PSU Graduate School of Education earns new accreditation

The PSU Graduate School of Education has achieved national accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). At this time, only 10 Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) have been accredited by CAEP, and the GSE is the first to achieve CAEP accreditation in Oregon and on the entire West Coast.

In 2014, two national accrediting agencies united to create CAEP. The CAEP standards are new and more demanding than the previous ones, which were governed by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Educator preparation programs must have more reliable and valid assessments of candidates and of programs, and they must be able to show that graduates are effective. They must also have mutually beneficial partnerships with local school districts. 

The GSE has held NCATE accreditation for more than 25 years and this year had the option of addressing NCATE standards or the more rigorous CAEP standards. The GSE chose to lead by taking the CAEP option. Last year, Oregon passed a law requiring all teacher education programs in the state to be CAEP accredited by 2022. At that time, the GSE will be seeking renewal of its CAEP accreditation.

“I want to again thank all of the many faculty, staff, and school district partners who contributed to this effort, especially Associate Dean Micki Caskey and GSE Assessment and Partnership Coordinator Leslee Peterson for their tremendous leadership,” said Dean Randy Hitz. “Through your good efforts, we are leading, learning, and changing lives in the most important ways.”

The GSE is the largest, most comprehensive school of education in Oregon and holds four national accreditations: Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), Council on Rehabilitation Counseling (CORE), and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).