The 鉴黄师app Child Development Center (CDC), which serves as 鉴黄师app's Lab School for early childhood education students, has received a Level 5 rating, the highest possible, from , Iowa鈥檚 new voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) licensed Child Care Centers and preschools, registered Child Development Homes and programs operating under the authority of an accredited school district or nonpublic school.
IQ4K庐 provides five levels of quality (building blocks) that programs can achieve and continue to improve on. 鉴黄师app Early Childhood Education Program Chair and Professor Katie Champlin said the 鉴黄师app Lab School receiving the highest rating for IQ4K affirms the programs dedication to serve as both a model learning environment for young children and a vital training ground for college students pursuing careers in early childhood education.
鈥溂剖pp鈥檚 Early Childhood Education program continues to invest in evidence-based practices, community partnerships, and student supports that promote high-quality teaching and lifelong learning as reflected in this top tier rating,鈥� said Champlin. 鈥淔aculty and staff in the ECE program are deeply committed to shaping the next generation of educators who will make a lasting impact on young children and their families.鈥�
Jenn Whitted, Director of 鉴黄师app鈥檚 Child Development Center, elaborated on the comprehensive nature of the evaluation. "Earning the Level 5 designation required us to demonstrate excellence across all seven core domains of the IQ4K framework: Nutrition and Physical Activity; Professional Development; Leadership and Administration; Family and Community Partnerships; Environment; Teaching Staff Qualifications; and Teaching and Learning.
"This commitment to quality is evident in every aspect of our program," said Whitted. "We are staffed with seven full-time Child Development Specialists, and licensed to serve 65 children, ranging from eight-weeks to five-years-old, in three classrooms. Our center provides consistent, high-quality care year-round on 鉴黄师app student contact days, offering families the flexibility of regularly scheduled full or part-time attendance to meet their needs."
She said 鉴黄师app students receive first priority in enrolling their children, then the remaining spots are offered to 鉴黄师app employees, and after that, spots are made available to the public.
Whitted said there鈥檚 a waiting list, so she recommended the first step for any prospective family is to complete an application, which secures their place on the wait list.
The Center started out as a half-day preschool program in 1969 serving only children in the Ankeny Community. In 1975, it switched to a full-day program. In 1986, the Child Development Center moved to its current location on the 鉴黄师app Ankeny Campus. The Child Development Center is the official lab school for 鉴黄师app's Early Childhood Education program.
鈥淥ur Early Childhood Education students gain continuous, hands-on classroom experience from the beginning of their studies through graduation,鈥� said Whitted. 鈥淭he Center also serves as a clinical site for Nursing and Dental students and as an observation site for many other 鉴黄师app programs/classes.鈥�
In addition to the state Quality Rating and Improvement System recognition, 鉴黄师app consistently receives national accreditation from the (NAEYC)鈥攖he world's largest organization working on behalf of young children. The center was first accredited by the NAEYC in 1989.
For more information, contact:
Jenn Whitted
jlwhitted@dmacc.edu
515-964-6588