For Immediate Release

September 18, 2024                                                                                                                                                                                   

WASHINGTON — The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs is pleased to announce that it has granted first-time accreditation to programs at three institutions of higher education and renewed accreditation for programs at 13 institutions during its 2024 meetings. This brings the total number of accredited programs to 177 in 36 states and territories. 

Early childhood professional preparation programs serve a wide range of students and prepare early childhood educators for a variety of early learning settings. Accreditation serves as a mechanism for ensuring a consistent and high level of program quality and alignment to the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators while respecting the unique mission and context of each degree program, its host institution, and its community. 

"The Commission congratulates these programs for leading the early childhood professional preparation field in being among the first to pioneer a new set of accreditation standards," said Tiffany Hunter, Chair of the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs. "Their hard work reflects their commitment to preparing early childhood educators who will provide high-quality early learning and care for each and every young child." 

To earn and retain accreditation, professional preparation programs must demonstrate that they:

• Meet NAEYC’s Higher Education Accreditation Standards;
• Respond to the unique needs of their degree candidates and communities;
• Provide intentional learning experiences aligned to the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators for their degree candidates to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to be effective; and,
• Continuously assess and reflect on their degree candidates’ performance.

The following programs have first-time accreditation:

• California State University Channel Islands (CA) - B.A. Early Childhood Studies 
• Ivy Tech Community College - Hamilton (IN) - A.S. Early Childhood Education 
• Northern Arizona University (AZ) - B.S.Ed. Early Childhood & Early Childhood Special Education (Unified) 

The following programs have renewed accreditation:

• Casper College (WY) - A.A. Early Childhood Education 
• Calhoun Community College (AL) - A.A.S Early Care and Education 
• Central Ohio Technical College (OH) - A.A.S. Early Childhood Education Technology 
• Charles Stewart Mott Community College (MI) - A.A.S. Early Childhood Education 
• Florida Gateway College (FL) - A.S. Early Childhood Education 
• Houston Community College (TX) - A.A.S. Child Development 
• Idaho State University (ID) - A.A.S. Early Childhood Care and Education 
• Luzerne County Community College (PA) - A.A.S. Early Childhood Education 
• Manchester Community College (NH) - A.A.S. Early Childhood Education 
• Oklahoma City Community College (OK) - A.A. Child Development; A.A.S. Child Development 
• University of Alabama (AL) - B.S. Early Childhood Education 
• West Shore Community College (MI) - A.A.A.S. Early Childhood Education 
• Western New Mexico University (NM) - A.A. Early Childhood Education and Family Support (Early Childhood Teacher, Birth-Grade 3 Concentration)

For more information, visit the NAEYC Early Childhood Higher Education Accreditation system website. To download a printable copy of this release, click here.