RAMAPO COMMUNITY NURSERY SCHOOL
ACCREDITED BY NAEYC
Joins National Movement to Improve Early Childhood Education

New City, January 2004 – Rockland Cooperative Nursery School has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children – the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.

“We are very proud to be accredited by NAEYC, and recognized for our commitment to reaching the highest professional standards,” said Ellen Mitchell, Director. “We’ve always known that we have a very special program here at RCNS, but NAEYC Accreditation confirms that fact, and lets families in our community know that children in our program are getting the best care and early learning experiences.”

Hundreds of families have benefited from RCNS since it’s inception over 47 years ago. It is one of Rockland’s foremost cooperative nursery school programs, where parents can actively participate in the classroom alongside highly skilled and dedicated teachers. Children in the 2, 3 and 4-year-old programs graduate with the self-confidence, emotional maturity and intellectual skills necessary for success in so many aspects of their lives. “It’s a truly remarkable place and anyone who has ever been a part of this learning community already knows what an excellent pre-school experience RCNS offers,” said Wanda Octaviano, parent and Board President. “It’s just official now.”

More than 8,000 early childhood programs – serving nearly three-quarters of a million children – are currently accredited by NAEYC. “In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of child care and preschool programs earning NAEYC Accreditation,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “By earning accreditation, Rockland Cooperative Nursery School has become a leader in a national effort to raise the quality of early childhood education, and to help give all children a better start.”

Responding to the growth of the system, in 1999 the NAEYC Governing Board appointed a National Commission on Accreditation Reinvention to conduct a comprehensive review of NAEYC’s Accreditation system. Building on their work, NAEYC is making many changes to prepare the system for the future, and to ensure the integrity and reliability of the process that programs go through to earn NAEYC Accreditation.

NAEYC created its accreditation program in 1985 to set professional standards for early childhood education, and to help families identify high-quality child care and early education programs. To earn NAEYC’s accreditation, a program conducts a self-study to determine how well it meets the standards. After necessary improvements are made, the program is observed by independent, professional validators, and then reviewed by a national panel. Programs are accredited by NAEYC for a three-year period.

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Read More About What It Means To Be Accredited by the NAEYC?