Harvey Browne Preschool is accredited by NAEYC — the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Accreditation is a rigorous and intensive voluntary process, and Harvey Browne is proud to be among the eight percent of U.S. preschools who have obtained this distinction.
Why Is NAEYC Accreditation Important?
NAEYC Accreditation is a mark of quality in early childhood education. To achieve NAEYC Accreditation, early childhood education programs volunteer to be measured against the new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards. NAEYC carefully evaluates schools and childcare centers based on curriculum, teacher qualifications, class size, and health and safety standards. In a recently written article by Parents Magazine, NAEYC Accreditation was referred to as the Gold Standard of Approval. NAEYC is an organization commited to young children by using scholarly research to understand the ways in which young children learn and develop and what environments enhance that development.
The Accreditation Process
In order to obtain NAEYC Accreditation a childhood education program must complete four extensive steps: (1) Enrollment in Self Study, (2) Application, (3) Candidacy, and (4) Meet and Maintain the Standards.
Step One
Enrollment in a self-study, the first step, involves the preschool studying its own performance relative to NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria. If improvements are needed, the program is to make these improvements in accordance with the designated criteria.
Step Two
Upon completion of the self-study the preschool engages in the second step, the application process. It is during this phase that the program submits an application thereby officially starting the accreditation process. Also during this step, the program makes a commitment to complete all candidacy materials within the year.
Step Three
Step three, candidacy, involves the submission of candidacy materials by the educational program to NAEYC. Following submission of materials, NAEYC reviews them to determine readiness for a site-visit of the school by the Academy. If readiness is determined, a site-visit is scheduled within six months.
Step Four
The final step, to meet and maintain the standards, comprises the site-visit by the Academy and the accreditation decision — whether that is to accredit, defer, or deny the program. Also involved in this step is maintenance of standards.
To learn more about NAEYC Accreditation, visit: www.naeyc.org. You may also view a 90 second video by going to http://www.naeyc.org/families