Accreditation and Middle Level Teacher Preparation Programs

For more than 80 years advocates for specialized middle level teacher preparation have called for educator preparation grounded in the development of young adolescents and focused on the structures, practices, and pedagogy honoring their needs (McEwin & Smith, 2013). Numerous individuals and organizations have worked consistently within the field of teacher education policy and research to increase the number of education professionals specifically prepared to teach young adolescents. Through the accreditation process of educator preparation programs in the United States, advocacy efforts have led to an increasing number of specialized middle level teacher preparation programs.

In 2010, the boards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) unanimously agreed to create a new accrediting organization to consolidate the work of both councils. This new organization is the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Becoming one association allowed the education profession to speak with one voice about the preparation of teachers, administrators, and other P–12 professional educators. CAEP is the governing body for the professional accreditation of educator preparation providers in the United States and seeks to improve the quality of teacher education through the accreditation process by establishing goals for continuous improvement to ensure growth in P–12 student learning (CAEP, 2015a).