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.