Professional Education Programs Leading to Licensure

Overview

NAU’s Professional Education Programs (PEP) consists of 24 undergraduate and graduate programs across four colleges, that prepare teachers, school leaders, and psychologists. There were 1,906 candidates enrolled in initial teacher preparation programs during Fall 2022 and 599 graduates in AY 2021-2022. There were 330 candidates enrolled in advanced professional education programs in Fall 2022 and 141 graduates in AY 2021-2022. In 2017, NAU earned Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accreditation. PEP manages student teaching placements and ensures candidates meet outlined expectations for the student teaching course. PEP oversees the quality assurance system established to collect and monitor assessment data as well as the accreditation and state approval processes and reporting for education programs leading to licensure in Arizona. PEP also manages the Arizona Teachers Academy at NAU Scholarship and Program, designed to support recruitment and retention of teachers for Arizona’s public schools.

PEP is here to help!

To support the health of NAU’s campuses and communities, we encourage the recommended practice of social distancing by communicating via email and phone with our staff. You can do this by:

• Emailing our office at PEPAdministration@nau.edu
• Calling our Flagstaff office at 928-523-7246
• Calling our South Mountain Campus office at 928 523-0358

We are also happy to meet with you via Zoom. Please contact us via email or phone to set-up an appointment.

Public Call for Comments

The Professional Education Programs at Northern Arizona University’s College of Education is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on March 4-6, 2024. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered and should specify the party’s relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).

We invite you to submit written testimony to:

CAEP
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036

Or by email to: callforcomments@caepnet.org

Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:

• In CAEP’s performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, Professional Education Programs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
• A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
• Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered and should specify the respondent’s relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).

Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review.

Thank you for participating in the CAEP accreditation review process.

Sincerely,

Donelle Ruwe, Associate Dean

Professional Education Programs and the College of Education.