Public Comments for: HB1674 - Professional education programs; exemption for programs leading to certain endorsements.
As a faculty member in James Madison University's School Psychology MA/EdS Program, I urge you to consider passing HB 1674 to eliminate the redundancy and allow school psychology and school counseling programs to focus on just one accreditation process.
The Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE) strongly supports HB 1674, sponsored by Delegate Amy Laufer, to address challenges faced by school psychology and counseling programs in Virginia. VACTE, representing 36 educator preparation programs across public and private institutions, highlights that current state policy requires these programs to comply with dual accreditation standards: one from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and another from their specialized accrediting bodies, such as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the American Psychological Association (APA), or the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This dual requirement creates unnecessary redundancy, administrative burden, and complexity, diverting faculty and staff from their primary mission—training highly qualified professionals. HB 1674 would waive CAEP accreditation for programs already accredited by their specialized bodies, aligning Virginia with national CAEP policies and eliminating this duplication. The bill ensures no compromise in program quality or rigor, instead allowing these programs to focus on meeting field-specific standards. This change addresses a pressing need, as Virginia has faced an average of 100 unfilled school psychologist positions and 150 unfilled school counseling positions annually over the past three years. By streamlining accreditation, 17 school counseling programs and 5 school psychology programs in Virginia could operate more efficiently, allocate resources effectively, and better meet workforce demands in schools. HB 1674 provides a critical solution to reduce bureaucratic hurdles, improve program efficiency, and strengthen Virginia’s P-12 schools by addressing the shortage of school counselors and psychologists.
The attachment includes a letter documenting support for HB1674
Please see the attached in support of HB 1674. Thank you! -Jeff Davis UVA School of Education and Human Development
Greetings. Please see the attached support letter for HB1674. Thank you! Sincerely, Christine Christianson
Letter of support for HB 1674, sponsored by Delegate Amy Laufer (District 55) on behalf of the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE).
Attached is the VACTE support letter for HB 1674. Thank you!
Support HB 1674 because the current situation is double work for same outcome
See attachment explaining why I support this bill.
I am writing in support of HB 1674 to eliminate the dual accreditation requirement for school psychology and school counseling programs. Due to the rigorous field-specific standards of the above fields, it is redundant and time-intensive to provide evidence of compliance with NASP, APA, CACREP and then CAEP. This elimination actually aligns Virginia's policy with CAEP policy, which provides states with the option to waive CAEP for those specific programs.
As the CACREP liaison for the counselor education programs in the CAEP accredited VCU School of Education, I endorse this bill to eliminate redundacy in the mechanisms that ensure highly rigorous education programs that prepare school counselors. We intend to continue to affirm our CACREP accreditation that requires graduate students to complete 60 credit hours of coursework and 700 hours of field experiences in k-12 schools. CAEP recognizes that CACREP is rigorous and requires programs to prepare future school counselors to meet the current needs of K-12 students. Therefore, only one type of accreditation program is necessary.
We are writing on behalf of the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE) to express our strong support for HB 1674, sponsored by Delegate Amy Laufer (District 55). VACTE represents the 36 educator preparation programs across Virginia, including faculty, staff, deans, and administrators within both public and private institutions of higher education. Our membership’s programs span a diverse array of education disciplines, including school psychologists and school counselors. The current Virginia code designates the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as the sole accrediting body for educator preparation programs. While this policy works well for many fields, it creates a unique challenge for school psychology and school counseling programs. These programs are required to meet the accreditation standards of both CAEP and their respective specialized accrediting bodies, such as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). These specialized accrediting organizations develop rigorous, field-specific standards to ensure the quality of training for school psychologists and counselors. However, the dual accreditation process adds redundancy, complexity, and significant administrative burden. Faculty and staff are stretched thin, focusing on compliance with two separate sets of accreditation standards, rather than on the core mission of educating and training highly qualified professionals. HB 1674 would eliminate this dual accreditation requirement, aligning Virginia's policy with CAEP policy, which allows states to waive CAEP accreditation for specific programs if those programs are accredited by specialized accrediting bodies. Virginia is the exception to the rule and frequently mentioned when CAEP trains new accreditation site reviewers. The bill would provide the flexibility needed to ensure that school psychology and counseling programs in Virginia can focus on the standards that best serve their fields, reducing unnecessary duplication and streamlining the accreditation process. This change would not compromise the quality or rigor of these programs. On the contrary, it would allow faculty and staff to dedicate more time and resources to training the next generation of school counselors and school psychologists, who are in critical demand in our schools. Over the past three years, Virginia has averaged 100 unfilled school psychologist positions and 150 school counseling positions, highlighting the urgency of addressing this workforce gap. HB 1674 would directly benefit 17 school counseling programs and 5 school psychology programs in Virginia. By reducing bureaucratic hurdles, we can increase the efficiency of these programs and enhance the quality of education they provide, ultimately strengthening Virginia’s P-12 schools.
Support Letter is attached.
VACTE and Liberty University feel that if a program passes CACREP accreditation successfully, the university should be allowed to use that review to meet the CAEP standards, as outlined by CAEP.
Please support this bill. It removes an unnecessary redundancy in the accreditation process and will free up resources to better prepare educators in Virginia.
