Beeghly College of Education earns national endorsement

The Youngstown State University Beeghly College of Education has earned the endorsement of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

Only 101 education programs throughout the country are approved by CAEP, the nation’s only recognized accrediting body for educator preparation.

“Being accredited by CAEP is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff,” said Charles Howell, BCOE dean. “We know that we provide top-notch programs for future teachers; it’s good to have that affirmed by a prestigious accreditation body like CAEP.”

“Our faculty and staff worked tirelessly preparing all of the documentation required as evidence for our CAEP review,” said Mary Lou DiPillo, associate dean and coordinator of the CAEP accreditation effort. “We are grateful to our school partners---building administrators, cooperating teachers, YSU alumni----for their participation in the onsite interviews with the CAEP team. Their feedback, as well as the input from our current teacher candidates, convinced the team that our education programs are producing strong teachers who can meet the diverse needs in today’s classrooms.”

BCOE offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in a variety of disciplines to 950 undergraduate students and 266 graduate students. The college has 25 fulltime faculty members. The college, founded in 1960, has graduates working as teachers, counselors, school psychologists and school administrators in all 50 states.

Howell said major strengths of the college are students’ outstanding performance on the national edTPA test, frequent and intense field experiences, students’ demonstrated impact on the reading skills of elementary students in Youngstown City Schools, and outstanding full- and part-time faculty members with broad experience in K-12 education.

YSU was the only public university in Ohio that was among 43 providers from 22 states to receive CAEP accreditation this fall.

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

To earn accreditation, programs undergo a rigorous independent review to show that graduates are competent and caring educators, and that faculty and staff have created a culture of evidence and use to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.

For more information on the Beeghly College of Education, visit /academics/beeghly-college-education-old.