College of Education first in state to be CAEP Accredited

Dec. 14, 2016 | Education |

Harding University Cannon-Clary College of Education is the first higher learning institution in Arkansas to receive accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the single-specialized accreditor for educator preparation in the United States.

“This recognition reflects a commitment from everyone in the College of Education, as well as our many professional partners in the field, to further our mission of preparing excellent educators who are ready to teach with a strong skill set and an even more powerful mindset,” Dr. Donny Lee, dean, said. “We are grateful that we can make a difference providing teachers, leaders and counselors for our schools in Arkansas and literally all over the world.”

The accreditation includes College of Education locations in Searcy, Rogers and North Little Rock, and Memphis, Tennessee. The accreditation does not include individual education courses that the education preparation program offers to P-12 educators for professional development, re-licensure or other purposes.

Although Harding University is the first higher learning institution to in Arkansas to complete the new CAEP standards accreditation process, the College of Education has been accredited by the National Council Accreditation of Teacher Education every seven years since 1961.

The CAEP Standards, adopted in 2013, reflect the voice of the education field on what makes a quality teacher. CAEP accreditation ensures that there is solid evidence that a provider’s graduates are competent and caring and that there is solid evidence a provider’s staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence to be used for continuous improvement.

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (www.CAEPnet.org) advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.