| For Immediate Release: Sept. 9, 2009 |
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12 college programs earn NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation
(Washington, DC) - The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation has granted accreditation to 12 associated degree programs sponsored by eight institutions of higher education, bringing the total accredited programs to 69 since 2006.
The accreditation system establishes professional preparation standards to raise the quality of teacher education, and in turn raise the quality of early childhood education programs serving young children.
“Teacher quality is a crucial component in providing high-quality early childhood education to millions of children across the country,” said Alison Lutton, senior director of Higher Education Accreditation and Program Support at NAEYC. “Accredited associate degree programs provide access to the profession and a strong foundation for the diverse pool of early childhood teachers that we need in the field.”
The newly accredited associate degree programs are:
- Indiana
- Ivy Tech Evansville
- Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Early Childhood Education
- Ivy Tech Bloomington
- A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
- Ivy Tech Kokomo
- A.A.S. Early Childhood Education (Kokomo and Logansport)
- Associate of Science (A.S.) Early Childhood Education (transfer program to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis)
- A.S. Early Childhood Education (transfer program to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne)
- Ivy Tech Evansville
- Illinois - Harper College
- A.A.S. Early Childhood
- Ohio - Edison Community College
- A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
- Oklahoma - Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City
- A.A.S. Early Care Education
- Massachusetts - Greenfield Community College
- A.S. Early Childhood Education
- Nevada - Truckee Meadows Community College
- A.A. Early Childhood Education
- A.A.S. Infants and Toddlers
- A.A.S. Preschool Emphasis
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 programs can be evaluated. For more information on NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation system, visit www.naeyc.org/ecada
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.
