It’s time for the monthly update on accreditation by the National Association

Photo: Associated Early Care and Education

for the Education of Young Children, a widely accepted proxy for quality in center-based programs and programs in public and private schools. In June, 49 programs in the commonwealth earned this designation.

Massachusetts boasts more NAEYC-accredited programs than any other state in the country.  Programs applying for state-funded Universal Pre-Kindergarten grants must be accredited by NAEYC or another recognized organization. The Department of Early Education and Care also includes accreditation in the standards for its nascent Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), which will assess program quality, provide incentives for programs to improve and offer valuable information for parents.

The rigorous NAEYC accreditation process measures 10 standards that range from curriculum to family engagement. Accredited programs use a research-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum that promotes children’s social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive growth. They support teachers’ professional development, promote children’s health and nutrition, use age-appropriate methods to assess children’s development and maintain collaborative relationships with parents and guardians.

Congratulations to the following programs, which earned accreditation or reaccreditation in June:

Ashland: William Pittaway Elementary School
Auburn: The Goddard School
Boston: Boston University Children’s Center, APAC Fidelis Child Care Center (Brighton), APAC Head Start (Allston), APAC Head Start (Brighton), Reverend Dr. M.E. Haynes Early Education Center (Roxbury), The Children’s Place at Goodwin Procter, Lee Academy Pilot School (Dorchester), Haley Pilot School, Dr. Catherine Ellison-Rosa Parks Early Education School (Mattapan), Mission Hill School (Roxbury)
Brookline: Brookline Early Education Program (Lynch Center)
Braintree: Lollipop Tree Nursery School
Cambridge: Harvard Yard Child Care Center
Clinton: Clinton High School Preschool
Cohasset: Carriage House Nursery School
Dalton: Craneville Elementary School
Dartmouth: Dartmouth Early Learning Center
Fall River: Citizens for Citizens Heads Start (Aldrich site)
Gloucester: Pathways for Children
Holliston: Holliston Extended Day
Hyannis: Barnstable Early Learning Center
Lee: Lee Head Start
Lenox: Morris School Integrated Preschool Program
Lowell: Merrimack Valley Christian Day School
Lynnfield: Lynnfield Public School Preschool
Marlborough: Marlboro Child Care Center
Medway: Little Lambs Nursery School
Melrose: Melrose Public Schools (four schools)
Newbury: Newbury Elementary School
Newton: The Preschool Experience
Pelham: Pelham Elementary School Kindergarten
Quincy: Wollaston School Full-Day Kindergarten
Rockport: Pathways for Children
Rowley: Pine Grove School
Springfield: Springfield Jewish Community Center Preschool, Armory Square Day Care
Stockbridge: Saint Paul’s Children’s Center
Taunton: Elizabeth Pole Elementary School
Walpole: The Preschool Center
Watertown: Rosary Academy Learning Center
Westwood: Westwood Children’s School
Winchester: Winchester Child Development Center
Wilbraham: The Village Preschool Early Childhood Center
Yarmouth: Cape Cod Child Development West Yarmouth Preschool