UWF teacher education programs receive CAEP accreditation

Several programs within the University of West Florida Professional Education Unit recently received accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, or CAEP, valid through Spring 2025.

The professional accreditation applies to the following certification programs: Exceptional Student/Elementary Education, Bachelor of Arts; Elementary Education, B.A.; Educational Leadership, Master of Education; Reading Education, M.Ed.; Physical Education Teacher Education, Bachelor of Science; UWF-Teach options in biology, chemistry, environmental science, math and physics, B.A./B.S.; and TeacherReady, a graduate-level online, alternative teacher certification program.

“This is an important milestone for our teacher education programs,” said Bill Evans, chair of the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership. “CAEP accreditation, which is nationally recognized, really validates the quality and rigor of our programs. It illustrates a level of commitment to excellence on the part of our faculty, education partners, and staff.”

CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards are rigorous, nationally recognized standards that were developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs. Institutions seeking accreditation must complete a program and state review process, along with annual reports that gather common data for eight measures. These measures demonstrate impact around student learning, teacher effectiveness, employer and completer satisfaction, and specific outcomes and consumer information, such as graduation, licensure, employment and student loan default rates.

Additionally, universities must complete a self-study process to gather and organize evidence to make a case that their educator preparation programs meet CAEP standards. CAEP then assigns a Visitor Team to complete a formative review offsite, before conducting a two-to-three day campus visit to review evidence, verify data, and examine lesson plans, student work samples and videos. 

Dr. Sarah Miller, director of partnerships and student support services for UWF’s TeacherReady program, said the CAEP accreditation will help students wishing to transfer their Florida Professional Teaching Certificate to other states.

“Many TeacherReady students live in or move to other states and countries,” Miller said. “Having CAEP’s seal of approval helps verify our program’s quality when they go to places where TeacherReady is less familiar.”

To learn more about the CAEP accreditation, visit caepnet.org.

For more information about the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership, visit uwf.edu/teel.