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English Language Program Accreditation: Standards to Support Success #1090

The Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) is a U.S.-based non-governmental, non-profit accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an authority on the accreditation of postsecondary English language programs in universities and colleges and independent English language schools. CEA provides accreditation services in the U.S. and internationally. Among accrediting agencies, CEA is considered a specialized agency in that it accredits a specific field of study. CEA is also considered a hybrid agency in that it grants both programmatic and institutional accreditation. CEA’s mission statement reflects CEA’s scope of accreditation as well as common attributes of accrediting agencies in the U.S. This presentation will briefly explain the development of CEA, its mission, and its values; provide information about the accreditation process; and highlight some requirements of the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions that support professionalism in English language teaching at the postsecondary level.