AECEO Program Accreditation

The AECEO Program Accreditation Process evaluates ECE programs and determines the eligibility of the program to be deemed equivalent to current program and vocational standards.

The AECEO Program Accreditation process is currently under review after having successfully completed a pilot phase in October 2006. New applications will not be taken until the review of the pilot process is complete. An appraised version will be launched and made public upon completion of the review. The following information, therefore, is meant as a guideline only.

The AECEO is a member of the Association of Accrediting Agencies Canada.

Note: The Ministry of Children & Youth Services (MCYS) has confirmed that while the AECEO will continue in the interim to deliver equivalency services for the province, there is no guarantee programs deemed equivalent under the AECEO’s process will be accepted by the newly established College of Early Childhood Educators.

It will be the responsibility of the College to deem whether these institutions will be required to further undergo the College’s accreditation process.

What is Program Accreditation?

The AECEO is recognized by MCYS as a body that evaluates credentials of individuals who do not hold a recognized Ontario Early Childhood Education diploma and/or degree. The AECEO Equivalency Process determines individual eligibility requirements to work as an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) in the province of Ontario.

The AECEO Program Accreditation Process evaluates ECE programs and determines the eligibility of the program to be deemed equivalent to current program and vocational standards.

MCYS currently requires, in each Ontario licensed early learning and child care program, a minimum of one staff in each classroom, the supervisor or director in each centre, and the resource teacher, to hold one of the following required documents:

1. a diploma in Early Childhood Education from an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT),an academic qualification that a Director considers equivalent to a diploma (eg.an AECEO Equivalency Certificate, diploma from an AECEO Accredited ECE Program), or

2. A Director’s Approval based on a conditional letter of employment issued by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

The AECEO uses the term Program Accreditation to describe the status of an ECE program in a post secondary training institution. Being designated an “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” indicates that the evaluated program has successfully met the benchmarks of the AECEO Accreditation Process and that its graduates have the valid credentials to work as an Early Childhood Educator in the province of Ontario.

The granting of “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” status does not mean that the AECEO endorses any or every element of the program, beyond deeming that the evaluated program meets AECEO standards and that its graduates are deemed equivalent for employment purposes in Ontario.

Therefore:

* “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” status does not mean the graduates of the program in question have received the same education as that which is offered through an OCAAT college, even though its vocational outcomes are deemed comparable.
* “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” status does not endorse the qualifications of individual faculty members or grant individual faculty members a portable qualification; rather, this process assesses the calibre of the department’s overall faculty and endorses the program.
* “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” status is specific to the program assessed at the time of evaluation and is not transferable to other programs within the training institution.
* “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” status does guarantee admission to higher education, on the basis of their diploma/degree’s accreditation status, in other colleges and universities. It is the responsibility of the training institution to forge formal agreements with other educational institutions for the purpose of educational laddering for their graduates.

The granting of “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” status does mean that an accredited program:

* Will be recognized and listed by the AECEO as a valid ECE program for prospective students during the period of its accreditation.
* Will be recognized and listed by the AECEO as a valid ECE program for Equivalency Applicants during the period of its accreditation.
* Will be able to use the designation of “AECEO Accredited ECE Program” and the AECEO Accredited Logo in all its promotion of the evaluated program during the period of its accreditation.
* Will be recognized by the AECEO as equivalent to Ministry of Children and Youth Services required staff qualification standards for Early Childhood Educators in Ontario, and thus deem their graduates as eligible to work in the province of Ontario during the period of its accreditation. Students enrolled prior to the expiry of a program’s accreditation status will still be deemed equivalent upon graduation.

Benchmarks and Standards for Assessment

The AECEO prides itself on offering equivalency processes that maintain professional standards, are transparent, fair, equitable, and cost effective.

The AECEO has developed a list of requirements for Program Accreditation based on the graduate’s achievement of MTCU ECE Program Standards, Vocational Outcomes, and Canadian Child Care Federation’s ECE Practitioner Occupational Standards.

Program portfolio development is the core part of the program assessment. This is consistent with career development practice, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition best practices, and guidelines set out by the Council for Experiential Learning (CAEL) and Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA). In addition to the Program Portfolio, AECEO assessors will visit the program and the practicum site(s) and interview key personnel in order to gain a holistic view of the program.

Typically, ECE programs are divided into subject areas, modules, practicum centres, research topics and courses. Institutions may demonstrate the competence of their graduates in innovative ways; success is not dependant on replication of existing recognized ECE programs delivered by Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology.

AECEO Accredited ECE Programs

Mothercraft ECE Diploma Program, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Accreditation Period: July 28, 2006-July 28, 2011