Glossary of Key AAQEP Terms

AAQEP liaison	An individual designated by AAQEP to facilitate a member cohort and assist providers through the quality assurance review process.
Accreditation Action Report	An official record of actions taken by the AAQEP Accreditation Commission on a provider’s case. This report is posted publicly on the AAQEP website.
Accreditation Commission	The decision-making authority for AAQEP. Determines accreditation status for a provider based on its self-study report and Quality Review Team Report.
accreditation decision	Ruling by the Accreditation Commission, based on the self-study report and Quality Review Team Report, marking the conclusion of a quality assurance review.
Accreditation Management Platform	A digital workspace and system for AAQEP members to organize and store their accreditation work.
Accreditation Proposal	An optional report in which a provider outlines proposed evidence sources for Standards 1 and 2, its processes for ensuring data quality of those measures, and plans for carrying out its next self-study; trained peer reviewers provide formative feedback.
accreditation status	Award granted by the Accreditation Commission affirming a program meets AAQEP’s standards; may carry a term of 7, 5, or 2 years.
advanced educator preparation program	A program that prepares already-licensed educators to qualify for additional credentials or that adds to their professional capabilities.
adverse action	Denial or revocation of accreditation by the Accreditation Commission; indicates that a program does not meet one or more of AAQEP’s standards.
ambassador	A volunteer who has a deep familiarity with AAQEP’s process and philosophy and supports the organization and its members in a variety of ways. Ambassadors assist with presentations, facilitate conversations among providers, and serve as spokespeople for AAQEP based on their own experience with the process.
Annual Report	A provider’s yearly update to AAQEP on the context and work of its accredited programs; addresses how the quality affirmed in the most recent accreditation decision is being maintained or enhanced and what steps the provider is taking to address opportunities identified in its previous self-study and/or Accreditation Action Report.
Annual Update	A provider’s yearly membership update to AAQEP on program productivity, completed in the Accreditation Management Platform by all regular members, regardless of accreditation status. Productivity numbers reported in the Annual Update are used to determine the provider’s membership dues.
aspect	One of seven constituent dimensions of each AAQEP standard. Evidence related to each aspect of a standard must be part of the evidence set for the standard. Aspects are integral to the standard, not separable components or elements to be judged independently.
assessment system	A collection of policies, procedures, and structures used to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret assessment data and share results with stakeholders for the purpose of making informed decisions that affect a program and its constituents.*
candidate	A person enrolled in a program with the intent of becoming a credentialed professional educator or of adding one or more additional credentials in order to take on a new role as an education professional.
clarification questions	Questions that are recorded in the Previsit Report based on the review team’s read of the provider’s self-study. The provider posts written responses to the questions in its self-study template in the Accreditation Management Platform at least one week before the beginning of the site visit.
clinical experience	Educator candidates’ engagement in authentic educational settings appropriate to the degree or credential being sought, supported by coursework and supervision that gradually releases them to independent practice.
clinical practice	Practical experience in an authentic school setting performing the tasks and duties appropriate to the educational credential or role for which one is being prepared.
cohort	A group of provider representatives who share an AAQEP liaison and may participate in a joint monthly check-in call to receive updates, ask questions, and, to the extent desired, provide mutual support and feedback.
commendation	Notation that the Accreditation Commission may attach to an accreditation action (decision); a commendation is awarded when evidence shows outstanding performance on one or more aspects of a standard or a standard as a whole.
comment	Notation that the Accreditation Commission may attach to an accreditation action (decision); a comment calls attention to a finding of program strength that is noteworthy but not so significant or pervasive as to warrant a commendation.
completer	A candidate who has successfully finished a preparation program.
concern	Notation that the Accreditation Commission may attach to an accreditation action (decision); a concern is a shortcoming in relation to one or more aspects of a standard. Evidence regarding progress in addressing concerns must be presented in the provider’s Annual Report.
condition	Notation that the Accreditation Commission may attach to an accreditation action (decision); a condition is a significant problem that threatens a provider’s ability to meet a standard and that thus requires immediate action. Notation of one condition may allow full accreditation, but evidence of the condition’s resolution must be provided within 2 years. The noting of two conditions leads to the award of a probationary 2-year term of accreditation. Failure to resolve any condition in 2 years results in adverse action.
criteria for success	The stated expectations for candidate or completer performance, either defined by a provider or specified by an external authority, such as for state licensure examinations.
descriptor	A statement that describes the differentiated application of an aspect of Standard 1 or 2 to a preparation program for one of four types of professional education roles (initial teacher, advanced educator, P-12 leader, or specialized personnel preparation). Descriptors provide parameters, not prescriptions, for the development of self-study reports.
direct measure	A measure based on direct observation and documentation of performance in an actual educational setting; may include remote observation using recording technology.
evidence	Data and documentation that supports or refutes a claim and informs a conclusion or judgment.*
Evidence Summary Table	Templated table used in each of AAQEP’s report types, outlining the use of evidence in the report and alignment to each of the aspects of Standards 1 and 2.
expectations framework	A document defining AAQEP’s four standards, their associated aspects, descriptors for the application of the aspects of Standards 1 and 2 to different program types, and evidence requirements.
fairness	The quality of being just, unbiased, and equitable in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and in the resulting decisions and actions based on those data.*
Initial Accreditation Report (IAR)	A self-study report completed in the Accreditation Management Platform in application for 5-year initial accreditation status; presents a set of projected measures with specified criteria for success to meet the AAQEP standards 1 and 2 along with descriptions of program practices that meet Standards 3 and 4.
