Committee approves substitute to remove duplicative CAEP accreditation requirement for educator programs

The K‑12 Education Subcommittee reported House Bill 1674 with a substitute, 7–1. The measure would remove a statutory requirement that Virginia professional education programs obtain and maintain accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) in favor of allowing other recognized national accreditation standards for certain programs, including school counseling and school psychology programs that use specialized accrediting bodies.

Sponsor’s explanation: Delegate Amy Laufer said institutions and program leaders told her the CAEP requirement produced duplicative reviews for programs that also pursue national accreditations specific to counseling and school psychology. The substitute would permit flexibility and allow programs to rely on relevant professional accrediting organizations without the additional CAEP burden.

Support and testimony: Joel Hanel, representing the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators and an accreditation manager at the University of Virginia, detailed duplicative reporting, site visits and administrative burdens that prompt the request. The Virginia Education Association also spoke in favor.

Committee action: After agreeing to the substitute and receiving supportive testimony from higher-education accreditation professionals, the subcommittee voted 7–1 to report the measure. No organized opposition appeared in the hearing record.

Ending: Proponents said the change would reduce duplication and administrative costs for teacher-preparation programs while maintaining quality through professional accrediting bodies; the bill will move forward to the next stage in the legislative process.