The Educator Preparation Program for Midwestern State University is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on April 21, 2025. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party's relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).
We invite you to submit written testimony to:
CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org
Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:
- In CAEP's performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
- A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
- Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review.
The Midwestern State University, West College of Education (WCOE) Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) standards that were adopted in 2013. Accreditation for the initial level and advanced level programs has been granted through 2024.
The EPP offers initial programs (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate) and advanced programs (graduate) aligned to national and state standards. The programs are dedicated to the instruction and preparation of PreK-16 teachers, school counselors, administrators, and support faculty and staff. Through collaborative instruction, field experience, and research, candidates develop a strong instructional foundation. As candidates progress through the program and accomplish each transition milestone, they are equipped through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This preparation ensures the candidate has the ability to plan, implement, assess, and modify instruction for learners.
National, state, and institutional standards help define the knowledge and skills expected of candidates and course outcomes align with all standards (Cochran-Smith & Zeichner, 2005; Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005). The common syllabi format, adopted by the WCOE Assessment Committee, aligns candidate proficiencies, national and state professional standards and disposition proficiencies, and the WCOE Conceptual Framework with the curriculum. A Unit Assessment System provides an integrated method of aligning the Specialized Program Association (SPA) standards into the program-specific assessments and evaluating the candidate at prescribed transition points throughout the program.
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following program in the West College of Education at Midwestern State University: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.) degree through October 31, 2028.