The Ruth Staples Child Development Lab School program has achieved a new five-year term of accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) by successfully completing the renewal streamlined accreditation process. The NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs recognized Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory for its outstanding efforts in maintaining and renewing NAEYC Accreditation. The NAEYC report stated that the lab school was to be commended in its efforts to go the extra mile and that they showed remarkable dedication in their committment to excellence.
The accreditation process requires programs to provide evidence and meet all of the NAEYC 10 standards. These standards include: relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, and leadership and management.
The child development lab not only met all required criteria, they received 100%+ ratings indicating the highest level scores for the streamlined assessment. The assessment includes an onsite review of practices which includes a classroom observation as well as a review of the classroom portfolio (a program portfolio in which each document must show evidence of meeting many criteria). In order to achieve accreditation, the school had to meet at least 80% of assessed items for each program standard, and most school do not hit that mark. And yet the lab school has been an accredited program recognized by the NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs since 1989.
Parents were excited but not surprised to hear the news. “Ruth Staples faculty, student teachers, and staff always go the extra mile to share important updates and insights about what’s happening in the classroom and specifically about our children. Strong clear communication between Ruth Staples and us as parents is invaluable to documenting our children’s special milestones and fostering a strong bond within our partnership to benefit our children,” said parents Tom and Danielle Conrad.
“Ruth Staples is a world-class child development laboratory,” said Lindsay Hastings, Clifton Professor in Mentoring Research at the university. “Our daughter, Anna, is thriving at Ruth Staples due to three primary areas of excellence we observe at Ruth Staples: (a) inquiry-based learning environment, (b) commitment to building positive and growth-facilitating relationships with each student, and (c) helping students process how to create healthy, positive, and productive relationships with each other. Anna comes home every night eager to share her discoveries, her favorite memories with teachers and friends, and her commitment to positive friendship.”
The child development lab believes that an educational foundation based in the context of relationships among children, teachers, families, and the community best serves the early childhood community. Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory is a high-quality children’s program where college students (alongside the Department of Child Youth and Family Studies and its faculty members) train to be teachers.
The lab school also provides an opportunity for scholars to learn more about young children through research. As a teacher training facility, it develops innovative educational approaches and models best practices in the field of early childhood education. The lab offers full day childcare and preschool services for children 18 months-5 years to the entire Lincoln community.