(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Office of Higher Education (OHE) Commissioner Timothy D. Larson today announced that OHE’s Alternate Route to Certification (ARC) program has received national accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) in recognition of the program’s continued excellence and impact in preparing high-quality educators for the Connecticut’s classrooms.
“I extend my congratulations to the Connecticut Office of Higher Education and the Alternate Route to Certification program on earning national accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation,” Governor Lamont said. “This recognition affirms what we in Connecticut have long known – offering a rigorous, time-condensed route to certification increases the number of qualified teachers in our classrooms and helps to build a more diverse, dynamic, and experienced educator workforce. I commend ARC’s leadership, faculty, and candidates for their commitment to excellence and for their unwavering dedication to serving students and communities across our state.”
“The success of ARC reflects the dedication of its faculty and staff who bring not only content expertise but also real-world teaching experience to the program,” Commissioner Larson said. “CAEP accreditation validates ARC’s critical role in strengthening the teaching profession in Connecticut. The Office of Higher Education remains committed to promoting equity and excellence in teacher preparation. ARC’s mission includes diversifying Connecticut’s educator workforce by actively recruiting racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse candidates.”
Commissioner Larson added that OHE’s ARC program is Connecticut’s most accelerated pathway to teacher certification, enabling college graduates to earn initial certification in as little as eight months. Designed to address persistent educator shortages, ARC offers certification in high-need subject areas including Math, Science, Technology Education, and World Languages, as well as Business, English Language Arts, Music, and currently the state’s only certification program in Family & Consumer Sciences.
“CAEP accreditation represents the highest standard in teacher preparation,” Jennifer Delaney, director of OHE’s ARC eight-month teacher preparation program, said. “Our team, instructors, and teacher candidates have worked tirelessly to deliver a program that not only meets but exceeds expectations in a demanding timeline.”
Delaney said that more than half of ARC’s candidates are employed as full-time teachers under Durational Shortage Area Permits (DSAPs) while enrolled, directly supporting school districts that face immediate staffing needs. Over the past five years, ARC has averaged 83 graduates annually, with over 5,500 total program alumni who have gone on to become classroom teachers, school administrators, and higher education leaders.
Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review of the CAEP standards, which are based on two principles:
- Solid evidence that the provider’s graduates are competent and caring educators, and
- Solid evidence that the provider’s educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.
If a program fails to meet one of the standards, it is placed on probation for two years. Probation may be lifted in two years if a program provides evidence that it meets the standard.
ARC’s program mission is to provide a time-condensed pathway to teaching credentials for adults who have a strong desire to become teachers and who possess strong academic and content backgrounds as well as a wide array of life and professional experiences. Through this mission, ARC increases the number of qualified, certified teachers entering our state’s classrooms. In addition, ARC operates with the goals of diversifying the teaching profession by encouraging the recruitment of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse candidates as well as veterans and non-certified school staff, such as paraprofessionals, tutors, substitutes, and IT personnel.
“We are tremendously proud that ARC continues to be recognized nationally for its impact,” Rachael Bernier, ARC program coordinator, said. “This program provides an accessible, high-quality route to teaching for individuals with diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Many of our graduates are veterans, paraprofessionals, and community members seeking to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives with careers from classroom teachers to administrators to the world of higher education.”
“Our teacher candidates, instructors, and administrative staff are extremely proud of the work they are doing,” Delaney said. “We’ve set a very high bar for our teacher prep program and CAEP accreditation validates the hard work we are tackling every year in a truncated eight-month program. Our teacher candidates are investing in an education program that is designated as nationally accredited for teacher preparation ultimately serving the children of Connecticut well.”
Delaney explained that she knows first-hand what a solid foundation ARC provides to graduates. “ARC produces high quality teachers that students and their families can trust in and that provides graduates with a strong basis to grow from throughout their careers. I can attest to this not only as the ARC Director, but also as an ARC graduate.”
She added that she’s proud of the ARC team, faculty, and all program stakeholders for this outstanding achievement and thanked the dedicated educators who made this success possible while also working in public schools as educators day in and day out. They include:
Ms. Leah Baranauskas
Dr. Jill Carey
Dr. Leigh DelBuono
Mrs. Cathy DiFronzo
Dr. Ed DePeau
Ms. Lynn Estey
Mrs. Jaimie Farrell
Ms. Kylie Freeman
Mr. Phil Gatcomb
Mr. Zato Kadambaya
Ms. Laura Keller
Dr. Ruth Kidwell
Mrs. Melody Lee
Mrs. Elizabeth Mancini
Dr. MJ Martinez
Mrs. Marsha Mastrocola
Ms. Alyshia Perrin
Ms. Christina Rusate
Dr. Stephanie Sanzo
Mr. Daniel Sorge
Mrs. Danielle Weber
Dr. Annie Wellington
Ms. Sheila Williams
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning. CAEP is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and utilizes a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused on educator preparation. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement.
“These institutions meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch said. “Seeking CAEP accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider.”
The Spring 2025 CAEP Accreditation Council review resulted in 34 educator preparation providers across 15 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico earning accreditation. Currently, 549 providers have achieved CAEP accreditation, meeting rigorous, nationally recognized standards that promote excellence and continuous improvement in educator preparation.