Dickinson State University’s (DSU) Educator Preparation Program (EPP) has received high praise in its recent accreditation visit from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), officially recognizing the program as outstanding. Below is a detailed summary of the accreditation process and results. 

A Comprehensive Two-Part Accreditation Process 

The CAEP accreditation process is a rigorous, two-part evaluation. For DSU’s Educator Preparation Program, the first part began in May 2023 with a state content program review for all education programs. The School of Education (SoE) submitted comprehensive reviews for a range of programs, including elementary education, business education, English education, mathematics education, music education, health education, history education, social science education, physical education, biology education, and composite science education. All programs received a “met with no weaknesses” designation from the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ND ESPB)/State Review team. 

The second phase of the process involved a comprehensive assessment of the curriculum and field experiences, in accordance with the InTASC standards. This included a self-study report from DSU, submitted in early fall 2023, followed by formative feedback from the CAEP team in July 2024. The final step was a virtual site visit conducted by the CAEP team, which included representatives from five different states, from November 4-7, 2024. The focus of the site visit was on evaluating the teaching and content knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for teacher candidates to become successful educators. The accreditation team emphasized the importance of demonstrating quality assurance and providing evidence that teacher candidates, program completers, and the overall teacher education program are meeting both state and CAEP standards. 

CAEP Site Review Team Findings 

The CAEP Site Review Team evaluated the DSU Educator Preparation Program across five key standards. The evidence presented was found to be consistently aligned with CAEP’s expectations for completeness, accuracy, and quality. The findings for each standard were as follows: 

  • Standard R1 - Content and Pedagogical Knowledge: The evidence presented met CAEP’s expectations for thoroughness, accuracy, and quality. 
  • Standard R2 - Clinical Partnerships and Practice: The evidence presented met the expectations for completeness, accuracy, and quality, demonstrating strong clinical partnerships. 
  • Standard R3 - Candidate Recruitment, Progression, and Support: The evidence showed that DSU’s EPP meets the required standards in terms of recruitment, progression, and support for candidates. 
  • Standard 4 - Program Impact: The program demonstrated a positive impact in line with CAEP’s standards for program effectiveness. 
  • Standard 5 - Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement: DSU provided substantial evidence of continuous improvement and quality assurance throughout the program. 

Recognition of Excellence 

The CAEP Site Review Team highlighted several areas where DSU’s Educator Preparation Program excelled. Dr. Larry Daniel, Chair of the CAEP Site Team, commended the program as “worthy of celebration” in the following areas: 

  1. Embracing Organizational Change: The program effectively reduced credit limits while maintaining the integrity of content and pedagogy. 
  2. Collaboration Between Faculty, Students, and P-12 Partners: The program fostered a “special synergy” between faculty, students, and its K-12 partners, facilitating a strong collaborative environment. 
  3. Commitment to Innovation: The program demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous improvement, with faculty and staff consistently seeking innovative ways to offer multi-modal instruction that meets the needs of students. 
  4. Impressive Candidates and Alumni: The ability of DSU’s candidates and alumni to naturally and authentically respond to the language of the InTASC standards was noted as particularly impressive. 
  5. Academic Leadership and Faculty Contributions: The leadership of the Educator Preparation Program and the dedication of its faculty were highly praised. Special recognition was given to Professor Amy Grinsteinner and Dr. Pam Krueger for their diligence in preparing for the site visit. 

A Perfect Rating 

DSU’s Educator Preparation Program achieved one of the highest distinctions possible, receiving a perfect rating with no areas of improvement or stipulations—an accomplishment achieved by only a few educator preparation programs in North Dakota. The next CAEP accreditation site visit will take place during the 2031-2032 academic year. 

The successful outcome of DSU’s CAEP accreditation underscores the university’s commitment to preparing high-quality educators who are ready to meet the challenges of the classroom. The recognition of excellence reflects the hard work and dedication of the faculty and staff within the School of Education, who continue to provide exemplary teacher preparation.