PNC Early Childhood Education Program Recognized

purdue-north-centralThe Purdue University North Central Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education recently earned national recognition from the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

This judgment comes from a panel of peer reviewers who have confirmed that the program meets NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation. National recognition is the highest award and is a well-known indicator for high quality programs.

To achieve this status, the PNC early childhood education program submitted a comprehensive report including candidate performance data, assessment tools, and self-study results. The program, with initial teacher licensure for birth through grade 3, will now be listed as "nationally recognized" on the NCATE and NAEYC websites and is valid until the next accreditation visit in 2019. There are more than 450 NAEYC-recognized baccalaureate and graduate programs in 38 states. In Indiana, PNC is one of only six nationally recognized programs.

The reviewers' report declared "The program is making progress in establishing a new, quality early childhood program. Assessments are being strengthened and candidates are getting more opportunities to apply their knowledge of early childhood education to the field."

The Education Department secured this distinction through the collaborative efforts of the faculty and staff.