December 15, 2020
Oakland University’s School of Education and Human Services received a perfect score on its latest accreditation report from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, a national group that evaluates teacher education providers.
The CAEP awarded Oakland the highest rating for each of its assessment criteria, which include Content and Pedagogical Knowledge; Clinical Partnerships and Practice; Candidate Quality, Recruitment and Selectivity; Program Impact; and Provider Quality, Continuous Improvement, and Capacity.
Calling the results “a huge vote of confidence,” SEHS Dean Jon Margerum-Leys added that “all standards were met, with no noted areas for improvement and no stipulations.”
Accreditation is a peer-reviewed process that requires teacher education providers to achieve data-supported outcomes for each of the CAEP’s assessment criteria. Teacher education leaders from around the country review each provider to determine whether it effectively serves the needs of students and teachers.
Along with data reporting, the process includes a site visit in which an evaluation team meets with teacher education providers, as well as teachers and other professionals from area schools.
Oakland’s site visit took place last March and featured meetings with over 100 teachers and education leaders, including Oakland alumni, from surrounding communities. The visit was conducted virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and involved the efforts of faculty and staff across SEHS and the university.
“We were one of the first institutions in the country to coordinate our entire visit virtually,” Margerum-Leys said. “Everyone who worked on the visit did a tremendous job ensuring that everything went smoothly.”
The accreditation means that Oakland will continue to have the ability to recommend graduates for teaching licensure by the State of Michigan. More important, Margerum-Leys says, it is an affirmation that Oakland’s education programs continue to make a difference in the lives of those they serve.
“While I am pleased because we have gotten CAEP’s approval for our ongoing accreditation, I am even more happy we have made a case for who we are and what we do, and have stated who we aspire to be,” he said. “A national team of our peers, working within a peer-informed and peer-approved system, has carefully examined this case and has confirmed that we live our mission and enact our aspirations to the benefit of our community. That is what accreditation is and achieving it is a great accomplishment.”
Oakland’s School of Education and Human Services offers teacher education and leadership programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. To learn more about these programs, visit oakland.edu/sehs.