Background and History
In 2005, American College of Education purchased the assets of Barat College, which was affiliated with DePaul University. Barat College began as an academy for young women in Chicago in 1858 and moved to Lake Forest, Illinois, in 1904. In 1918, the State of Illinois chartered Barat as a four-year College, and in 1982, Barat became a co-educational institution. Governance of the College passed from the Society of the Sacred Heart to an independent board of trustees in 1969. In February 2001, Barat College formed an educational alliance with DePaul University. While Barat College remained a separate institution, the Barat campus became a campus in the DePaul University system. In 1943, Barat College was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. From that time forward, Barat maintained continuous accreditation.
American College of Education was formally incorporated in Illinois on February 25, 2005. Following incorporation, it purchased the intellectual property of Barat College. American College of Education immediately applied to The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to continue the accreditation of Barat College under its new name and ownership. The Higher Learning Commission approved this request in March 2006.
American College of Education is committed to providing high-quality, affordable educational programs for teachers, administrators, and other school professionals that will prepare them to meet the challenges of 21st-century students and schools. It is providing increased access to educational opportunity by offering its programs online, reducing geographic and scheduling hindrances for busy professionals. Its coursework is grounded in current research. The College enables its students to develop the knowledge and skills to be effective educators, prepared to add value to the educational system.
Mission Statement
The mission of American College of Education is to deliver affordable, online degree programs that provide evidence-based content and relevant experiences to improve educators' knowledge, skills and performance.
Core Values Statement
American College of Education has established a set of core values which undergird both its mission statement, and the goals/objectives established as guidelines for realizing this mission statement. Those core values include:
- Accountability – we are accountable for our programs and will demonstrate their effectiveness through a multi-mode, multi-level assessment program
- Affordability – we are committed to establishing and maintaining low-cost, highly affordable education and training programs through scalable and efficient operations
- Accessibility – we are committed to improving access to graduate programs for traditionally underserved populations
- Technology – we will use technology to transform the way education and training for 21st century adult learners is presented, evaluated and delivered
- Ethics and Integrity – we are committed to ethical principles in relationships with all stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and community partners
- Diversity – our students and graduates will reflect the diversity of public school educators and be able to apply a practical knowledge of how to work effectively with diverse populations.
Education for RESULTS
American College of Education is committed to improving the academic achievement of our nation’s P-12 students, especially in high-need, urban areas. The College provides, monitors, and adjusts results-oriented curriculum. Our candidates receive coursework designed to raise student achievement through evidence-based teaching and learning.
To achieve these goals, the Conceptual Framework "Education for Results" has become the overarching theme for the College of Education. The Framework informs the design and development of the College’s operations and instructional practices to ensure that its graduates positively impact our nation’s P-12 students:
| R | Relevance We believe the ultimate measure of our candidates’ mastery of competencies is demonstrated through application in real-world settings; all learning must be relevant to the work and challenges our graduates will experience in their schools. |
| E | Evidence-based We believe that effective decision-making, curriculum development, instructional delivery, and assessment must be purposeful and evidence-based and lead to improved student achievement. |
| S | Student-focused We believe our graduates must display a passion for the success of their students and serve as change agents in their school districts. |
| U | Unity and diversity We believe in creating partnerships with high-need, urban school districts to ensure effective teaching for all students, resulting in improved achievement and, ultimately, closing the achievement gaps between diverse groups. |
| L | Leadership We believe all educators, whether teachers or administrators, must serve as leaders with their students, colleagues, and communities to create and cultivate school cultures of continuous improvement. |
| T | Technology We believe that our graduates will use current instructional technology to prepare their students for success in an increasingly complex technological society. |
| S | Systemic Change We believe that leading systemic change requires a comprehensive and collaborative process that is focused on student learning, school-wide and classroom instructional practices, and system-wide operational and continuous improvement systems. |
