Studies continue to show that early childhood education has a tremendous positive impact on the academic success of students. Some believe that the foundation of a child's future accomplishments is set by age 6. However, there is a dramatic difference in the quality of early childhood education. One of the best stamps of approval is accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC has a vigorous set of standards and a process for accreditation that is designed to guarantee a child the best early education possible.

Many parents seek out NAEYC-accredited programs for their children. It is highly advisable for an early childhood program to seek accreditation with NAEYC. This accreditation assures parents their children are attending a quality program. The process of accreditation can create improvement instead of simply meeting a minimum standard.

About NAEYC

In the 1920s, Patty Hill Smith, principal of the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten and founder of the Institute of Child Welfare Research at Columbia University Teacher's College, reacted to concern over the differences in the quality of nursery school programs. She gathered a group of experts in the field to a meeting in Washington, D.C. There, the group defined the "Minimum Essentials for Nursery Education," and three years later the group became the National Association for Nursery Education (NANE). In 1964, this rather archaic name was changed to the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In 1985, the organization released a set of health, safety and education standards for early education programs to meet for accreditation, which were revised in 2006 in their current form. These standards include relationship, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, leadership and management. NAEYC currently accredits more than 7,000 early childhood programs. To receive accreditation, programs must follow four steps.

Step One: Enrollment and self-study

To be eligible a program must first enroll in the association, paying a fee. The program then will receive a self-study kit, including an informal evaluation that uses assessment tools provided. A wider variety of tools includes the TORCH (The Online Resource Center Headquarters). The NAEYC standards can seem overwhelming, but the TORCH system includes a database with guidance and age categories for various criteria, along with an online community for support.

During this time, programs coordinators can see how well their programs align with the 10 standards of NAEYC. If the program wishes to continue to accreditation, it must identify what program improvements are necessary. This process is informal, without oversight from NAEYC. Many programs never progress beyond step one. Note that "self-study" differs from "self-assessment." Self-study is informal and without deadlines, while self-assessment is formal with deadlines. Some programs go through both processes simultaneously. Self-assessment is explained further in the second step for accreditation.

Step Two: Application and self-assessment

Programs that meet eligibility requirements may apply for accreditation. Eligibility requirements include being center- or school-based, serving a minimum of 10 children kindergarten-aged or younger, being on American soil or military installation, operating for a minimum of one year, being regulated by the appropriate licensing or regulatory body, and willing to meet NAEYC standards. Programs that apply must select a due date for candidacy materials and pay a fee. The preschool program then completes a self-assessment using the tools found inside the TORCH library. This includes evidence from a portfolio, evidence from observations and survey evidence. The application process will be either approved, delayed or denied, depending on whether the program meets the requirements in a timely fashion or not.

Step Three: Candidacy

The program must meet all candidacy requirements, which include:

• A program administrator should have at least a bachelor's degree and nine course hours' work on administration, plus 24 hours on early childhood education.
• At least 75 percent of teachers must have a minimum of a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential, an associate's degree or higher in early childhood education or be working toward such a degree. If they don't meet that requirement, they must possess at least an associate's degree outside of early childhood education and have three years experience in a non-accredited program with 30 contact hours of training in that time.
• Teacher's aides should have either a CDA credential, be working toward a CDA credential or meet one of the teacher qualifications above.
• The program should maintain a good standing with the regulatory agency within the last year or since the last inspection.
• A preschool should provide a description of the collaborative process used to complete the materials, which must include an engaged staff on all levels.
• The program must believe that the program can meet NAEYC standards and show an 80 percent satisfactory performance on the accreditation criteria for each standard.

The preschool must submit the candidacy materials and a fee by the due date selected in the second step. The candidacy materials are made available in the program record eight weeks before the due date. A sample is provided here. Programs should refine their improvement efforts as they prepare for a site visit by NAEYC assessors, while continuing to gather evidence and make improvements.

Step Four: Meeting the standards

To independently tell if a program is meeting all standards, a site visit by an NAEYC assessor is needed. This means each standard must meet an 80 percent satisfactory performance for each standard, and each group must meet a 70 percent satisfactory performance for all standards. These criteria can be found here. Programs in contact with assessors will receive a 15-day window in which the visit may occur. A specific protocol is followed both before and during the visit. Numerous forms must be filled out regarding the visit. These are submitted to the NAEYC Academy, which will make a decision within three months. The program will be accredited, accredited with additional verification needed, deferred so that short-term improvements can be made, or denied.

Gaining NAEYC accreditation is an exacting process designed to improve programs to meet a high set of expectations and standards. It is not a simple nor easy process, but it does produce excellent early childhood programs. The NAEYC approval should be one that any childhood program would be proud to earn.