New Preschool Standards

The six regional mega-accreditation agencies in the United States, are presently rewriting the standard for early childhood institutions under the aegis of the highest international accreditation umbrella agency, known as CITA, the Committee for International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. The committee has invited NABCOJE, the  National Accreditation Board of  Central Organization for Jewish Education - Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch join the effort representing Jewish preschoolers.

The unique Merkos agency NABCOJE is expected to gain final approval for membership in the super agency of private school accreditation NCPCA, National Council for Private School Accreditation, which is also a member in CITA, at  the  body's Jan 'O4 meeting in Scottsdale, AZ. "It will become the only recognized Jewish accreditation agency for Jewish educational institutions ranging from childhood through high school. Ten years in development, the agency will take its place among the elite in American education," said Rabbi Nochem Kaplan,  director of the Merkos Chinuch Office, who developed the NAB.

Rabbi Kaplan will seek to appoint a permanent representative of N.A.B.COJE to the Early Childhood commission as soon as its approval is final. In Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch the interim he has asked Rabbi Meir Muller, principal of the Columbia Jewish Day School, and a PhD candidate in early childhood education, to review the standards which the CITA commission will approve.