At the summer board meeting of the Iowa Board of Education, Drake’s School of Education received full accreditation for programs in undergraduate and graduate teacher education, school counseling, and school administration. The accreditation status, which is reviewed every seven years, runs through the 2023–2024 academic year.

The decision follows a comprehensive 18-month process that included a 400-page self-study, a review by an elected state panel, five meetings with state accreditation consultants, and a four-day onsite review that involved faculty, staff, students, and employers.
“The reaccreditation is an important validation of our licensure programs that enable teachers, counselors, principals, and superintendents to work in Iowa and throughout the U.S.,” said School of Education Dean Janet McMahill. “I’m extremely proud of all the faculty, staff, students, and employers who participated in the process. Associate Dean Catherine Gillespie earned the “True Blue” award for this one!”

McMahill noted that the accreditation standards were more rigorous than ever before due to revised statues in Chapter 79 – the Iowa law governing the accreditation of education programs. Drake was the first Iowa college subject to the new standards.

And while the accreditation affirms the high-level quality of Drake’s teaching programs, the School of Education strives for continued growth. Next month, the school will move into the new Collier-Scripps building in the heart of campus. The new facility will support faculty and staff as they strive to further grow and improve their programs.