Illinois State University teacher education programs are being recognized for excellence in educator preparation.

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that Illinois State is one of 59 providers from across the United States and Puerto Rico to receive accreditation for their education preparation programs in the fall 2019 review. Illinois State’s teacher education programs have been accredited by CAEP for six years and this renewal shows continued success in preparing highly qualified educators.

“Our teacher education faculty, staff, and students should be very proud of this recognition. We’ve set high standards across all of our teacher education programs,” said Dr. Christy Borders, Director of the Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center. “We are preparing quality educators who are persisting in the field and making a positive impact on students in Illinois.”

CAEP accreditation demonstrates that Illinois State’s teacher education programs recruit and retain quality students who know their content and teach well, have significant relationships with school districts across the state, have systems in place for continuous quality improvement, and graduate top-tier teachers who are making a difference in classrooms.

“Illinois State teacher education programs and the Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center will continue to work together to ensure that our teacher education graduates are well prepared to provide quality education for their students,” said Borders. “More and more demands are placed on educators each year and we are confident that our graduates are prepared to succeed and persist in education.”

CAEP is one of two nationally recognized accrediting bodies for educator preparation. Accreditation is based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. There are a total of 281 CAEP-accredited providers from 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.