| National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1926/1929 (Washington, DC) by Patty Smith Hill |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| Approximate Membership | Nearly 80,000 [1] |
| President | Stephanie Fanjul |
| Annual Conference | 2011 NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo
November 2-5, 2011 in Orlando, FL [2] |
| Institute | 2012 NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development
June 10-13, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN [3] |
| Publications | "Young Children," "Teaching Young Children (TYC)," and "Early Childhood Research Quarterly" |
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest nonprofit association in the United States representing early childhood education teachers, paraeducators, center directors, trainers, college educators, families of young children, policy makers, and advocates. [4] NAEYC is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. NAEYC is committed to becoming an increasingly high-performing and inclusive organization.
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In the 1920s, concern over the varying quality of emerging nursery school programs in the United States triggered Patty Smith Hill to gather prominent figures in the field to decide how to best ensure the existence of high-quality programs. Meeting in Washington, DC, the group negotiated the issue of a manual, called "Minimum Essentials for Nursery Education," that set out standards and methods of acceptable nursery schools. Three years later, the group cemented the existence of a professional association of nursery school experts named the National Association for Nursery Education (NANE). NANE changed its name to NAEYC in 1964.
The association has existed for over 80 years. [5] Its holds two national early childhood conferences per year, the NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo and the NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development. [6] The NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo is the largest early childhood education conference in the world. [7] The association publishes periodicals, books, professional development materials, and resources, all of which relate to the education of young children. The association is also active in public policy work. The association is well-known for accrediting high-quality child care/preschool centers, and more than 10,000 centers, programs and schools have earned NAEYC Accreditation.
NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1).
NAEYC's mission is based on three major goals: Bettering well-qualified practitioners and improving the conditions these professionals work in, improving early childhood education by working to deliver a high-quality system of supporting early childhood programs, and encouraging excellence in childhood education for all children by constructing an extaordinary, all-around organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children.[8]
NAEYC accredits early childhood programs according to health, safety and education standards it first launched in 1985 and reinvented and released in September 2006.[9][10] The new standards were intended to provide a more reliable and accountable accreditation system and to encourage the field of early childhood education to strive for a new level of excellence.[11]
NAEYC also accredits academic degree programs for early childhood educators.[12]
NAEYC has a structure of state and local Affiliates that are semi-autonomous but that are required to contribute part of the membership dues to the national organization. The Office of Affiliate Relations provides direct services to NAEYC State Affiliates, Local Affiliate Chapters, and Affiliate Alliances to support them in their efforts to build capacity and become high-performing, inclusive organizations.[13]
NAEYC provides many different programs to assist professionals who work to educate young children. They are a leading publisher of educational resources, which include books, videos and posters that can assist in the teaching of young children. NAEYC also publishes two scholarly journals to help early childhood professionals and parents stay informed about the latest research on educating children age 0-8. These journals are Young Children and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. In 2007, NAEYC also developed Teaching Young Children, a magazine written for preschool teachers. The magazine provides useful, research-based ideas that teachers can use in their classrooms. Every year the NAEYC offers several conferences where participants can learn about and receive professional development in their field as well as focus on the improvements that have been made in the practices, policies and research.
NAEYC goes beyond publications, conferences and videos, and offers a program called “Supporting Teachers, Strengthening Families” that is designed to assist in the fight to prevent child abuse and promote healthy social and emotional development in young children. This program works by teaching the educators how to better communicate with the families of their students. Another important program sponsored by the NAEYC is the “Week of the Young Child”. This is a week-long promotion every spring that brings public awareness to the importance of early childhood development and education.
NAEYC encourages its supporters to be informed of current issues and legislation that affect the lives of young children. At the NAEYC Children's Champions Action Center,[14] individuals can find information about the federal legislative process, learn how to contact members of Congress, and see the daily agenda for the House and the Senate.[1]
NAEYC believes that our nation is at a crossroads. An integrated system of early childhood care and education that includes comprehensive approaches that directly involve families and communities in program design, implementation, and evaluation must be developed. NAEYC believes Americans can invest now in our children and families and enjoy long-term savings, with a more vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children and more stable families. Or, they can fail to make the investment and pay the price: increased delinquency, greater educational failures, lowered productivity, less economic competitiveness, and fewer adults prepared to be effective, loving parents to the next generation of children.
Federal, state and local government, communities, parents, and the private sector must share in the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of children and families.
The following publications are released and sponsored by NAEYC:[15]
Young Children
Young Children is a peer reviewed journal published bi-monthly by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In this journal, issues are organized around topical clusters that devote special attention to issues in the field of early childhood education. [2]
Teaching Young Children
Teaching Young Children is a magazine specifically designed for preschool teachers. It highlights current thinking on best practices in early childhood education, innovations in the field, research and its implications, and interesting ideas for and from preschool teachers. The articles and other features reinforce the accreditation criteria for the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards on Relationships and Teaching and encourage effective teaching in the preschool years. [3]
Early Childhood Research Quarterly
Early Childhood Research Quarterly is a research journal that is published four times a year, and contains current research in early childhood. [4]
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| Evangeline H. Ward | 1972-1974 |
| D. Bruce Gardner | 1974-1976 |
| Bernard Spodek | 1976-1978 |
| Jan McCarthy | 1978-1980 |
| Barbara T. Bowman | 1980-1982 |
| Bettye M. Caldwell | 1982-1984 |
| Docia Zavitkovsky | 1984-1986 |
| David Elkind | 1986-1988 |
| Ellen Galinsky | 1988-1990 |
| Lana Hostetler | 1990-1992 |
| Lilian G. Katz | 1992-1994 |
| Jerlean Daniel | 1994-1996 |
| Richard M. Clifford | 1996-1998 |
| Sharon Lynn Kagan | 1998-1999 |
| Kathy R. Thornburg | 2000-2001 |
| Jane Wiechel | 2002-2004 |
| Dwayne Crompton | 2005 |
| Josue Cruz, Jr. | 2005-2006 |
| Anne Mitchell | 2006-2008 |
| Sue Russell | 2008-2010 |
| Stephanie Fanjul | 2010-2012 |