Contact: Kenneth Billings
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The nation's leading organization for early childhood development is accrediting the Aiken Village Preschool at Mississippi State.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children recently notified the university that its year-round program for 3-5-year-olds has met a set of rigorous standards.
Located at the Collegeview Street entrance of Aiken Village campus housing and enrolling nearly 35, the preschool is a partnership administered by MSU's Early Childhood Institute.
Other partners include the College of Education's department of curriculum, instruction and special education, Division of Student Affairs' department of housing and residence life and the Holly Springs-based Institute of Community Services Inc./Head Start Inc.
"We are proud to earn the mark of quality from NAEYC and be recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards," said school director Carol Jones. "This accreditation will let families in our university and local communities know that children in our program are getting the best care and early-learning experiences possible."
Jones said formal announcement of the honor will be made Thursday [April 23] during a 4-5:30 p.m. public reception at school offices in the Collegeview location.
NAEYC accreditation comes only after an extensive self-study process measuring programs and services against 10 professional standards, followed with a site visit by an assessment team. Approved programs also may receive unannounced visits during the five-year accreditation term.
The NAEYC accreditation system is designed to "raise the bar for preschools, child care centers and other early childhood programs," said Mark Ginsberg, the organization's executive director.
"Aiken Village Preschool's accreditation is a sign that they are a leader in a national effort to invest in high-quality early childhood education and help give all children a better start," Ginsberg added.
Founded in 1926, the Washington, D.C.-based organization includes some 100,000 members and a national network of more than 300 local, state and regional affiliates. (For more information, visit www.naeyc.org.)
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more on the MSU preschool, contact Mrs. Jones at 662-325-3909 or visit http://earlychildhood.msstate.edu/initiatives/aiken.htm.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.