School Librarian Preparation Standards approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

CHICAGO – At its August 2019 meeting, the Specialized Professional Associations Standards committee of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) approved the “ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians” prepared and presented by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

Prepared by AASL’s CAEP coordinating committee under the guidance of co-chairs April Dawkins and Gail Dickinson, the “ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians” fully align with AASL’s “National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries.”

“We are excited to share the new school librarian preparation standards with everyone,” said Dawkins. “Work began on these standards in April of 2017 when a working group was formed to examine the AASL Standards prior to its publication. We are grateful to the many members of the school library community who have provided important feedback to the CAEP coordinating committee as we developed these standards. We believe they will help strengthen the future of school librarianship.”

“I want to thank the CAEP coordinating committee for their thorough revision of the CAEP accreditation standards for school librarians,” said AASL President Mary Keeling. “In development for two years, this remarkable document will ensure that academic institutions have clear direction for preparing school librarians to be culturally responsive leaders as well as experts in pedagogy, literacy, and information practices.”

With the adoption begins a 2-year transition period during which programs may choose to use the 2010 standards or the 2019 standards when they develop key assessments.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.