Northern Michigan University is one of 43 institutions nationwide whose teacher preparation programs have been accredited this fall by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Northern was among four state universities that partnered with the Michigan Department of Education to pilot CAEP’s self-described new “rigorous, nationally recognized” standards.

“This continues the proactive track record established by Northern’s education programs,” said Joe Lubig, associate dean of NMU’s School of Education, Leadership and Public Service. “We sought national accreditation before it was required and have never shied away from objective reviews that hold us accountable to state and national standards.

“The success of our program is deeply rooted in the quality of the students and professional educators populating every K12 school used to develop our teacher candidates. All of our stakeholders realize that the better NMU is as a teacher preparation program, the better our children will be as contributing, happy and engaged members of society.”

NMU gained national accreditation by passing peer review on five standards based on two principles: solid evidence that NMU graduates are competent and caring educators; and solid evidence that NMU’s education faculty and staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of their professional programs.

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

In addition to its CAEP accreditation, NMU’s educator preparation program recently gained approval from the Michigan Department of Education. Both endorsements are for a period of seven years.