Averett University’s Department of Education was recently bestowed a national honor for being an outstanding educator preparation provider – one of only four colleges in Virginia and of only 32 nationwide to be awarded. The University received the distinguished 2022 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement, presented by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
According to CAEP, recipients of the Murray award produce nearly 7,500 graduates who will make an impact on early education learning up to the twelfth grade. These institutions are selected from the educator preparation providers (EPPs) that were granted accreditation by CAEP at the initial level from the previous year, which provided a full complement of evidence with demonstrated data trends, and which received no stipulations or areas for improvement.
“We are honored and grateful to be selected for this prestigious, national designation,” said Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks. “Our faculty are committed to academic rigor and immersive, experiential learning experiences that will prepare the next generation of educators and fill a critical workforce need for quality teachers in our country.”
Providers selected for recognition advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting that assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning. These EPPs use inquiry and assessments to establish quality assurance systems to drive improvement.
The award is named for the founding president of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and TEAC. Murray was the founding President of TEAC, served as chairman of the board for TEAC and was also an initial member of the CAEP Board of Directors.
Earlier in 2022, CAEP announced Averett’s education department received full accreditation. The CAEP standards are the only set of educator preparation standards supported by both national teachers unions.
Averett offers a traditional baccalaureate education program with preparation for initial licensure in Virginia with eight possible certifications, as well as five online programs in graduate-level programs through Averett Online offered as a Graduate Certificate or a Master of Education option. Averett’s teacher education program consistently places nearly 100 percent of its graduates in teaching positions.