The Ann Arbor Public Schools Preschool and Family Center has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
The accreditation was granted this month and is valid through Feb. 1, 2015, according to information from the NAEYC. It is a new accreditation for the school, which opened in 2006 and specializes in early childhood education with a variety of programs.
Interim Principal Michelle Pogliano said the accreditation “shows that the center meets high standards the district has set for early childhood education.”
Former Principal Connie Toigo, who died this month from complications of cancer treatment, spearheaded work on the accreditation which began in the fall of 2008, Pogliano said. The bulk of the collaborative work accomplished by the staff was done under Toigo’s guidance, she added.
Interim Assistant Principal Jim Podojil, who saw the accreditation process through the final fall months, said the NAEYC is a “front-runner in setting a national set of standards for early childhood education.” Accreditation by the group helps schools maintain a high educational standard. “Their goal is to make programs better,” he said.
The preschool program scored high in all areas of the assessment, reaching 100 percent in the areas of teaching, assessment, families, community relationships, physical environment and leadership and management.
Staff was required to create portfolios offering details of programs as part of the application. A site visit was conducted on Dec. 15, Podojil said. As part of the accreditation process, the school must file annual reports and maintain NAEYC standards.
For details about NAEYC, visit www.naeyc.org. For more information about the Preschool and Family Center, click here.
