The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has granted Northeastern Illinois University’s Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education accreditation at the initial-licensure level and advanced-level. Both accreditations are effective from Spring 2020 through Spring 2026.
The Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education was previously accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, which has now merged with another accreditation body and changed its name to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
In order to earn CAEP accreditation, the college demonstrated that it meets standards set by organizations representing the academic community, professionals and other stakeholders. The distinction provides an assurance of the quality of a degree from the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education.
“For more than 150 years, Northeastern Illinois University has been training the next generation of teachers and educational leaders,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dennis Rome said. “This accreditation is further validation of the value Northeastern presents for our students, as well as the communities and schools they go on to serve after graduation.”
Initial licensure refers to programs that provide the first professional educator license. Advanced licensure refers to programs in which the candidate must have a teacher license first in order to earn the advanced (or second) license in something else, like school leadership (principalship).
The accreditation process began several years ago with the development and submission of a self-study of the educator preparation programs—all degree and certificate programs in teacher education (Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary Education, Special Education and Certificate in Bilingual Education) and school leader preparation. The CAEP accreditation review team visited Northeastern in Fall 2019 to meet with college leadership, faculty and other stakeholders including school partners. The CAEP review found that the college met all of the standards.
“Northeastern is a proven leader when it comes to teacher preparation,” Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education Interim Dean Andrea Evans said. “This accreditation is the culmination of the hard work of former Dean Sandra Beyda-Lorie and her administrative team, as well as faculty and staff, students and alumni. I congratulate everyone who worked so hard to earn this well-deserved distinction.”
The Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education is the University’s oldest academic unit. Its pioneering emphasis on urban education has become increasingly important, winning many awards for best practices in global diversity.
