School of Education receives CAEP award at annual fall conference

Liberty University’s School of Education was recognized by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as one of 21 educational institutions to receive the 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement.

The award was presented at CAEPCon, CAEP’s annual conference held Sept. 22-24. Recipients were selected from schools designated as educator preparation providers (EPPs) that advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting and assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning.

“We are thrilled and humbled to be honored as a recipient of the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement by CAEP,” said Dr. Michelle Goodwin, associate dean of the School of Education. “This award is the culmination of the meticulous planning, assessment, and improvement initiatives by our team of faculty and staff and the exemplary service of our education candidates in their coursework and field experiences. It was a team effort by everyone in the School of Education.”

Goodwin also shared her appreciation for School of Education Dean Emeritus Dr. Karen L. Parker, who facilitated the school’s transition in accreditation providers prior to her retirement in Spring 2022.

“(Parker) leaves a legacy of excellence and high standards in the School of Education which is evidenced by the achievement of this award,” she said. “Of course, she was the first person we contacted to celebrate with when we received notification of this honor.”

The School of Education was originally accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 2003; in 2013, CAEP became the sole accrediting body for educator preparation providers, created by the consolidation of NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). The School of Education’s CAEP accreditation is through 2029.

The Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement is named after the founding president of TEAC. Murray served as Chairman of the Board for TEAC and was an initial member of the CAEP Board of Directors. He was a key advocate for a single set of educator preparation standards to unify the profession and was instrumental in the merger that created CAEP. He also served as the dean of the College of Education at the University of Delaware from 1979-95.

“Frank Murray was passionate about education preparation, a prominent leader in our profession, and an advocate for evidence to improve education,” said Yuhang Rong, chair of the CAEP Board of Directors. “The providers that CAEP is recognizing are committed to continuous improvement and preparing their students to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate. CAEP Accreditation is a sign of commitment to quality through purposeful use of evidence. The Murray Leadership Recognition recipients should be proud of their accomplishments.”

CAEP accreditation serves the dual purposes of accountability and continuous improvement.  Liberty is one of 541 educator preparation providers in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates that have been accredited under the CAEP Standards. The CAEP accreditation process evaluates the performance of providers and focuses particularly on whether candidates will be prepared for the challenging responsibilities that educators face in our classrooms.