Press Release

Smith Receives Early Childhood Accreditation

Smith Renaissance School of the Arts' Early Childhood Education Program has been granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This prestigious recognition, given by the nation's oldest and largest organization of early childhood professionals, has been achieved by only 7 percent of 7,448 programs nationwide.

Smith's program was the first in the city of Denver and currently the only DPS institution to receive this accreditation.

NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous process by which early childhood programs demonstrate that they meet national standards of excellence. About 15,000 programs are engaged in seeking accreditation.

Considered programs first undergo an intensive self-study, collecting information from parents, teachers, administrators and classroom observations. They then receive an on-site visit, conducted by early childhood professionals to validate their self-study results. This information is independently reviewed by a team of national experts who grant or defer accreditation.

Smith was awarded the full accreditation for three years.

"The heart of the NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child's experience," says Smith Principal Joyce Simmons. "The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children's relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socials and emotionally."