The Early Childhood Program of Orange Community Education & Recreation has received notification from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that their preschool program has earned National Accreditation.

“We are extremely proud to have earned this high mark of quality from NAEYC, and to be recognized for our preschool’s teachers and leadership for reaching the highest professional standard for early education programs,” said Laura Guentner, Director of the Orange Community Education & Recreation Department. “Achieving NAEYC Accreditation is truly the gold standard for early education. It lets families in our communities know that children in our preschool program have teachers and leaders who create engaging classrooms and rich learning experiences, while enhancing and building relationships with parents and families.”

In addition to meeting the standards of the Ohio Department of Education, the original impetus for pursuing NAEYC Accreditation was to ensure that Orange Community Education & Recreation’s Early Childhood Program and teachers were developing best practices in curriculum content, teaching practices, child assessments and pedagogy. Kelly Borders, Orange Early Childhood Coordinator notes, “it was very important for our program to go above and beyond what the state of Ohio requires. We wanted to ensure that the children enrolled in our program have the best possible start going into kindergarten”.

To earn NAEYC Accreditation, the Orange Early Childhood Preschool went through an extensive, three year long, self-study process beginning in 2012. The process measured the program, teachers and leadership against the Ten NAEYC Early Childhood Standards, including in-depth review and more than 400 separate, related Accreditated criteria. This Fall, 2015, after a detailed on-site assessment of the program by a NAEYC Assessor, the Orange Community Education & Recreation’s Early Childhood Preschool Program was informed that they had earned the coveted national NAEYC Accreditation.

Notes NAEYC Director Rhian Evans Allvin, “it’s a lengthy and rigorous process to achieve NAEYC Accreditation. Caring for children is not rocket science – it is brain science. Studies prove that brain connections made in the first few years of life set a child’s path for success in school and in life. That’s why quality early learning programs and educators are so crucial.”

Ms. Guentner and Ms. Borders also note that the NAEYC Accreditation process does not end here. As an accredited program, the Orange Early Childhood Program and staff are subject to unannounced visits by NAEYC Assessors during the current Accreditation, which will last for five years through 2020. Regardless of the time period for Accreditation, as new research and best practices emerge for early childhood education, we are committed to continuing this journey of providing the highest quality education possible for our youngest students.