AACTE Board Approves Principles for National Accreditation in Educator Preparation
The AACTE Board of Directors this fall approved a revision of the AACTE Principles for National Accreditation in Educator Preparation, a document originally drafted in 2006 to state the Association’s aspirational views regarding national accreditation.
The revision was spearheaded by the Board’s subcommittee formed to engage with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Board felt it was important to reaffirm our core values with respect to what we see as essential elements to any process of accreditation.
National accreditation is a critical element for any profession, founded on the ideals of continuous improvement and peer review staged in iterative cycles. It also speaks to the dynamic landscape in which schools are situated, where teachers and students bring world views into focus and learn, debate, articulate, create, and innovate.
The AACTE principles reflect a four-pronged view of accreditation, framed by a preamble and a conclusion. The four components are summarized as follows:
- The Quality Principle: Accreditation improves the quality of education.
- The Evidence Principle: Accreditation is grounded in evidence of effectiveness/graduate quality.
- The Consensus Principle: Accreditation reflects consensus on best practices.
- The Service Principle: The accreditation process is transparent and in service to the profession and the public.
By framing AACTE’s perspective on the importance and role of accreditation in the field of education, this document will guide our ongoing work with CAEP around continuous improvement in our profession.
Click here to download the revised document.
Renée A. Middleton, dean of the Patton College of Education at Ohio University, is chair-elect of the AACTE Board of Directors for 2016-2017 and chair of the subcommittee on CAEP.
Tags: AACTE governance, accreditation
