NICC Early Childhood Education program receives scholarship to begin National Accreditation process

The Early Childhood Education program at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) has received a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Scholarship to support its entry into a national accreditation process by the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Early Childhood Association Degree Accreditation (ECADA) program.
The Kellogg Scholarship will defray application, self study review and site visit expenses as the college program begins its accreditation process through NAEYC. After a one-year successful review of the program, the NAEYC will award the NICC program a seven-year accreditation.
The NAEYC Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation awards accreditation to associate degree programs that demonstrate evidence of meeting professional preparation standards, and accreditation provides a framework for self study, external evaluation and improvement in the quality of teacher preparation.
If accreditation is awarded to the two-year Early Childhood Education program, NICC would be one of only two community college programs in the state of Iowa to have earned the national designation, which includes Indian Hills Community College. Accreditation is a strong indication of the quality of the program and the career readiness of graduates, according to Early Childhood faculty members at the Calmar and Peosta campuses.
“I believe accreditation sets a standard of excellence as we prepare students for the teaching profession, and our accredited program will best support young children and their families in our communities,” explained Julee Albers, NICC Early Childhood instructor at the Peosta campus. “NAEYC accreditation demonstrates that what we teach, how we teach and the caliber of instruction we provide is the best for our students.”
Graduates of programs with the NAEYC designation have an advantage in their career search by having completed an associate’s degree that has attained national accreditation, added Nikki Jansen, NICC Calmar campus instructor. “This says a lot about our program at Northeast Iowa Community College. Future employers would see that our students are graduates of a nationally accredited program - this sets a high standard. By earning national accreditation, NICC students are also assured that they are receiving the best education to prepare them for careers in the early childhood profession,” Jansen said.
Students enrolled in the Associate of Arts program have the option of enrolling in elective Early Childhood coursework. The general education courses completed for the Associate of Arts degree are useful whether graduates continue their education at a four-year institution or choose to enter the workplace as an assistant or lead teacher at a daycare, preschool or Head Start program.
NICC and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville have established a transfer agreement for graduates who plan to transfer their credits to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at the university, and the college is finalizing a similar agreement with Upper Iowa University in Fayette.
For more information on the NICC Early Childhood Education degree program, visit the school's website at www.nicc.edu/earlychildhoodaa.