Campus News - Framingham State College Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 11, 2007

CONTACT:
Mari Megias, 508/626-4047, mmegias@frc.mass.edu

Framingham State College Child Development Lab Earns National NAEYC Accreditation

The Jeanne M. Canelli Child Development Lab at Framingham State College is one of the first early childhood programs in the nation to earn accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) — the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals — under rigorous new program standards.

To earn NAEYC accreditation in the new system, the Child Development Lab went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program and its services against the ten new NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related accreditation criteria. The program received NAEYC accreditation after an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to ensure that the program meets each of the ten NAEYC program standards. NAEYC-accredited programs are also subject to unannounced visits during their accreditation, which lasts for five years.

The Child Development Lab at Framingham State College was established in 1962 and has been accredited under the previous NAEYC system since 1991. It is named for the late Dr. Jeanne M. Canelli, class of 1970, who served as director for eighteen years. Dr. Marlene Corrieia, the current director, says that the center will build on its success as a model early childhood program in the MetroWest community, providing outstanding professional development experiences for educators and excellent pre-service learning opportunities for FSC students.