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For Immediate Release: September 10, 2012 |
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15 More College Programs Earn NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation
Only 10 percent of eligible programs in the U.S. have earned NAEYC accreditation, program raises quality of early childhood teacher education
WASHINGTON—The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation is pleased to announce that it has granted accreditation to 15 associate degree programs.
To earn NAEYC accreditation, programs underwent self-study, collected and submitted data and reports, and underwent a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The entire process typically takes two years to complete, and only about 10 percent of eligible associate degree programs in the United States are accredited.
The accreditation system establishes professional preparation standards to raise the quality of early childhood teacher education, and in turn raise the quality of early education programs serving young children.
“We congratulate these programs on their achievement,” said Alison Lutton, senior director at NAEYC. “The NAEYC accreditation system sets a standard of excellence for early childhood associate degree programs to meet, and these programs have demonstrated that they meet this standard. We applaud their efforts and appreciate their commitment to program improvement and teacher quality, which is a crucial component to providing high-quality early childhood education to millions of children across the country.”
The newly accredited associate degree programs are:
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Austin Community College, TX
- A.A.S, Child Development
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Cape Fear Community College, NC
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Education
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Community College of Allegheny County, PA
- A.S., Early Education and Child Development
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Delta College, MI
- A.A., Child Development
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Fayetteville Technical Community College, NC
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Associate
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Harcum College, PA
- A.A., Early Childhood Education
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Harrisburg Area Community College, PA
- A.A., Early Childhood – Elementary Education – Pre-Teaching Track
- A.A., Early Childhood – Elementary Education – Early Care and Education Track
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Ivy Technical Community College – Southern Indiana (Sellersburg), IN
- A.S., Early Childhood Education
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Education
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Norwalk Community College, CT
- A.S., Early Childhood Education Transfer Program
- A.S., Early Childhood Education Career Program
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Pima Community College, AZ
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Studies
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Richmond Community College, NC
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Education
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Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, NC
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Education
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South Piedmont Community College, NC
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Education
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Southeast Community College, NE
- A.A.S., Early Childhood Education
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Wharton County Junior College, TX
- A.A.S., Early Childhood/Child Development
The newly accredited programs bring the total accredited programs to 172 since 2006. Approximately 10 percent of the eligible associate degree programs in the country are now accredited, with another 127 programs enrolled in self study.
Accredited associate degree programs provide access to the profession and a strong foundation for the diverse pool of early childhood teachers that are needed in the field.
Federal Head Start regulations call for an associate’s degree or higher for teachers, and many states include early childhood associate degrees in their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for child care and preschool programs. NAEYC’s professional standards for early childhood degree programs provide a high measure of quality by which teacher education programs can be evaluated.
For more information on NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation, visit our website.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.
