Steps and Requirements to achieve NAEYC Accreditation
After completing self-study, a program officially begins the accreditation process by submitting an Application and committing to complete the Candidacy Materials within one year.
Purpose: To ensure that
- Only eligible programs submit applications to formally begin the NAEYC Accreditation process;
- Program leaders understand what is involved in seeking NAEYC Accreditation; and
- The program has the capacity to complete a comprehensive, formal program self-assessment within one year.
Tasks for Programs
-
Complete application (PDF || Word ), selecting a due date for submission of Candidacy materials from the choices on the appropriate Timeline based on whether or not their program is currently accredited and pay an application fee.
- Program applications must include signoffs-by the program administrator and members of a program assessment team that includes representatives of the teaching staff, families, and governance-indicating that:
- The program meets the eligibility requirements for NAEYC Accreditation.
- The team understands what the NAEYC Accreditation process entails.
- The program is prepared to complete a formal, comprehensive self assessment within one year.
- Meet eligibility requirements
- Once your program has been accepted as an Applicant, the program must engage in a formal Self Assessment. The results of the program’s self assessment will be reported in the Candidacy materials. As soon as your program Enrolls in Self Study (Step 1) the Self Assessment tools are accessible in 3 ways: in your program’s record at http://program.naeyc.org; on a CD-ROM sent with the self-study kit; and on www.naeyc.org/selfstudy. These tools, especially the Teaching Staff Survey and Families Survey, are different from those in the Self Study Kit CD-ROM and are required to be used in Step 2. Some programs may choose to use the Self-Asssessment tools during self study, but all programs must use them during Self Assessment.
- In the formal Self Assessment process, programs must:
- Conduct a formal self-assessment of the program, involving families, teaching staff, and program administration. Observe, record, survey, and document what it does, and how, as a basis for making a variety of educational decisions that affect children, families, and program staff.
- Document evidence that all standards are met, building on results of self-study. This includes completing their Program Portfolio and Classroom Portfolios.
- "Fine tune" program performance, making improvements as needed to make sure that at least 80 percent of criteria within each standard are met by the program overall.
- Prepare to meet all candidacy requirements
- Complete and submit to NAEYC the Candidacy Materials. These Candidacy materials will be available in the program’s record (www.program.naeyc.org) eight weeks before the Candidacy due date chosen by the program on their Application. The Candidacy Materials include documentation of performance on selected criteria by the NAEYC Academy.
