Teacher Certification and Program Accreditation in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Teacher certification is viewed as one way of enhancing the quality and status of the profession of teaching. Although the field of early childhood education is diverse and multidisciplinary, guidelines for standards for the accreditation of 4- and 5-year early childhood teacher education programs, the Early Childhood Teacher Education Guidelines for Four- and Five-Year Institutions have been developed. The guidelines were developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) through consensus and expert opinion. They were accepted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and have been used in the accreditation of over 80 early childhood teacher education programs. There is evidence that the guidelines are also being used in other ways to improve teacher preparation in early childhood education. Nevertheless, the diverse settings in which early childhood education occurs, the multidisciplinary nature of the field, and the wide age range of children served (birth-8 years) complicate teacher certification and accreditation.