
    CAEP, formerly known as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), is the profession’s agency for assessing the quality of teacher preparation programs, using a performance-based system of evaluation. The accrediting agency came into being in 2013 following a consolidation of NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.
    The accreditation comes after CAEP reviewed the university’s institutional report and documented evidence. Last April, four evaluators and one state representative conducted a NCATE Legacy visit to the College of Education, where they interviewed students, faculty, administrators and representatives from area partner schools that provide field experiences and student-teaching opportunities. The group also visited field placement sites and observed student teachers in the classroom. The next visit is scheduled for 2022.
    “The accreditation is a mark of distinction and provides recognition that the College of Education has met national standards for preparing teachers and other educators,” said Shirley Jacob, dean of the College of Education. “It verifies that Southeastern’s program has shown evidence of competent teacher candidate performance. Teacher candidates are expected to fully comprehend the subject matter they plan to teach and how to teach it effectively so all students can learn.”
    Jacob said the success of the Southeastern program can be attributed to members of the education faculty who are experienced teachers themselves, the other Southeastern faculty who provide the excellent content courses students need to take, and the university’s partner schools who provide valuable teaching opportunities and field experiences for teacher-candidates.
    The Southeastern education program offers 10 bachelor degree programs, seven master’s level degrees, alternative certification and a doctorate degree in educational leadership. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its various programs.




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