About the Committee on Accreditation

Under the auspices of Senate Bills 148 (Bergeson, 1988) and 655 (Bergeson, 1993), the education community in California launched an initiative to create a professional accreditation and certification system that would contribute to excellence in California public education well into the 21st Century.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the nation's oldest independent teaching standards board, has long engaged in credential program reviews. However, the Commission adopted the Accreditation Framework [PDF], to replace program review with a professional accreditation process.

Oversight of the accreditation system has now been delegated to the Committee on Accreditation. This Committee, appointed by the Commission, has been charged with the task of deciding on the continuing accreditation of educator preparation institutions and programs, deciding on the initial accreditation of programs submitted by eligible institutions, and determining the comparability of national or alternative program standards with California standards of educator preparation. This accreditation process is designed to assure the public and the Legislature that these programs are effectively training school personnel to function in the credential areas for which they are being prepared. The accreditation procedures developed by the Committee on Accreditation may be found in the Accreditation Handbook.

This accreditation system for California emphasizes the essential participation of professional educators in the development of accreditation policies and procedures, the conduct of institutional reviews, and the determination of accreditation decisions. The twelve member Committee on Accreditation, carefully selected from a pool of distinguished educators, embodies the expertise, experiences, and commitment envisioned by the writers of the Accreditation Handbook.

Nominations to the COA

Each April, the Commission chooses three individuals to serve on the Committee on Accreditation.  Members of the COA are chosen based on their distinguished service in education.  Nominations are accepted each January and nominees must be employed in either K-12 education or in an institution of higher education.  Prospective members submit application materials (see below) by the deadline.  A nominations panel screens the applications and determines the finalists.  Finalists move forward to the review by members of the Commission, which typically includes an interview.  The Commission may choose new members and individuals to serve on an alternate pool should vacancies occur outside the regular term.

Applications must include the following:

1. A completed Nomination Form
2. A letter of interest that describes why the nominee would like to serve on the COA
3. A resume/vita limited to three pages
4. A signed Employer Form
5. A completed Demographic Information Form

Openings on the COA