The Bethel University Education Department recently received accreditation for all of its programs through 2030, based on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) standards. All accreditation standards were met, with no stipulations or areas for improvement. CAEP’s performance-based accreditation system for teacher preparation ensures that teacher candidates are prepared to make a difference in P-12 student learning.
“The standards for educational programs changed greatly from the last time we undertook accreditation,” says Education Department Chair Dr. Jim Bennett, “and this caused us to take a close examination of all our practices to ensure we were not only meeting CAEP’s standards or expectations but more importantly, that we were meeting the needs of all Bethel University candidates.”
Many of these changes required a restructuring of the foundation of the program. Several people within the department contributed to the development of processes that will allow the department to operate smoothly and meet the needs of program students.
For more information about Bethel’s education programs, visit BethelUniversity.edu/Education. To view documentation of the accreditation, visit BethelUniversity.edu/academics/accreditation/education-accreditation. For more information about CAEP, visit CAEPnet.org.