Murray providers produce more than 7,100 high quality graduates ready to make positive impact on P-12 learning  

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced that 21 providers from 15 states and the United Arab Emirates received recognition for their leadership and commitment to continuous improvement. Alcorn State University is the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Mississippi recognized for this year’s honor. 

The recipients of the 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement provided evidence and data trends to achieve accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvement. 

 The Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement is named after the founding President of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and TEAC. Murray was the founding President of TEAC, served as Chairman of the Board for TEAC and was also an initial member of the CAEP Board of Directors. He was a key advocate for a single set of educator preparation standards to unify the profession and was instrumental in the merger that created CAEP. He also served as the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Delaware from 1979 to 1995.

 “Frank Murray was passionate about education preparation, a prominent leader in our profession, and an advocate for evidence to improve education. The providers that CAEP is recognizing are committed to continuous improvement and preparing their students to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” said Yuhang Rong Chair of the CAEP Board of Directors. “CAEP Accreditation is a sign of commitment to quality through purposeful use of evidence. The Murray Leadership Recognition recipients should be proud of their accomplishments.” 

Recipients of the 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement are selected from the educator preparation providers (EPPs) that were granted accreditation by CAEP at the initial level from the previous year, who provided a full complement of evidence with demonstrated data trends and no plans. Recipients had no stipulations or areas for improvement. Providers selected for recognition advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting that assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 learning. These EPPs use inquiry and assessments to establish quality assurance systems to drive improvement. 

“This fifth class to receive the Murray Recognition represents the diversity and innovation that comes with CAEP accreditation. Small, large, public, private, faith-based, and historically minority serving,” said CAEP President Christopher Koch. “These recipients reflect the innovation that CAEP affords in achieving excellence, by meeting the standards in a variety of ways, for the diverse populations they serve.”

Dr. LaShundia Carson, dean of the School of Education and Psychology at Alcorn State, commends the work of the faculty, students, and district partners among other groups in achieving this honor.

“This recognition demonstrates the exemplary work of our faculty, students, district partners, and secondary academic units across the university,” said Carson. This award means our Teacher Education Program provided clear evidence of data trends that achieved accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvements. I am also pleased that our accreditors recognize that we are committed to supporting continuous improvement and preparing our teacher candidates to succeed in the P-12 diverse classrooms. Expect more great things to come from the School of Education and Psychology.”

CAEP accreditation serves the dual purposes of accountability and continuous improvement.  541 educator preparation providers in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have been accredited under the CAEP Standards. The CAEP accreditation process evaluates the performance of providers and focuses particularly on whether candidates will be prepared for the challenging responsibilities that educators face in our classrooms. Approximately, 600 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including some previously accredited through former standards.

 

2023 Frank Murray Recognition for Continuous Improvement

Al Ain University—United Arab Emirates

Alcorn State University—Mississippi

Elon University—North Carolina

Florida Atlantic University

Georgia Gwinnett College

Grace College—Indiana

Kent State University—Ohio

Liberty University—Virginia

Mississippi State University

Missouri Western University

North Carolina State University

Northwest Nazarene University—Idaho

Sam Houston State University—Texas

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Spelman College—Georgia

The University of Mississippi

University of South Carolina Beaufort

Valley City State University—North Dakota

Virginia Wesleyan University

Western Oregon University

Williams Baptist University—Arkansas