For Immediate Release

September 1, 2020                                                                                                                                                                                   

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 renewed accreditation to early childhood degree programs at three institutions of higher education during its summer meeting. This brings the total number of institutions with currently accredited programs to 197 in 40 states across the country.

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 NAEYC Initial Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs while respecting the unique mission and context of each degree program, its host institution, and its community.

“The Commission congratulates all of the programs that renewed accreditation in this review cycle,” said Bridget Murray, Chair of the Commission. “Through accreditation, programs are demonstrating their willingness to be held accountable to the profession and the public for ensuring that their graduates are ready to be effective in early learning settings. As we lean into the Unifying Framework's recommendations for the profession, which includes calling for all early childhood professional preparation programs to be accredited, I commend these programs for leading the way."

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; and,
• Continuously assess and reflect on their degree candidates’ performance.

The following programs have renewed accreditation:

• Dyersburg Community College (TN) A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
• Ivy Tech Community College Sellersburg (IN) A.S. & A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
• Macomb Community College (MI) A.A.S. Education: Early Childhood Studies

For more information, visit the NAEYC Early Childhood Higher Education Accreditation system website.