• Leading by Advancing Standards

    Leading by Advancing Standards

    CEA’s mission is to protect the interests of students and promote excellence in the field of English language teaching and administration through accreditation of English language programs and institutions worldwide. CEA achieves its mission by advancing widely-held standards to foster student success and continuous program development through a rigorous process of regular self-assessment and peer evaluation.

    View Our Standards

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  • Learn more about the accreditation process and CEA standards, view fees and upcoming workshops, and download application forms.
  • The decision to study English in the United States is a big one, and with that decision come many questions.
  • Programs and institutions accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation.

Advanced Reviewer Webinar

Step 1:  Reviewer Webinar 2 - March 2016 Video (54:23) / OR PDF

This webinar will give reviewers information about the updates that were implemented in the 2015 CEA Standards, which were the result of two years of work including review by the Standards Review Committee, a special task force, and the Commission.

Part of the webinar is also an examination of the requirements and relationship between Curriculum Standard 2, Student Achievement Standard 2, and Length and Structure of Program of Study Standard 2. Of the 44 CEA Standards, these three standards are the most frequently asked about by both reviewers and sites.  Fortunately, these are also among the standards addressed and clarified by the 2015 standards updates.

Sites that began the accreditation process in 2015 were given the updated standards to use for their self-study process, so review teams will begin encountering these updated standards on site visits in 2016.

It is important to note that the intent of the CEA Standards have not changed. Editorial clarifications were made, as well as updates to the Discussion sections of several standards so that they now better explain the requirements of those standards (which, in turn, gives review teams useful new language to use in Review Team Reports), and Glossary items were added and revised.

Step 2:  After viewing the webinar, please click on the following link and respond to the survey questions.  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Mar2016RevWebinar

 

About Reviewers

Who are they?

Reviewers are volunteers who are professionals who are knowledgeable about English language programs and institutions and the field of ESL and language teaching in general. Reviewers have experience with accreditation, self-study, and/or program consulting. Reviewers must meet CEA qualifications in order to apply. They must be

  1. academically qualified, having earned graduate degrees in disciplines related to language instruction and educational administration, Masters in TESOL or closely related field highly preferred.
  2. qualified professionals at the post-secondary level who have gained the respect of their peers through their involvement in professional activities.
  3. experts who have one or more domains of expertise related to program or institution operations and some experience in the self-study process, especially in the areas of program accreditation and/or administration.
  4. effective communicators who possess demonstrated communication skills, team-building skills, and report-writing skills.

What do they do?

Reviewers are volunteers who perform two essential functions in the CEA accreditation process: They review programs and institutions that voluntarily request peer review; and they provide a written report of the review to the Commission. Reviewers typically function as fact finders for CEA, taking on the roles of observers, verifiers, reporters, and evaluators.

The first task of reviewers is to read the self-study report carefully and thoughtfully and evaluate the narrative and supporting documents against the standards. This evaluation process will guide the onsite observation and verification activities.

During the site visit, reviewers

  1. observe classes, facilities, equipment, and supplies
  2. verify the accuracy of statements made in the self-study report (For example, reviewers examine selected documents and interview administrators, staff, and students.)
  3. report the results of interviews and observations
  4. evaluate whether the site appears to meet the CEA Standards and report the results of their findings in a final team report

If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, please see Become a Reviewer.

If you have questions about the application and training process or reviewer qualifications, please contact Melissa Van De Wege, Accreditation Review Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Become a Reviewer

Procedures for Becoming a CEA Reviewer

English language professionals who are interested in being considered as CEA volunteer peer reviewers must first apply by submitting an application form, which includes:

  1. Cover letter indicating why you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer, your familiarity with English language education and administration, a brief summary of your professional activities, and a summary of what you believe to be your strengths with regard to site evaluation.
  2. A completed Reviewer Application Form, which requires the names of two references familiar with your professional qualifications.
  3. A resume that includes educational background, nature and length of experience in the field and in consulting or serving with review teams, and relevant professional involvement in appropriate associations, such as publications, presentations, etc.

CEA Peer Reviewer Application Form MS-Word

Qualified applicants will be invited to attend a required reviewer training workshop.

For questions about the application process or reviewer qualifications, please contact Melissa Van De Wege, Accreditation Review Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


Reviewer workshops are scheduled periodically throughout the year. Exact locations and times are emailed to accepted applicants.

Note: Applicants planning to attend a particular workshop must submit their application materials to CEA no later than 30 days prior to the workshop.

Advanced Reviewer Training Workshops are open to eligible reviewers, and registration information is sent to the active reviewer list approximately 30 days prior to the workshop. If you need to update your email address or contact information, please contact Melissa Van De Wege, Accreditation Review Manager at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Upcoming Reviewer Training Workshops

                       

Advanced Reviewer Training Workshops

2024

 

2024

Tuesday-Thursday, Apr. 23-25 Times 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern (US) - Virtual delivery [NOTE: 3 Four-hour sessions]

 

 

Tuesday, Mar. 26 from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm Eastern (US) - Virtual delivery

Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 8-10 Times 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern (US) - Virtual delivery [NOTE: 3 Four-hour sessions]   

Tuesday, Sep. 17 from 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm Eastern (US) - Virtual delivery    

   

                 

 


 

 
 

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