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College of Education

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Assessment and Accreditation

The Office of Assessment and Accreditation maintains national accreditation for all programs within the College of Education. The Office also makes sure that the College meets Federal and State reporting requirements, oversees the Professional Education Unit's assessment system, and conducts candidate, graduate, and employer satisfaction surveys. Simply put, our job is to ensure you will receive an education that is held to the highest standards in the nation.

Current Accreditation

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) and is currently the sole nationally recognized accrediting body for educator preparation. In April 2018, the College of Education was recognized for national excellence in educator preparation by meeting new, rigorous CAEP national accreditation standards.

National accreditation ensures that your studies in the College of Education are of the highest standard, backed by expert faculty, and built on in-depth clinical experiences. The University of South Carolina was the first university in South Carolina to seek accreditation from NCATE and has maintained this national standard since 1969.

The College of Education, as a unit, consists of all teacher education programs in the College of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Music. These initial programs were all included in the 2018 CAEP review.

  • Early Childhood, BA
  • Elementary, BA, MAT
  • Middle Level English/Math, BA, BS
  • Middle Level English/Science, BA, BS
  • Middle Level English/Social Studies, BA, BS
  • Middle Level Math/Science, BA, BS
  • Middle Level Math/Social Studies, BA, BS
  • Middle Level Science/Social Studies, BA, BS
  • Secondary English, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Math, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Biology, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Chemistry, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Earth Science, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Natural Sciences, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Physic, MAT, MT
  • Secondary Social Studies, MAT, MT
  • Special Education Learning Disabilities, MAT
  • Special Education Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, MAT
  • Special Education Mental/Intellectual Disabilities, MAT
  • Special Education Severe & Multiple Disabilities, MAT
  • Art Education, BFA, MAT (NASAD – National Recognition)
  • Physical Education, BSPE, MAT
  • Dance Education, BA (NASD – National Recognition)
  • Foreign Language: French, BA, MAT
  • Foreign Language: German, BA, MAT
  • Foreign Language: Latin, BA, MAT
  • Foreign Language: Spanish, BA, MAT
  • Music Education: Choral, BM, MAT (NSAM – National Recognition)
  • Music Education: Instrumental, BM, MAT (NSAM – National Recognition)
  • Theatre Education, MAT (NSTA – National Recognition)
  • Educational Administration, M.Ed.
  • Educational Administration, Ed.S.
  • Early Childhood Education, BA
  • Elementary Education, BA, MAT
  • Middle Level English/Math, BA, BS
  • Middle Level English/Science, BA, BS
  • Middle Level English/Social Studies, BA, BS
  • Middle Level Math/Science, BA, BS
  • Middle Level Math/Social Studies, BA, BS
  • Middle Level Science/Social Studies, BA, BS
  • Secondary English, MT
  • Secondary Biology, MT
  • Secondary Chemistry, MT
  • Secondary Math, MT
  • Secondary Physics, MT
  • Secondary Social Studies, MT
  • Special Education Multi-categorical, BA (approved for Fall 2023)
  • Special Education Multi-categorical, MAT (approved for Spring 2022)
  • Special Education Severe & Multiple Disabilities, MAT
  • Art Education, BFA, MAT (NASAD – National Recognition)
  • Physical Education, BSPE, MAT
  • Dance Education, BA (NASD – National Recognition)
  • Foreign Language: French, BA, MAT
  • Foreign Language: German, BA, MAT
  • Foreign Language: Latin, BA, MAT
  • Foreign Language: Spanish, BA, MAT
  • Music Education: Choral, BM, MAT (NSAM – National Recognition)
  • Music Education: Instrumental, BM, MAT (NSAM – National Recognition)
  • Theatre Education, MAT (NSTA – National Recognition)
  • Educational Administration, M.Ed.
  • Educational Administration, Ed.S.

Office of the Dean


July 1, 2024
Dear Colleague:


The College of Education at the University of South Carolina is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on October 21-23, 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, EPPs 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.

Letters of comment should be received by CAEP no later than September 9, 2024. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

signature

Thomas E. Hodges, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education

 

In 2021, the M.Ed. and Ed.S. advanced preparation programs in Education Administration received CAEP recognition as well. 

 For the 2019-2020 academic year the College of Education had:

  • 91% Praxis Exam Summary Pass Rate for 2019-20 graduates    
  • 93% of 2019-2020 initial education licensure graduates either agree or strongly agree that they believe their program will help prepare them for their career.
  • 98% of 2019-20 graduates were recommended for licensure.
  • 2019-2020 initial education licensure and advanced program graduates had mean GPA’s of 3.77 and 3.86, respectively.
  • 617 graduates in 2019-20:
    • 234 bachelor’s
    • 218 master’s
    • 94 doctorates
    • 41 specialists
    • 30 certificates
  • 100% of 2019-2020 initial education licensure graduates agree or strongly agree that their program of study included educational issues related to diversity.
  • 2019-2020 initial education licensure graduates were generally able to complete their degree in 5 years or less (99%).
  • 90% of 2019-2020 initial education licensure graduates agree or strongly agree that their program of study helped accommodate and modify instruction for students with differing abilities.
  • 94% of 2019-2020 initial education licensure graduates agree or strongly agree that they were satisfied with the quality of their undergraduate experience.
  • 98.8% of 2019-2020 advanced program respondents stated that their degree program gave them the appropriate knowledge for their field of study.
  • 81% of 2019-2020 advanced program respondents said their field experiences were helpful for applying the knowledge from their degree programs in practical situations.
  • 100% of our programs are recognized/recognized with condition by the following professional associations:

 

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