Students study together at the School of Education foyer on September 17. From left to right: Junior secondary education and mathematics major Edwin John Malaga, junior secondary education and fine arts major Rjay Campo, sophomore secondary education and English major Aurea Faye Sapigao and freshman Diana Sapigao.

After a site visit and review of an extensive findings report, the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has determined to continue accreditation for the University of Guam School of Education (SOE) until 2021. The seven-year accreditation is the maximum number of years awarded by CAEP. 

The report found that SOE met national standards for initial and advanced teacher preparation levels in six areas: Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions; Assessment; Field Experience; Diversity; Faculty and Governance and Resources. The next CAEP accreditation on-site visit will take place in fall 2021.

"The CAEP report showcases the strength of our School of Education," said UOG President Dr. Robert Underwood. “Congratulations to the faculty and staff who worked very hard to meet the rigorous standards.

The report also highlighted that SOE has improved on data collection in key areas including measuring knowledge, skills, assessments and diversity. Sanchez said some of the improvements are possible because of the online system Livetext, which helps students prepare a portfolio, reflect on experiences to build skills and meet standards. Livetext also helps faculty gather data and track student progress more easily.

“We continue to see our students do well in authentic assessments, such as writing lesson plans and standard assessments, and SOE students have a 90% pass rate for Praxis exams required for teacher certification,” said Dr. John Sanchez, Dean of the School of Education. “We will continue to improve teaching and assessment levels, and there are plans to track the success rate of graduates as they enter the classroom including looking at students’ SAT10 scores in classrooms where UOG graduates are teaching.”

"Earning reaccreditation demonstrates that our education programs at UOG are as rigorous, methodical and progressive as larger universities in the United States,” said Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez, UOG Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. “Not only are we seeing students from the School of Education achieve great things, we are also seeing the faculty and staff excel on a national level.”

About the School of Education
The major mission of the School of Education is the provision of pre-service teacher education to meet the multicultural educational demands of the island's educational system as well as providing for the region as a whole. The School of Education offers six bachelor's programs and seven master's programs, leading to careers in teaching, counseling, language and literacy, school leadership, and many other fields. Currently, the school serves over 550 students in undergraduate and master's programs. For more information about the UOG School of Education, contact Dr. John Sanchez at jsanchez@triton.uog.edu.

About the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
CAEP advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning. For more information, visit: www.CAEPnet.org.