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| * Purdue University's Department of Child Development and Family Studies |
February 18, 2008
Purdue early childhood programs gain gold star approval
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
The Child Development Lab School and the Ben and Maxine Miller Child Learning Center recently were recognized under stricter criteria aimed at guaranteeing a higher and more consistent level of early education and care from preschools and child-care centers.
Jim Elicker, associate professor and director of early childhood programs at Purdue, said the association's seal of approval serves as confirmation of the high level of care and training being carried out in the two facilities.
"The NAEYC approval equals a gold star for Purdue's child-care providers and child development students," Elicker said. "National accreditation is a voluntary system, as opposed to child-care licensing, which is state-mandated. State licensing is designed to provide a floor level of quality for children, whereas national accreditation requires the highest level of quality and recognition awarded in the United States to early childhood programs."
The standards now require higher qualifications and ongoing training for all teachers. The new standards also focus on a holistic approach to child care, requiring centers to provide documentation in each of the following areas: positive relationships with children, curriculum, effective teaching approaches, ongoing assessment, nutrition and health, teaching staff education and training, family relations, community relations, the physical environment, and program management.
As of January 2008, among 1,167 licensed child-care centers and registered child-care ministries in Indiana, only 15 percent had been nationally accredited under the new or old accreditation standards. In the first year after the new standards were put in place, only 10 programs in Indiana and 600 programs nationwide had achieved the new level of excellence in early education.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children, the largest professional organization for early educators with more than 100,000 members, began accrediting early childhood centers in 1985.
The Child Development Lab School and the Ben & Maxine Miller Child Learning Center serve as practicum and internship sites for students majoring in child development and family studies. They also are used by Purdue researchers studying child behavior and as model programs for Indiana early educators.
The Child Development Laboratory School offers morning or afternoon preschool classes during the academic year for children ages 2 to 5 years. A six-week summer morning program also is offered. Each classroom is staffed by professional head teachers with master's degrees in child development or early childhood education and extensive experience leading educational programs for young children. The program, established in 1926, was the first nursery school in Indiana. It received its first National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation in 1992.
The Ben & Maxine Miller Child Learning Center serves families with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Infant or toddler and preschool classes operate year-round. Classrooms are staffed by professional head teachers who have bachelor's or master's degrees in child development or early childhood education and extensive experience in the child-care setting. The program was founded in 1983. It received its first National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation in 1999.
Writer: Tanya Brown, (765) 494-2079, tanyabrown@purdue.edu
Source: Jim Elicker, (765) 494-2938, elickerj@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Children jump and dance during free play at the Ben and Maxine Miller Child Learning Center at Purdue University. The Miller Child Learning Center and the Child Development Lab School are among an elite group of providers in the state to be accredited under stricter guidelines from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The association's ratings are considered the standards of excellence for child-care facilities nationally. (Purdue News Service photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2008/miller-ranking.jpg
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