STEUBENVILLE — Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Education Department has received the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement Award at the 2025 Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation Conference. CAEP accredits 541 educator preparation programs nationwide, and only 22 of them received this honor this year.

The Murray recognition is awarded to EPPs as a recognition for leadership and continuous commitment to improvement demonstrated through self-study and evidence-based reporting. Franciscan’s EPP also was honored for excellence, continuous growth and for earning accreditation with no recommended areas for improvement identified. Prior to 2025, only three of Ohio’s 50 EPPs had earned this recognition.

“We are honored to receive this award from CAEP, which acknowledges the strong evidence-based culture of quality assurance and continuous improvement within our education program,” said Rebecca Rook, chair of Franciscan’s education department. “This recognition reflects our commitment to preparing competent, caring, profession-ready educators who positively impact P-12 student learning. Above all, it celebrates our mission to form passionate educator-witnesses who will be a transforming presence in classrooms across the world — and it is this mission that energizes and sustains us.”

The education program at Franciscan University of Steubenville takes a hands-on, faith-based approach to shaping future educators. The program forms future teachers through a curriculum rooted in best teaching practices and illuminated by the Catholic faith. Graduates provide their own students with an integrated education, helping them grow intellectually and personally.

The university’s mission-oriented educator preparation program focuses on creating educator-witnesses who are academically excellent and professionally competent in the workplace. It offers nine initial-level teacher licensure programs, including elementary, middle, secondary and special education. The faculty of Franciscan’s program has diligently worked for seven years to create and stand by a system in which all branches of the department continually seek the improvement of the program. This has helped foster a new, vibrant culture and an enhanced mentality in the system, Rook said.

The award celebrates Frank Murray, the founding president of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, and his role in the creation of CAEP as well as a single set of educator preparation standards.

“These providers are committed to preparing their candidates to make a positive difference in the lives of all K-12 students as soon as they enter the classroom,” Yuhang Rong, chair of the CAEP board of directors, said of this year’s recipients. “The Murray Leadership Recognition highlights their dedication to continuous improvement, accountability and quality through purposeful use of evidence.”