accreditation through CAEP or instead pursue ongoing approval through a state-managed review process . For both the national and state reviews , EPPs must meet CAEP , professional education , and specialty area standards .
One difference between both types of reviews is that there is a greater cost associated with the national CAEP review process , since EPPs are required to pay an annual fee as well as an accreditation visit fee . 37
Currently , 24 EPPs in Tennessee are nationally accredited and 16 are state-approved . Program reviewers use data from annual reports as well as other data submitted by EPPs during the comprehensive review process . Appendix B contains information on the accreditation status of EPPs in the state .
Comprehensive review components include :
• EPP self-study : EPPs must submit evidence for review as defined by guidance provided by the TDOE . This evidence must address each of the CAEP standards , the professional education standard , and the specialty area standards .
• On-site review : EPPs are required to host the review team on their campus for an on-site review of the program . Members of the on-site review team are chosen based on the type of approval being sought .
• CAEP accreditation ( national team ; state representatives )
• State approval ( state representatives )
• On-site report : This report includes findings of the review team . The report will also include a recommendation of whether the team found that the EPP had met each of the required standards .
• Rejoinder : EPPs are provided an opportunity to respond to the findings of the on-site review .
• Department action recommendation : The TDOE prepares a recommendation for the SBE that reflects the findings of the review team .
• SBE action : Based on the department ’ s recommendation , the board approves or denies preparation providers .
Reviewers come from multiple stakeholder groups including EPPs , LEAs , and such other education-related organizations as local school boards . All review team members are required to attend trainings conducted by CAEP representatives .
CAEP standards also include these expectations for reviewers :
• Demonstrated expertise in the field of professional education , educator preparation , teaching , research , or evaluation
• Excellent analytical and evaluation skills
• Ability to clearly and concisely convey observations and findings in writing
• Ability to make unbiased conclusions about EPPs based on the application of national standards
In 2015 , the TDOE received a federal grant to develop an Educator Preparation Portal that will facilitate the approval and review
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