Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs

Accreditation with a Professional Education Accrediting Association that is Seeking Recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE)

At its May 2018 meeting, the Board of Regents adopted a regulation amendment that allows institutions that are currently accredited by NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP to pursue accreditation through an accrediting association that is seeking recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE) and still meet the “continuous accreditation requirement” set forth in Section 52.21 of the Commissioner’s Regulations. 

The full text of the proposed amendment is available online at https://www.regents.nysed.gov/common/regents/files/518brca5.pdf 

At its September 2020 meeting, the Board of Regents adopted an amendment to the regulation to allow institutions pursuing accreditation through an accrediting association that is seeking recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE) to complete the process for accreditation within six years instead of five years and still meet the “continuous accreditation requirement” set forth in Section 52.21 of the Commissioner’s Regulations. That amendment  is available at https://www.regents.nysed.gov/common/regents/files/920bra7revised.pdf

Institutions that choose to work with an accrediting association seeking USDE or CHEA recognition must notify the Department prior to the expiration date of their current accreditation period using this form. Instructions for the submission of the form are included at the bottom of the form. 

All registered teacher and school leader preparation programs must be continuously accredited by either:

1. An acceptable professional education accrediting association, meaning an organization that is approved by the Department and is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
2. A professional education association acceptable to the Department that is seeking recognition from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDE).
3. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) are currently two acceptable professional education accrediting associations.   NYSED has State Partnership agreements with CAEP and AAQEP.

Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education

At its meeting in September 2010, the Board of Regents voted to discontinue offering the Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE) option to a teacher and school leader preparation programs. The report on this action is available at https://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2010Meetings/September2010/0910hea2.pdf .