The proposed change would not compromise the quality or rigor of the Commonwealth's school psychology or school counseling programs. On the contrary, it would allow faculty and staff to dedicate more time and resources to training the next generation of school counselors and school psychologists, who are in critical demand in our schools. Over the past three years, Virginia has averaged 100 unfilled school psychologist positions and 150 school counseling positions, highlighting the urgency of addressing this workforce gap. HB 1674 would directly benefit 17 school counseling programs and 5 school psychology programs in Virginia. By reducing bureaucratic hurdles, we can increase the efficiency of these programs and enhance the quality of education they provide, ultimately strengthening Virginia’s P-12 schools. See attached letter.
I support this effort to allow programs recognized by NASP and accredited by CACREP to be removed from the CAEP review process. CAEP standards are primarily for teacher, or advanced teacher, fields. The standards of CAEP are not an appropriate fit for School Counseling and School Psychology and by forcing them to report under CAEP only create an unnecessary distractions from their primary, and critical, roles. Reviews under CACREP and NASP are comprehensive, field appropriate, and more than enough without the burden of an additional CAEP review. Please approved swiftly! Thank you! Adrienne Sullivan, Falls Church, VA
see attached letter
Remove requirement for dual accredictation for teacher preparation programs.
The attached letter is written in support of HB 1674 by the membership of the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators.
See attached letter
Currently, Virginia law mandates the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as the sole accrediting body for educator preparation programs. While this requirement suits many fields, it poses significant challenges for school psychology and counseling programs. These fields must also meet the accreditation standards of their respective specialized organizations, such as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). These specialized organizations establish rigorous, field-specific standards essential to maintaining the quality of training in their areas. However, the requirement to secure dual accreditation adds unnecessary complexity and administrative strain, diverting resources from the primary mission of preparing competent professionals. HB 1674 addresses this issue by removing the dual accreditation mandate, aligning Virginia’s policies with CAEP guidelines and with the policies in many other states. Under CAEP policy, states may waive CAEP accreditation for programs accredited by specialized accrediting bodies. Virginia’s expectation that programs go through accreditation twice is an outlier, often cited in CAEP training sessions for accreditation site reviewers. This bill would reduce redundancy and enable school psychology and counseling programs to focus on standards that best align with their professional fields without compromising program quality or rigor. By streamlining the accreditation process, faculty and staff would be able to allocate more time and energy toward educating the next generation of school psychologists and counselors—professions that are critically understaffed in Virginia. HB 1674 would directly impact 17 school counseling programs and 5 school psychology programs across Virginia, eliminating unnecessary hurdles and enhancing their efficiency. This change would strengthen the quality of education provided by these programs, ultimately bolstering Virginia’s educational system and better meeting the needs of its students.
See attached letter.
I am writing on behalf of the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE) to express our strong support for HB 1674. VACTE represents educator preparation programs across Virginia, including faculty, staff, deans, and administrators from 36 educator preparation programs within both public and private institutions of higher education. Our membership's programs span a diverse array of education disciplines, including school psychologists and school counselors. The current Virginia code designates the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as the sole accrediting body for educator preparation programs. While this policy works well for many fields, it creates a unique challenge for school psychology and school counseling programs. These programs are required to meet the accreditation standards of both CAEP and their respective specialized accrediting bodies, such as the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). These specialized accrediting organizations develop rigorous, field-specific standards to ensure the quality of training for school psychologists and counselors. However, the dual accreditation process adds redundancy, complexity, and significant administrative burden. Faculty and staff are often stretched thin, focusing on compliance with two separate sets of accreditation standards, rather than on the core mission of educating and training highly qualified professionals. HB 1674 would eliminate this dual accreditation requirement, aligning Virginia's policy with CAEP policy. CAEP policy allows states to waive CAEP accreditation for specific programs if those programs are accredited by specialized accrediting bodies. Virginia is the exception to the rule and is frequently mentioned when CAEP trains new accreditation site reviewers. The bill would provide the flexibility needed to ensure that school psychology and counseling programs in Virginia can focus on the standards that best serve their fields, reducing unnecessary duplication and streamlining the accreditation process. This change would not compromise the quality or rigor of these programs. On the contrary, it would allow faculty and staff to dedicate more time and resources to training the next generation of school counselors and school psychologists, who are in critical demand in our schools. Over the past three years, Virginia has averaged 100 unfilled school psychologist positions and 150 school counseling positions, highlighting the urgency of addressing this workforce gap. HB 1674 would directly benefit 17 school counseling programs and 5 school psychology programs in Virginia. By reducing bureaucratic hurdles, we can increase the efficiency of these programs and enhance the quality of education they provide, ultimately strengthening Virginia’s educational system.
Dear House of Delegates, I am disheartened by the lack of high expectations and standards for Virginia’s schools. Many politicians and people believe throwing money at the issue will fix it. Nope Where are the parents, guardians of the students who are being disruptive and causing harm? It was Never about the salary! It was always about the poor policies, low standards and expectations for the students. Stop making excuses for some and not the others. All schools must follow The Student Code of Conduct. Fact: there are teachers and administrators who are too lazy to follow the policies and be consistent. I refuse to let this go because I know we must be fair. Schools that allow bad behavior instead of discipline and accountability are shameful. Look at our society now. Please stop covering up bad behaviors with low standards, excuses, and now metal detectors. Stop lowering standards in one place and raising standards in another. Encourage hard work and dedication without government dependency. Please stop dividing us into groups based on race, religion, gender, etc. Where is the home?
Comments Document
See attached letter of support.