For Immediate Release:
March 22, 2016

Two Programs Earn NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation; Eight Programs Receive Renewed Accreditation 

WASHINGTON, DC -- The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation is pleased to announce that it has granted accreditation to early childhood associate degree programs at two institutions of higher education. In addition, the Commission voted to renew accreditation for programs at eight institutions. This brings the total number of institutions with accredited programs to 177 since the system launched in 2006, with nearly 75 additional associate degree programs currently engaged in the self-study process.

As the Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation (ECADA) system approaches its ten-year anniversary, 33 states across the country now have programs that have received accreditation, demonstrating the increasing value being placed on the need for high-quality teacher preparation throughout the country.

"The Commission is so pleased to have these programs join (and continue in) the ranks of accredited programs, and we congratulate them on reaching this milestone,” stated Kathy Allen, Chair of the ECADA Commission. “Higher education is the pipeline for the early childhood workforce, and the continued growth of our accreditation system reflects the commitment of degree programs to provide the highest quality preparation and support for early childhood professionals.” 

The ECADA system raises the quality of teacher education by establishing professional preparation standards, which in turn raises the quality of early learning programs serving young children. To earn and retain accreditation, professional preparation programs must demonstrate that they

• Align to NAEYC’s Professional Preparation Standards
• Respond to the unique needs of their degree candidates and communities
• Provide intentional learning experiences for their degree candidates to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to be effective early childhood educators
• Continuously assess and reflect on their degree candidates’ performance

“The accreditation self-study and peer review process fostered analysis of key areas of our program: student engagement, student performance, the quality of teaching and learning, collaboration within the institution, and the strength of community partnerships,” explained Diane Christianson, Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator and Instructor at Illinois Valley Community College. “Our program is invested in the NAEYC accreditation system because it supports best practices and program accountability while engaging faculty in innovative and reflective program design.”

The newly accredited associate degree programs are:

Illinois Valley Community College, Illinois
       A.A.S. Early Childhood Education

Southeastern Community College, North Carolina
       A.A.S. Early Childhood Education

The associate degree programs whose accreditation has been renewed are:

Greenville Technical College, South Carolina
       A.A.S. Early Care and Education

Henderson Community College, Kentucky
       A.A.S. Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education

Lehigh Carbon Community College, Pennsylvania
       A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
       A.A.S. Early Childhood Education—Early Intervention

Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma
       A.A. University Parallel Child Development
       A.A.S. Technical and Occupational Child Development

San Antonio College, Texas
       A.A.S. Early Childhood Studies

Western Oklahoma State College, Oklahoma
       A.S. Early Childhood
       A.A.S. Child Development

Western Piedmont Community College, North Carolina
       A.A.S. Early Childhood Education

Williamsburg Technical College, South Carolina
       A.A.S. Early Care and Education

For more information, visit the NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation system 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.