Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center Nationally Reaccredited

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The Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center ranks among the top 10 percent of private-sector childcare facilities in the country.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas has earned reaccreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The accreditation places the center among the top 10 percent of private-sector childcare facilities in the nation.

“This accreditation lets parents know their children are being nurtured and educated by professional teachers who are using research-based best practices in the care of each child,” said Doug Walsh, executive director for business and operations.

Since 1985, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has offered a national, voluntary accreditation system to set professional standards for early childhood education programs, and to help families identify high-quality programs.

According to research by The New Republic magazine only 10 percent of day cares such as the Jean Tyson Center meet the association’s standards. “Going through the reaccreditation process so soon after opening our new center was daunting,” said Walsh. “The fact that our teachers were able to do all of this with flying colors is a testament to the quality and skills of our team. Our teachers continue to do amazing things in serving the needs of families in our communities. It’s an honor to be ranked among the top 10 percent of private childcare centers in the country.” 

The accreditation runs for five years.

“The full review and site visit is every five years, but there is an annual report that must be submitted to the association for continuous feedback,” said Vernoice Baldwin, executive director of educational programs. “We also constantly collect evaluations of our program from all staff and parents as well.”

The accrediting association’s site visitors may drop in for evaluations or verification without notice.

“We’ve had two of those visits in the past,” said Baldwin. “The last drop-in visit was at our nursery school, and we received a 100 percent grade on that review.”

The accrediting association strives to raise the quality of education for all children from birth through age eight. The Jean Tyson Center, which opened in August 2012, serves children from two months to age five. Prior to its opening, the program’s lab schools – U of A Nursery School and U of A Infant Development Center – had been accredited in 2008. The program earned its first accreditations in the 1990s.

More than 110 faculty, staff and students regularly use the facility for academics and research while providing quality care and education to more than 100 students. The center is the child development lab school for Bumpers College students in the School of Human Environmental Sciences.

“Moving into the new center gave the program quality physical space, both for U of A student occupancy and for NAEYC guideline requirements,” said Baldwin. “The staff spent many hours preparing program and classroom portfolios that resulted in scores of 100 percent in nine of 10 categories. The teachers at the center have the knowledge and skills to plan appropriate curriculum for children and the ability to treat children with respect as they give care every day. This is what makes the program what it is.”

For accreditation, 10 program standards must be met with the majority focused on children. The standards include measuring relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress and health as they relate to the children; the qualifications, knowledge and professional commitment of the teaching staff; families and community relationships; and the physical environment, and leadership and management in terms of administration.

The accreditation process includes a self-study to align the program with the 10 standards, an assessment of how the program meets the standards, presenting evidence of high-quality programming and preparing for a site visit, and demonstrating how the program meets the standards by allowing an accrediting association’s assessor to observe the program in person and review information collected in the self-assessment.

The building that houses the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center also recently received a design and construction rating of LEED Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a green building tool that addresses the entire building lifecycle by utilizing best-in-class strategies for design, construction, air quality, safety features, operations and maintenance.