California Lutheran University's School of Education has been awarded national accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

It is the first national accreditation of any CLU program. The university is one of five private schools in California to receive the designation.

"It is national recognition for the quality of our education," said CLU Provost Pamela Jolicoeur. "That's very important to us."

The council's goal is to improve teacher preparation using national standards. Specifically, teaching candidates must know their subject matter and know how to teach it so that all students can learn.

"It's the profession's stamp of approval that this college has met national standards for teacher preparation," said Jane Leibbrand, the group's vice president for communications. "Today there's a lot more emphasis on accountability. Accreditation is one mechanism for that."

Across the nation, 575 schools or programs have received the accreditation. An additional 100 schools are seeking the designation. Council-accredited schools train about two-thirds of the nation's graduates in teaching, Leibbrand said.

The other private schools in California that hold the designation are Stanford University, University of the Pacific, Azusa Pacific University and Loyola Marymount University. Several California State University campuses also are accredited by the council.

CLU's School of Education offers certificates, credentials, masters' degrees and an education doctorate. The university already is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the School of Education is accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

But the voluntary council accreditation is important because it shows the university is meeting the highest national standards, said Millie Murray-Ward, interim dean for the School of Education.

"Having that recognition and knowing we meet that benchmark is a mark of distinction, because you really are being measured by your peers," she said.

In addition to the prestige it brings to the university, the new accreditation also will help CLU graduates get jobs outside California because other states are familiar with council standards, Jolicoeur said.

She said the university is seeking similar national recognition for its athletic training program and will consider seeking national accreditation for its School of Business in the future.