Examining the AAQEP Accreditation Experience: Moving Toward Authentic Program Inquiry

• In Event: Building a Culture for Continuous Improvement in Educator Preparation Programs

Abstract

Historically, the accreditation of educator preparation programs has been focused on compliance, with programs demonstrating to outside agencies that they are doing the best possible job to prepare future educators. But what would happen if the accreditation process invited faculty to engage in authentic analysis of data that led to discussions focused on continuous improvement and, ultimately, programmatic changes that improved outcomes for future educators? This study draws from the experiences of three institutions preparing for accreditation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) to examine what AAQEP’s emphasis on continuous improvement for accreditation looks like in practice.

Authors

• Juliet Michelsen Wahleithner, California State University - Fresno

• Debbie Meadows, California State University - Bakersfield

• Brad Damon, Brandman University

• Heather L. Horsley, California State University, Fresno