by: Carol Seefeldt
Elementary School Journal/University of Chicago Press Vol. 89, No. 2,
Special Issue: "Early Childhood Programs in Public Schools “ (Nov. 1988), pp. 241-251
Teacher certification is viewed as one way of enhancing the quality and status of the profession of teaching. Although the field of early childhood education is diverse and multidisciplinary, guidelines or standards for the accreditation of 4- and 5-year early childhood teacher education programs, The Early Childhood Teacher Education Guidelines for Four- and Five-Year Institutions, have been developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children through consensus and expert opinion. They were accepted by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and have been used in the accreditation of more than 80 early childhood teacher education programs.