a Work Product that is divided in to two parts. In Part I, you will describe the “NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria” (Document #3) and “NAEYC Engaging Diverse Families Project Program Self-Assessment Checklist” (Document #4), and explain how these tools can be used in assessment, and in the case of the Accreditation Criteria, to support program quality.

In order to complete Part II, in which you evaluate an early childhood program, you will need to arrange a visit to a NAEYC-accredited program and interview the director. The Walden University Letter (Document #1) is a letter you can provide to the director explaining the purpose of your visit. You can find a list of accredited programs in your community here.

Explain that you are learning about program standards and practices supporting families and how to evaluate early childhood programs. Share the “NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria Overview” (Document #2), the “NAEYC Engaging Diverse Families Project Program Self-Assessment Checklist,” (Document #4), and explain that you will be looking for evidence of Standard 7 and two additional standards you choose. Ask the director to meet with you to review the documents and to explain why s/he believes the accreditation process helps to ensure quality in early childhood settings. Obtain permission to spend a day at the school, visiting in classrooms and observing children and teachers in action. Explain that you will not identify the program or any personnel or children by name, nor will you take any pictures. As you conduct your observations, take notes about what you observe and mark your findings on the “NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria” (Document #3) and the “NAEYC’s Engaging Diverse Families Self-Assessment Checklist” (Document #4).

Remember, early childhood programs are not evaluated based on a single visit. You will not be able to observe evidence of all criteria during your observation. The goal of this assessment is to provide you with practice in identifying evidence related to program quality. Please keep this in mind as you conduct your observation and complete this Assessment.