TWU Pioneer School Earns NAEYC Reaccreditation

10/13/03

DENTON — The Texas Woman’s University Pioneer School has been reaccredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) under new criteria established by the organization.

The accreditation will run through 2010, according to the organization’s web site, www.naeyc.org. The Pioneer School received a five-year accreditation with a two-year extension based on its status in the program.

“This accreditation benefits TWU students, the children, the families and our staff,” said Kim Burton, Pioneer School director. “It assures that the children receive a quality learning experience and that we as educators stay on our toes.”

The school, under the direction of TWU’s College of Professional Education, provides education for children ages 2 through 4 and also serves as an education and training facility for TWU students who conduct practicums, observations and do volunteer work.

“This accreditation is important for our Pioneer School and reaffirms our commitment to developmentally appropriate practices and the needs of children,” said

Dr. April Miller, dean of the College of Professional Education. “We are very proud of this accreditation and the faculty and staff at the Pioneer School.”

The NAEYC in 2002 revised its accreditation criteria to focus on children and their learning and development as well as the elements needed to develop excellent programs. Accreditation criteria include interactions among teachers and children, curriculum, relationships among teachers and families, staff qualifications and professional development, physical environment and health and safety.

Burton said Pioneer School personnel began the application process more than a year ago, gathering information through family and staff questionnaires and classroom evaluations. The NAEYC in May sent an accreditation validator to conduct evaluations and examine the school’s documentation. That information then was sent to the organization, which awarded the accreditation and developed a list of areas that needed improvement. The school must report once each year what is being done in those areas, Burton said.

Burton credits teamwork with achieving reaccreditation for the school.

“It takes everybody to achieve this, because the process covers such a wide scope,” she said. “It includes the families who are very involved in their children’s education; teachers who are here on a daily basis doing not only what needs to be done, but also going the extra mile; and staff who provide invaluable support.”

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Pioneer School History

• 1917 — TWU (then known as the College of Industrial Arts) creates the first kindergarten in a Texas state college.
  
• 1927 — TWU establishes a nursery school.
  
• 1972 — TWU creates the Child Development Center.
  
• 1989 — TWU’s Child Development Center becomes the first child care center in Denton to receive NAEYC certification.
  
• 2001 — The school’s name is changed to the Pioneer School and the focus shifts to education rather than child care.

For Further Information Contact:

Karen Treat
Senior Copywriter
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: ktreat@twu.edu