Park offers online degree in early childhood education Addressing a national need of qualified preschool teachers, Park University is now offering its Early Childhood Education Bachelor of Science program online. Park is one of only a few nonprofit higher learning institutions to offer online early childhood education degrees.
“Park’s Early Childhood Education program will address a serious need identified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for more than 115,000 preschool teachers between now and 2016,” said Jo Agnew-Tally, Ed.D., dean of Park’s School for Education. “The online degree program meets all national requirements and it will be especially helpful to child care providers who often must work late and are not Fall 2009 - 12
able to attend face-to-face classes,” she said. “Most non-traditional students work full-time and have family obligations, and the online learning environment will allow students the flexibility to attend classes at times convenient to their personal schedules.” Park expanded its degree access to an online format in part to help teachers of young children meet the National Association for the Education of Young Children requirements that call for higher training standards. The Association’s Academy for Accreditation has mandated that at least 75 percent of early childhood teachers must hold a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. “Park University is prepared to respond with these programs as teachers seek ways to comply with the new requirements,” Agnew-Tally said. It is also important to note, the dean said, that beginning in 2011, a higher proportion of Head Start teachers in center-based programs nationwide must
have a bachelor’s or advanced degree in early childhood education (or comparable coursework and experience teaching preschool-age children) to help satisfy new education standards mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that go into effect in two years. By 2013, at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers must meet that requirement. There are more than 800 such accredited early childhood centers in the U.S. Park offers an online degree for teachers of infants, toddlers and preschool-age