MGCCC’s Early Childhood Education Technology Program

The Early Childhood Education Technology program’s child care facilities at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County, Jefferson Davis and Perkinston campuses have achieved a Level 5 rating from the Mississippi Child Care Quality Step System.  A Level 5 rating is the highest a program can achieve in the Quality Step System, which is monitored by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the Office of Children and Youth, and the Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute.

The Jackson County Campus center received its Level 5 rating in May 2012, while the Perkinston Campus center received it in January 2013. The center on the Jefferson Davis Campus received the Level 5 rating in October 2012.  The individuals who conducted the onsite visits based the Level 5 ratings on their observations when touring the child care centers, review of program documentations, parent involvement and teacher portfolios.

“It is a difficult process to work through and takes dedication on the part of the center’s staff and the college students in the program,” said Sarah Nix, center director at the Perkinston Campus. “The MGCCC administration has helped us tremendously, making sure we had the resources on all three campuses to make this happen.  We are all thrilled to have finally accomplished this goal and that we can now tell our parents and Early Childhood Education Technology majors that these centers and the training programs are among the very best in the state.”

The Perkinston Campus center is also certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The MGCCC childcare facilities are among the few Level 5 centers in Mississippi. That they are also teaching facilities makes achieving the highest rating level even more important. Pamela Jones, center director at the Jefferson Davis Campus, said that receiving the Level 5 rating is a win-win because not only do the Early Childhood Education Technology majors learn in a top-rated facility, but also the children of full-time college students who attend the center receive a top-notch education.  “Only children of MGCCC students are accepted into our program, and those children are getting the best preparation for school,” she said. “Plus, our Early Childhood Education Technology majors are able to work in a top-notch facility and learn from teachers who  are qualified at that top level.  They will leave here knowing what it takes to run a Level 5 center.”

Upon successful completion of the two-year Early Childhood Education Technology program, students are awarded an associate degree.  The program is offered at all three college campuses.

Lisa Hudgins, center director at the Jackson County Campus, said parent involvement is key in maintaining the top-level rating. Weekly letters from teachers and a monthly center newsletter assure parents know what their children are learning.  She said, “Parents are kept involved in their children’s learning in a variety of ways.  All parents are expected to participate.  In return our parents can expect their children to have age-appropriate learning environments, educated teaching staff skilled in age-specific teaching methods, increased health and safety standards, school readiness through the implementation of the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines and the teaching of skills that promote self discipline.”

Parents must apply for the program through the college and their children are then placed on a waiting list.

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