Grayson College early childhood program receives national accreditation

Grayson College’s Associate of Applied Sciences Child Development

Grayson College

Degree Program recently received national accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. GC is one of only five institutions in the nation – and the only one in Texas – to garner the achievement this year from NAEYC’s Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation.

Grayson College’s accreditation brings NAEYC’s total accredited programs to 162 in 31 states since the association launched the accreditation process in 2006. To earn accreditation, programs participate in a self-study process, collect and submit data and reports, and undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The entire process typically takes two years to complete.

 “Grayson College is doing its part to ensure that highly trained teachers will be ready for the children and families in our community,” said Dr. Jeremy McMillen, Grayson College president. “Accreditation not only establishes professional preparation standards to raise the quality of teacher education, but consequently raises the quality of early childhood education programs like Grayson’s. We hope those interested in serving young children will look to Grayson College for the very best in education and training.”

Students completing this credential are already employed by or are ready for employment in professional child care centers, and can transfer to universities to complete a bachelor’s degree.

GC remains accredited for seven years before completing a renewal process. To earn and retain accreditation, faculty must demonstrate that they collectively respond to their stakeholders, provide intentional learning experiences for their students to obtain the knowledge and skills needed to be effective early childhood educators, and continuously assess and reflect on their students’ performance.

“Grayson College and the other accredited programs have demonstrated their commitment to continuous quality improvement, transparency, and public accountability at a critical time when there is increased demand for more early educators with the competencies needed to support young children and their families,” said Marica Cox Mitchell, NAEYC’s director of higher education accreditation and program support.

NAEYC is the professional organization that sets national standards for programs that prepare early childhood teachers of children from birth to age 8. Founded in 1926, the association has nearly 80,000 members worldwide. NAEYC is the largest advocate for early care and education in the United States.

For more information about Grayson College’s AAS Child Development Degree Program, visit the college’s website at www.grayson.edu.