Montclair State University Teacher Preparation Programs among 38 Educator Prep Programs Recognized for Leadership in Continuous Improvement in honor of Frank Murray

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced today that Montclair State University is one of 32 providers from 16 states, Puerto Rico and Jordan to receive recognition for their leadership and commitment to continuous improvement.

Recipients of the 2022 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement are selected from the educator preparation providers that were granted accreditation by CAEP at the initial level from the previous year. Each awardee provided a full complement of evidence with demonstrated data trends and no stipulations or areas for improvement. Providers selected for recognition advance equity and excellence in educator preparation through the 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.

Montclair State University, currently the second largest higher-education institution in the state of New Jersey with over 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students, is committed to serving the education needs of New Jersey. The teacher preparation programs at Montclair State University have been preparing great teachers for over 100 years. Montclair State University prepares aspiring teachers to make real differences in their classrooms and in the lives of their students. “Our students, faculty, staff, and school partners should be very proud of the work they are doing. We have set a high bar for our teacher preparation programs and CAEP Accreditation validates the hard work we are doing,” said Dr. Katrina Bulkley, Interim Dean for the College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University

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.”

CAEP accreditation serves the dual purposes of accountability and continuous improvement. 471 educator preparation providers in 45 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, by completion, for the challenging responsibilities that educators face in America’s classrooms. Approximately, 600 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including many previously accredited through former standards.
“Our students and their families are investing in an education program that is designated as nationally accredited for teacher preparation” Interim Dean Dr. Katrina Bukley said.

Other recipients of the Frank Murray Recognition for Continuous Improvement include: