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 2025. 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
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.
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: The FDOE introduced new metrics in 2024. Benchmark data for 2025 will be updated Summer 2025 when statewide data is available.
Additional data can be found by reviewing the summary document FDOE Annual Evaluations.
Programs also utilize the FDOE Value Added Measures (VAM) data to show impact on P-12 students. The chart below shows UWF program metric scores, and the statewide benchmark for like programs.
Note: The FDOE introduced new metrics in 2024. Benchmark data for 2025 will be updated Summer 2025 when statewide data is available.
Additional data can be found by reviewing the summary document FDOE Value Added Measures.
Satisfaction of Employers
In addition to Annual Evaluations provided by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), the UWF School of Education annually surveys employers of those who have completed our program.
Initial Programs (Traditional) (estimated completion - May 2025)
Educational Leadership (estimated completion - May 2025)
Reading Program - Survey of Employers
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 further outlined in the document School of Education Advisory Councils.
All candidates are required to pass all Florida Department of Education (FDOE) tests to show competency prior to program completion. The candidate readiness score considers the appropriate Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE), Subject Area (SAE), and the Professional Education (PED) exams, and whether candidates have passed the exam the first or second time. The chart below shows UWF program metric scores, and the statewide benchmark for like programs.
Note: The FDOE introduced new metrics in 2024. Benchmark data for 2025 will be updated Summer 2025 when statewide data is available.
Additional information is available by viewing the Assessment Pass Rate as reported by the FDOE for the Title II Higher Education Act in the following documents:
- Traditional Programs AY 2023-24 NOTE: Excludes Educational Leadership scores)
- Alternative Certification Program AY 2023-24
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: The FDOE introduced new metrics in 2024. Benchmark data for 2025 will be updated Summer 2025 when statewide data is available.
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 that can be improved upon.
A continuous improvement model guides the Unit’s review, assessment, and accreditation processes. Examples of candidate performance data include student Florida Teacher Certification Examinations scores, candidate Grade Point Averages, candidate and completer impact in P-12 settings, performance on the Uniform Core Curricula, and employer surveys.
Select each program category below for examples of Unit candidate performance data analyses and reports.
