The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that the Hastings College Teacher Education Department has received accreditation for its educator preparation programs.
“We set a very high standard for our Teacher Education program, and this accreditation validates the work we do,” said Dr. Kass Rempp, chair of the Hastings College Teacher Education Department. “A tremendous effort was put forth by our faculty, staff and students to achieve accreditation, and all should be very proud of the work they’re doing.”
Hastings College is one of 52 providers from 27 states and Puerto Rico to receive accreditation for their educator preparation programs this fall. It brings the total to 196 providers approved under the CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards — rigorous, nationally recognized standards that were developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs.
The Hastings College accreditation is effective this fall through fall 2025.
“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 Dr. Christopher A. Koch, CAEP president. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”
CAEP is the sole nationally recognized accrediting body for educator preparation. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. It is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused on educator preparation. Currently, more than 800 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including many previously accredited through former standards.
Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on two principles:
- Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and
- Solid evidence that the provider’s educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEPnet.org) advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
