CAEP LogoThe Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that Chapman University has earned full national accreditation for the educator preparation program (EPP) within its Attallah College of Educational Studies. Chapman’s Attallah College is only the second institution in the state of California to achieve CAEP accreditation.

CAEP is the sole nationally recognized accrediting body for educator preparation. Although CAEP accreditation is voluntary in California, Attallah College is committed to academic excellence and seeks to ensure its candidates receive high-quality training designed to prepare them to make an impact in the field of education.

Following a rigorous accreditation process during which faculty and staff identified, collected, and analyzed program improvement data, the Attallah College was granted accreditation at the initial and advanced licensure level.

“We are honored to be named one of the first institutions in California to receive this recognition from the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation,” said Margaret Grogan, Dean of the Attallah College. “CAEP accreditation is a strong testament to the excellence of our educator preparation programs.”

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

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

CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. It is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all providers focused on educator preparation. Approximately 800 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP accreditation system.

CAEP Accreditation

CAEP Accredited Provider BadgeEducator preparation providers seeking CAEP accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on two principles:

  • Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators.
  • Solid evidence that the provider’s educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.

“CAEP-accredited institutions meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of schools and classrooms after they graduate,” said CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”

Chapman University joins 59 other providers to receive accreditation this spring, bringing the total number of CAEP-accredited providers to 341, across 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

State, National, and International Recognition

In additional to receiving full CAEP accreditation, this spring Attallah College was awarded the full and maximum seven-year accreditation of its teaching, school counseling, and school psychology programs by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Attallah’s School Psychology program is also internationally accredited through the International School Psychology Association (ISPA), one of only five school psychology programs in the United States and the only in California accredited by ISPA.

“Our entire college community should be very proud of this achievement,” said Michelle Hall, Ph.D., Attallah College’s Director of Program Assessment and Improvement. “Being recognized by CAEP, CTC, and ISPA demonstrates that our programs meet the highest standards of quality and effectiveness at the state, national, and international levels.”