Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Maryland State Department of Education’s Early Childhood Accreditation Project?

In 2000, the Subcabinet on Children, Youth, and Families noted the disparity of quality among Maryland’s early care and education programs. Its report, entitled, Children Entering School Ready to Learn, explained that too many programs are mediocre or poor. A strategy for improving the quality of care is to encourage programs to seek accreditation. In this process, a program voluntarily pursues self-study, program improvement, and external program review in order to achieve and publicly confirm that it meets national or state quality standards. To encourage this practice, the General Assembly charged the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to establish the Early Childhood Accreditation Project.

How does the Early Childhood Accreditation Project work?

The Accreditation Project is charged with increasing the number of early care and education programs that complete either national or state program accreditation. It does this by:

• Providing technical assistance and direct support services to programs so they can improve the quality of their services in order to meet national or state program standards.
• Developing and publicizing state standards that define quality program services in administration, program operation, and home-school-community partnerships. Known as the Standards for Implementing Quality Early Childhood Education Programs, these criteria are applied to public school pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, center-based child care, and Head Start programs.

The accreditation process presents a clear, consistent strategy to improve the quality of early childhood education services. This strategy is “clear” because all participating programs implement a set process for program improvement, and it is “consistent” because programs operate with the same set of national or state standards.

How do programs receive accreditation?

A pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, child care, or Head Start program initiates the process by establishing an accreditation team. Teachers, administrators/directors, early childhood specialists, and parents who serve as team members rate the early childhood program using an evaluation instrument. This step is called "self-appraisal." The team shares the results of the self-appraisal with program staff. Steps to improve program weaknesses are developed. During the next several months, staff work to improve deficiencies. When a director or administrator feels that a program has made all the necessary changes, the accreditation team confirms that sufficient improvements have been made. A trained validator, identified by MSDE or a national organization, visits the program and determines whether the program has met national or state standards. This step is called "validation." The final decision for program accreditation is made by a national or state accreditation decision-making committee. The entire process takes approximately 2 years to complete.

Who benefits from program accreditation?

• Children benefit from accreditation because their learning environments are exciting, positive, and growth-oriented.
• Parents of young children benefit from this process because their children are enrolled in stimulating learning environments that reflect the research and best practices of the field.
• Early care and education programs benefit because their services are publicly recognized as being of the highest caliber. In addition, Maryland offers monetary incentives for programs that are accredited.
• Local school systems benefit from this process because accredited programs increase the chances for young children to be better prepared to enter public school primary grades.
• The state benefits from this approach because it improves the quality of life for families with young children living in Maryland.

What are examples of high quality, accredited programs?

Programs that have been accredited are likely to exhibit the following characteristics:

• The program has enough indoor and outdoor space so that children can work in large groups, small groups, and individually.
• The facility is clean, sanitary, and well ventilated.
• The staff-child ratio meets the state’s standards.
• The program has a clear philosophy and research-based curriculum.
• Teachers have clearly defined goals for individual children that guide curriculum planning.
• Teachers provide a nurturing, safe, and cognitively stimulating environment.
• Teachers share the assessment of children’s progress with families as part of formal conferences.
• Family members are always welcome to observe their children or to participate in the program activities.
• Program staff who work directly with children have formal educational backgrounds and solid work experience in early childhood education.
• On-going professional development provides continuing education for staff to help them keep abreast of the latest developments in the field.
• Parents are part of the program’s evaluation.

What is the difference between child care licensing, school regulation, and program accreditation?

Head Start programs, child care centers, or family child care homes are required to be licensed or registered with the Office Child Care Administration (MSDE-DECD/CCA).

Regulations for public school pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs are issued by the State Board of Education and administered by the local boards of education. The licensing and regulatory requirements are minimum standards for operating programs.

Program accreditation implies that services must move beyond mere licensing and regulatory requirements. Program accreditation standards represent the highest quality and reflect research-based, best practices in early childhood education.

What national accreditation programs are recognized by MSDE for the Early Childhood Accreditation Project?

National Accreditation Programs recognized by MSDE's Early Childhood Accreditation Project, are: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)., National AfterSchool Association (NAA), American Montessori Society (AMS); American Montessori Society (AMS), Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools (MSCES), Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools - Early Ages (MSCES-MSA)