Why accreditation is so important
The
Ledyard Public Schools Early Childhood Program has been accredited by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children since
February 2009. This means that the largest association of early
childhood educators recognizes our program as being committed to
providing high-quality educational services to young children and their
families. While the process examines all aspects of our program –
including health and safety, teacher qualifications, and administration –
the focus is on interactions between teachers and children, and the
quality of the child's experience.
To
earn accreditation, programs comply with national standards of quality
that go well beyond state health and safety licensing requirements.
The NAEYC accreditation criteria address all aspects of an early childhood education program, including:
•Teacher qualifications and development
•Teacher-to-child ratios
•Teacher/child and teacher/family relationships
•Curriculum and Child Assessment
•Physical environment
•Health and safety
•Community Relationships
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program begins the accreditation process with an extensive
self-assessment to determine how well it meets these criteria. After the
program makes the necessary improvements, it is observed by early
childhood professionals, and then reviewed by a national commission of
experts in child care and early education. Early childhood programs that
substantially comply with the NAEYC guidelines are accredited for a
five-year period.
NAEYC
accreditation has become widely recognized as a leading measure of
quality in early education, and in recent years the number of programs
earning accreditation has grown significantly. There are more than 8,000
NAEYC-accredited child care centers, preschools, kindergartens and
other early childhood programs – serving nearly three-quarters of a
million young children – and many other programs working toward
accreditation. However, while NAEYC accreditation is growing, most early
childhood programs are not yet accredited.
Accreditation
allows you to feel assured that your child will be in a healthy, safe,
educationally stimulating environment while they are attending our
programs.