Accreditation
The UWF School of Education continues to be recognized as a highly effective educator preparation unit producing caring, competent, and qualified educators.
Through the School of Education programs, candidates acquire KNOWLEDGE in their coursework, refine pedagogical techniques through ACTION, and demonstrate LEADERSHIP skills in their educational environment. School of Education graduates make a difference!
The School of Education is a member of the UWF Professional Education Unit. The Unit includes educator preparation programs from these departments and colleges:
Professional Education Unit Accreditation
The Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida is accredited based on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) through Spring 2030. CAEP is the only CHEA recognized national accreditor for educator preparation.
This accreditation covers initial teacher certification preparation programs (traditional and alternative) and advanced educator certification preparation programs at the Pensacola and online campuses. However, the accreditation does not include individual education courses that the institution offers to P-12 educators for professional development, relicensure, or other purposes.
The Professional Education Unit includes the following programs:
- Elementary Education, B.A.
- Exceptional Student/Elementary Education, B.A.
- Educational Leadership, M.Ed.
- Physical Education Teacher Education, B.S.
- Reading Education, M.Ed.
- TeacherReady
- UWF-Teach (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Mathematics, Physics)
UWF Educator Preparation Programs Approved by the Florida DOE
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
CAEP is the only national accreditor for educator preparation recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Vision
Excellence in educator preparation accreditation.
Mission
CAEP advances equity and excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.
Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement.
Contact CAEP
1140 19th St NW, Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 223-0077
CAEP Accountability Measures
UWF teacher education programs understand the importance of regularly monitoring and analyzing data trends for the accountability measures and to share these measures with not only our stakeholders, but also the public.
Each menu option below contains documents in support of the listed measure.
Programs use the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Value-Added Measures (VAM) data to demonstrate impact on P-12 students. The chart below shows UWF program metric scores and the statewide benchmark for like programs.
NOTE: When no scores are available, it indicates that the program did not meet the minimum number of completers for the metric or that the metric was not applicable in the completer's classroom. Statewide benchmark metric data will be available in Summer 2026.
Additional data can be found in the summary document FDOE Value Added Measures.
The Education Preparation Program and Education Preparation Institute utilize Teacher Evaluation Results metric included in the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Annual Program Performance Report (APPR). Overall, completers rate either at the Highly Effective or Effective rating, demonstrating effectiveness as a teacher. The chart below shows UWF program metric scores, and the statewide benchmark for like programs.
NOTE: No scores indicate that the program did not meet the minimum number of completers for the metric. Statewide benchmark metric data will be available in Summer 2026.
Additional data can be found in the summary document, FDOE Annual Evaluations.
Satisfaction of Employers
The UWF School of Education annually surveys employers of those who have completed our program.
Initial Programs (Traditional) - Survey of Employers
Educational Leadership Program - Survey of Employers
Reading Program - Survey of Employers
The most recent surveys are posted. Employers are surveyed in the Spring; updates will be added in the Fall.
Stakeholder Involvement
The School of Education looks to two external Advisory Councils to provide input and to guide program improvement.
- School of Education Advisory Council > This group focuses on Initial programs and the Reading M.Ed. program. Membership includes district principals, teachers, directors, and specialists.
- Educational Leadership Advisory Council > This group focuses on the specific nature of Educational Leadership programs and needs. It includes stakeholders in leadership positions from local districts.
Additional information on the School of Education Advisory Council and the Educational Leadership Advisory Council is outlined in the document School of Education Advisory Councils.
All candidates are required to pass all Florida Department of Education (FDOE) tests to demonstrate competency prior to program completion. The candidate readiness score considers the appropriate Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE), Subject Area (SAE), and Professional Education (PED) exams, and whether candidates passed the exam on the first or second attempt. The chart below shows UWF program metric scores and the statewide benchmark for like programs.
NOTE: No scores indicate that the program did not meet the minimum number of completers for the metric. Statewide benchmark metric data will be available in Summer 2026.
Additional information is available by viewing the Assessment Pass Rate as reported by the Florida Department of Education for the Title II Higher Education Act in the following documents:
- Traditional Programs AY 2024-25 (NOTE: Excludes Educational Leadership scores)
- Alternative Certification Program AY 2024-25
The Education Preparation Program and Education Preparation Institute utilize the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Workforce Contribution metric in the Annual Program Performance Report (APPR), which accounts for program completers placed in Florida public and private schools and out-of-state P-12 schools. The chart below shows UWF program metric scores, and the statewide benchmark for like programs. Overall, UWF is at or above the state benchmark. The TeacherReady (EPI) program falls below the benchmark, as a large percentage of their completers are employed outside of Florida public P-12 schools in other states.
NOTE: No scores indicate that the program did not meet the minimum number of completers for the metric. Statewide benchmark metric data will be available in Summer 2026.
Additional data can be found by reviewing the summary document, Workforce Contribution Metric.
Supporting Documentation
The Professional Education Unit (the Unit) monitors candidate performance throughout a student’s program and following program completion. Assessing candidate performance enables the Unit to identify practices we are doing well and areas for improvement.
Select each program category below for the most recent reports by program. NOTE: Final Florida Department of Education Annual Program Performance Reports are received in the summer and will be updated when received.
Satisfaction of Completers
The UWF School of Education conducts an annual survey of our program completers.
