William & Mary School of Education receives national leadership recognition for educator preparation
The William & Mary School of Education received the 2026 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). This prestigious award highlighting leadership, service and innovation was awarded to 22 providers.
During its Fall 2025 review, the CAEP Accreditation Council approved William & Mary under CAEP’s nationally recognized Teacher Preparation Standards. Providers seeking CAEP accreditation must show that they meet nationally recognized standards. According to CAEP, its review looks for evidence that graduates are prepared to be competent and caring educators, and that faculty and staff can use evidence to maintain and improve their programs.
“These providers meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” said CAEP President Christopher A. Koch. “Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”
The Frank Murray recognition, announced in September 2026, is a further honor tied to the results of the accreditation review. Recipients are selected from providers granted accreditation by CAEP at the initial level in the previous year. CAEP gives the honor to providers that earn accreditation with no stipulations or areas for improvement and demonstrate evidence and data trends in their review.
“This recognition means a great deal to the School of Education because it affirms our commitment to continuous improvement and to ensuring that our candidates receive the best preparation possible to effectively serve their students and communities,” said Lindy Johnson, associate dean for academic affairs. “Like football, accreditation is a team sport! This recognition celebrates the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, candidates and community partners who work together to strengthen our programs and support student success.”
In Fall 2025, the School of Education received CAEP accreditation at both the initial-licensure and advanced levels. At the initial level, accredited programs that lead to licensure include the M.A.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, with concentrations in Elementary, Secondary, Special Education and Bilingual Education. At the advanced level, the PK-12 Administration, School Psychology, School Counseling and Reading Specialist programs also earned accreditation.
The national Frank Murray recognition is named after the founding president of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Providers selected for this recognition advance excellence in educator preparation through purposeful use of self-study procedures and evidence-based reporting that assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen P–12 learning.
“We will prioritize strengthening our continuous improvement efforts through a systematic approach to maintaining and enhancing program quality,” said Johnson. “Priorities will include collecting and analyzing meaningful data, using findings to inform improvements, and engaging faculty, staff, students and community partners in the process. We will also continue to develop and nurture mutually beneficial partnerships that strengthen our programs and support student and graduate success. This recognition affirms our commitment to continuous improvement while also reinforcing that quality is an ongoing process.”
The School of Education’s recognition places William & Mary among providers across the country whose accreditation reviews showed that commitment in their evidence and results. It also creates an opportunity to consider how preparation programs can best support educators and the students they will serve.