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Upbeat about Center Accreditation
April 23, 2009
The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.
-Aldous Huxley
-Aldous Huxley
It is the American way to “let a thousand flowers bloom.” Instead of decreeing one right way of doing business, we let the market work things out. Beta and VHS technology competed for years before VHS eventually became the defacto standard.
Having dozens of quality rating and accreditation systems in play at the same time is certainly confusing. And, it splinters quality enhancement efforts in a number of directions. But if we view this as a grand experiment, we are testing out a range of avenues for broadcasting quality. In time, cumbersome, ineffective systems will fall away and we will start reaching consensus on which systems are most useful.
As statewide quality rating systems are refined and coordinated, they will be seen as the way to provide a convenient, across the board rating of programs. But for monitoring quality at the highest level, program accreditation systems will continue to provide the truest, in-depth assurance of quality for parents, regulators, and funders.
You can view this entire Trend Report, including descriptions of current accreditation systems, on the home page of Exchange.
Taking Stock: Tools and Strategies for Evaluating Programs, Directors, Teachers and Children CD Book brings together 64 Exchange articles and tools in PDF format on the following evaluation areas:
- Organizational Evaluation
- Director Evaluation
- Staff Appraisal
- Program Evaluation
- Environmental Evaluation
- Child Assessment
- Child Observation
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Comments (5)
Displaying All 5 CommentsSubjects & Predicates
Easton, PA, United States
Another choice for early childhood center accreditation is available: Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools. For more than 100 years, Middle States has accredited schools from elementary through college levels. At these schools' request, during the last 5 years, Middle States expanded into early age with an exciting, seamless system that focuses on rigorous self study and continuous improvement. Design of this unique research-based, peer-reviewed system was led by early childhood experts. For more information, go to www.ces-msa.org.
the grand child care center
chicago, IL, United States
'Let noble thoughts come from all directions' it says in Hindu Vedas.
The best thing about America is that we are open minded people. Yes, it does have some side effects-it may splinter the quality enhancement efforts in too many different directions. But in the end we find the best formula for that field.
Getting N.A.E.Y.C. accreditation was a wonderful thing happened to us as we became the part of the big net work and got recognition for the quality work we are doing. Yes, due to the high coast many like us may not continue to keep that title but it is worth all the hard work. It is like all the small rivers meeting the sea and becoming the part of that big ocean!
Geeta Bhatt, The Grand Child Care Center,Chicago.
George Mayne Children\'s Center
California, United States
I have read many articles about the importance of being accredited, our program is, however it was subsidized by the state initially to get accredited, and we do not have the funds to go through accreditation again this year (NAEYC accred.) I also don't think that we have not changed that much from when we started the program. We had an above average program for ece and I know that whether we are accredited or not our program would still be an above average. I think one of the fallacies is that for a program to be first rate they need the accreditation stamp. If this process was part of the State program and did not cost additional monies more programs could and would be accredited however the high cost to have one's program accredited takes funds away from curriculum materials and other very important areas for early childhood edu.
Toronto, ON, Canada
VHS may have won the competition BUT beta was the better quality product. Sometimes the most popular is not always the best!
Everyone knows the common minimal standards and a common process should be used not only across a state but across a country.
United States Minor Outlying Islands
As all of the ECE professionals who have been in the field for a long time, know that the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has had a set of standards of practice in place for a long time. They have been Accrediting programs for just as long and they have impressive standards.
It really gets to me when I read articles that come across as some of the ECE issues have just been recognized as important. Well we've known forever the importance of ECE. Ask us who have been in the field for years and we can tell you what is going on, what we have been doing, all the marvelous and wonderous adventures we've had. We are valuable assets.
Use us!
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