| For Immediate Release: April 1, 2010 |
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Nine college programs earn NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation
National program sets standard of excellence in early childhood teacher education; NAEYC reaches milestone with more than 100 programs accredited
(Washington, DC) - The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation has granted accreditation to nine associated degree programs sponsored by eight institutions of higher education, bringing the total accredited programs to 102 since 2006. Approximately 10 percent of the eligible associate degree programs in the country are now accredited, with another 109 programs enrolled in self study.
“It is extraordinary that in our first four years, so many institutions of higher education have found accreditation to be a valuable process for program improvement,” said Alison Lutton, senior director of Higher Education Accreditation and Program Support at NAEYC. “Since teacher quality is a crucial component in providing high-quality early childhood education to millions of children across the country, it is critical that we continue to work toward improving and growing the early childhood associate degree accreditation system.”
The accreditation system establishes professional preparation standards to raise the quality of early childhood teacher education, and in turn raise the quality of early education programs serving young children. Accredited associate degree programs provide access to the profession and a strong foundation for the diverse pool of early childhood teachers that are needed in the field.
The newly accredited associate degree programs are:
- Illinois -Malcolm X College
- Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) Early Childhood Education
- Indiana – Purdue University Calumet
- Associate of Arts (A.A.) Early Childhood Development
- Michigan – Mott Community College
- A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
- Missouri – Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley
- A.A.S. Child Growth and Development
- New Hampshire – Manchester Community College
- A.A.S. Early Childhood Education
- New York – Onondaga Community College
- Associate of Science (A.S.) Human Services, Early Childhood Option
- Texas
- Collin County Community College
- A.A.S. Child Development
- Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) EC-4 Early Childhood Degree Specialization
- Houston Community College
- A.A.S. Child Development
- Collin County Community College
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 teacher education programs can be evaluated. For more information on NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation system, visit http://www.naeyc.org/ecada/
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential advocate for early care and education in the United States.
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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.