initial accreditation status	Nonrenewable, 5-year award granted by the Accreditation Commission affirming a program meets AAQEP’s standards.
initial teacher preparation program	A program that prepares individuals for their first professional teaching credential (certificate or license).
internal audit	A process in which a provider identifies elements of its admission, monitoring, and support system and evaluates them to ensure candidate success; supports Aspect 3a.
local practitioner	A provider-nominated representative from the field who completes AAQEP training and serves as a member of the Quality Review Team. The practitioner has relevant experience (in a role such as a practicing or recently retired teacher, administrator, counselor, or other as appropriate to the programs seeking accreditation) and familiarity with the program and its completers.
observation	Notation that the Accreditation Commission may attach to an accreditation action (decision); an observation offers relatively neutral, nonevaluative feedback to the provider.
outcome data	Data related to completer performance; may be gathered during candidates’ progress through the program, in an applicable culminating clinical experience, or after program completion. Used to address aspects of AAQEP Standards 1 and 2.
P-12 leader preparation program	A program preparing individuals (usually holders of a professional education credential) for credentials as building principals, district superintendents, and other educational leaders or administrators.
peer reviewer	An AAQEP-trained volunteer who takes part in the quality assurance process as either a proposal reviewer or a quality assurance reviewer.
Previsit Report	A document produced by the Quality Review Team during the previsit review based on team members’ reading of the provider’s self-study. The Previsit Report includes a draft summary and specification of the case along with clarification questions for the provider to address at least one week prior to the site visit.
primary contact	The individual designated by an institution or organization to serve as the chief administrator for its AAQEP membership; serves as the main point of contact for membership dues, reporting, cohort assignments, and record keeping.
probationary accreditation status	Award granted by the Accreditation Commission affirming a program meets AAQEP’s standards but has two conditions that must be resolved within 2 years.
program	(a) A set of academic courses and experiences that lead to a recommendation for state licensure, certification, or endorsement, to additional expertise, and/or to an academic degree; (b) collective term for the portfolio of individual programs included in a provider’s scope of accreditation.
Program Specification Table	A templated format for reporting a provider’s scope of review by AAQEP, including each program’s name, level, and corresponding state license or certificate (if any) along with enrollment and productivity data.
Proposal Review Form	The document used by proposal reviewers to jointly record feedback on a provider’s Accreditation Proposal.
proposal reviewer	An AAQEP-trained volunteer who peer-reviews a provider’s Accreditation Proposal in collaboration with a second reviewer.
provider	An institution or organization that provides one or more educator preparation programs. In the AAQEP model, regular membership is held by providers.
Quality Assurance Report (QAR)	A comprehensive self-study report completed in the Accreditation Management Platform in application for 7-year accreditation status; presents evidence to support the claim that the program meets each of the four standards.
quality assurance review	The peer-review segment of the AAQEP accreditation cycle; includes a previsit review and site visit and culminates in an accreditation decision.
quality assurance reviewer	An AAQEP-trained volunteer who serves as a peer reviewer on a Quality Review Team in previsit review and site visit components of the quality assurance review process.
Quality Review Team	A group consisting of AAQEP-trained quality assurance reviewers who conduct a quality assurance review. Teams include reviewers who fill the role of a team lead and a local practitioner nominated by the provider. The size of the QRT is based on the size and complexity of the program(s) under review. A typical team consists of four to five individuals.
Quality Review Team Report	Report authored by reviewers summarizing the team’s findings after the site visit. A draft of the report is shared with the provider for factual correction; the final report is shared with both the provider and the AAQEP Accreditation Commission.
reaffirmation/reaccreditation	The process by which a program affirms that it continues to meet AAQEP’s standards based on a new quality assurance review.
reliability	The dependability of an assessment instrument to produce consistent results.*
self-study template	Digital structure for a self-study report in the Accreditation Management Platform; contains section-by-section instructions and provides a secure location for hosting evidence files.
site visit liaison	An AAQEP staff member or consultant assigned to a particular quality assurance review to support the Quality Review Team, the provider, and if applicable, state partners throughout the process.
site visit observer	An individual granted permission by a provider to attend portions of its quality assurance review.
specialized professional personnel preparation program	A program that prepares candidates for roles for which a teaching credential may not be a prerequisite, such as school psychologist, school counselor, school librarian, etc.
stakeholder surveys	Electronic surveys administered to select candidates and program faculty as part of AAQEP’s site visit process to supplement the evidence provided in the self-study report.
third-party comment	Feedback collected from the public and various stakeholders about a provider 4-6 months prior to the site visit that becomes part of the provider’s case record.
training modules	Online professional learning provided by AAQEP to prepare volunteers consistently for their peer-review roles.
trustworthiness	The quality of credibility in a body of evidence (quantitative and qualitative) indicating that it can be relied upon to assess quality and to guide improvement.* For qualitative data specifically, this refers to the credibility of presentation and conclusions (see Maxwell, 2013).
validity	The degree to which an assessment instrument accurately measures what it is intended to measure, and the degree to which the subsequent inferences made are appropriate considering the instrument’s intention.*
working groups	Ad hoc bodies of interested stakeholders in educator preparation convened by AAQEP to develop recommendations for the organization’s standards, processes, and practices.

* For more information about practices for ensuring data quality, see Duerr and Pickreign (2026), Beyond accreditation: Designing and implementing meaningful quality assurance and continuous improvement systems.