North Bend's Encompass preschool gets national accreditation for 4th 5-year stretch

For the fourth time in a row, the Encompass preschool has secured the rare standing of national accreditation.

The accreditation, covering the five-year period from June 11, 2010, until July 1, 2015, comes from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The association previously bestowed this five-year vote of confidence upon Encompass in 2005, 2000 and 1995.

“This is a huge accomplishment that not that many organizations are able to achieve,” said Kristina Steffen, manager of Encompass’ early learning programs.

Encompass has the only NAEYC-accredited preschool in the Snoqualmie Valley and is one of only four preschools on Seattle’s Eastside (the other three are in Issaquah, Sammamish and Bellevue). Just 5 percent of preschools nationwide are accredited by NAEYC.

Since 1985, NAEYC has offered a national, voluntary accreditation system to set professional standards for early-childhood-education programs and to help families identify high-quality programs. Standards for accreditation address myriad factors that foster a quality preschool experience, from teacher education and teacher-student ratio to evidence-based curriculum and a homelike classroom environment.

The notice of accreditation came during the last week of 2009-2010 preschool.

“It’s a great send-off for the teachers, kids and parents to finish the year on a high note,” Steffen said.

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