Morgan’s School of Education and Urban Studies Among 41 Educator Prep Programs Recognized for National Excellence

SEUS Joins Select Group of 541 Total Providers Meeting Rigorous CAEP Accreditation Standards to Better Prepare the Teachers of Tomorrow

BALTIMORE – The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that it has reaccredited Morgan State University’s School of Education and Urban Studies (SEUS) for its educator preparation programs. SEUS is one of 41 providers from 23 states, Puerto Rico and Bahrain to undergo the Spring 2023 review by the CAEP Accreditation Council and receive accreditation. Morgan’s accreditation will last for a period of seven years.

This latest round of accreditation brings the total to 541 providers approved under the CAEP Accreditation Standards, a rigorous, nationally recognized criterion developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs. 

“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 CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”

CAEP is a nationally recognized accrediting body for educator preparation and accredits providers at the initial and advanced levels. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. CAEP is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused on educator preparation. More than 600 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including some previously accredited through former standards.

Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass a peer review of the CAEP standards, which are based on two principles:

1. Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and
2. 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.

If a program fails to meet one of the standards, it is placed on probation for two years. Probation may be lifted in two years if a program provides evidence that it meets the standard.

At Morgan, the reaccreditation applies to SEUS’s three initial teacher preparation programs offered through the Department of Teacher Education and Professional Development. These programs include the B.S. in Elementary Education, the B.S. in Physical Education, and the Master of Arts in Teaching.

On average, SEUS produces approximately 35 teachers each year and the school’s graduates are in high demand. Nearly all receive offers of teaching positions, some while even still completing their internship. 

“In this time of critical teacher shortage, Morgan prepared teachers bring valuable skills to the schools in which they serve....our program is distinguished for its focus on the science of reading in the preparation of elementary education teachers to address the development of strong literacy skills for all children, and our graduates understand the unique needs of urban children, families and schools,” said Glenda Prime, dean for the School of Education and Urban Studies. “Reaccreditation does not mean we stop innovating... we are fully committed to the continuous improvement of our programs.”

SEUS houses three departments: Advanced Studies, Leadership and Policy; Teacher Education and Professional Development; and Family and Consumer Sciences. The school has an enrollment of more than 1,000 students in a total of 15 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and currently produces the largest number of doctoral degrees of any other department in the university. The school’s mission is to prepare a culturally and ethnically diverse student body to serve with distinction in the field of education and urban studies. SEUS graduates hold prominent positions in education in the state and across the nation, including community college presidents, university faculty and school administrators and classroom teachers.

As part of the Spring Class of 2023, Morgan was awarded its accreditation under the Initial and Advanced Level. Morgan is the only Maryland institution in this year’s Spring Class to receive accreditation from CAEP.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

About CAEP

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (www.CAEPnet.org) advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.

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Media Contacts:

Larry Jones or Dell Jackson, for University PR
443-885-3022