CUNY SPS Awarded CDA Gold Standard

The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) is proud to announce that its Child Development Associate (CDA) Certificate program has been granted the prestigious CDA Gold Standard, following a quality review of its training and student services by the Council for Professional Recognition (the Council). The CDA Gold Standard^SM is part of the Council’s early childhood education effort to help CDA students find the high-quality training and student services they need in preparation for the CDA exam and a career as an early childhood educator.  

Claudine Campanelli, the program administrator of CDA and CPAC (Children’s Program Administrator Credential) at CUNY SPS, welcomed the award as a sign of the CDA program’s quality and effectiveness.“The Gold Standard accreditation process allowed us to evaluate our program through a strength-based lens. We demonstrated that competency-based instruction leading to credit-bearing certificates and credentials can be implemented within higher education institutions successfully and are meaningful to the early childhood workforce,” said Campanelli.

Earning the CDA Gold Standard is recognition that CUNY SPS has successfully demonstrated that its early childhood education training is based on the Council’s three industry-leading principles. These principles include alignment with the CDA formal education coursework found in the CDA’s Eight Subject Areas; sound business policies and practices; and quality student services that meet their educational and professional needs.

“We believe that the Council’s CDA Gold Standard award adds value and integrity to the early childhood profession by verifying connections between the Council’s proven teacher competencies and the quality of training resources available to CDA students,” said Valora Washington, former chief executive officer of the Council for Professional Recognition and architect of the Gold Standard accreditation.

In addition to offering high-quality training, CDA Gold Standard applicants must provide evidence that they serve the CDA student community with excellence, which includes professional development that prepares students for successful completion of their training program.

“It’s exciting to think about the many young children, families, and communities that will benefit from the high-quality education and training students will receive from a CDA Gold StandardSM organization like CUNY SPS,” added Washington.  

Offered in partnership with the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute (PDI) the CUNY SPS CDA certificate program is the only compre­hensive credit-bearing Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate in New York City. The program provides students not only with the required coursework but also advisement, writing support, portfolio creation, career services, and classroom observation in pursuit of the Child Development Associate Credential. More than 230 students have graduated from the CUNY SPS CDA certificate program since its inception in 2012. 

"The CDA Gold Standard is a prestigious recognition of the credit-bearing CDA program at CUNY SPS," said Amy Perez, executive director of the School’s Office of Professional Education and Workplace Learning, which oversees the program. "We are the only college in the state and one of seven in the nation to have this designation. This accreditation would not have been possible without the outstanding leadership of Claudine Campanelli and her dedication to extraordinary early childhood education." 

About the Council for Professional Recognition

For more than 30 years, the Council for Professional Recognition has been the leader in promoting improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages zero to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings – Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family child care, and home visitor programs. As a non-profit agency, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing, including the CDA® and the new CDA Gold StandardSM; publishes the industry leading training books and workbooks, including its CDA Competency Standards and Essentials textbook and workbook (2nd edition).  

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies

For over 15 years, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) has been leading online education in New York. Offering the most online Bachelor’s and Master’s degree options at the City University of New York, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who are looking to finish a bachelor’s degree, progress from an associate’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers.

The School’s growth has been remarkable, with twenty-four degrees launched since 2006. Enrollment has risen by more than 30% in the last four years to over 4,000 students in the credit-bearing programs and thousands more who are enrolled in non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs. In addition, the School has an active Alumni network and has established the CUNY SPS Foundation, which offers multiple scholarship opportunities to current students.

CUNY SPS has been ranked in the nation’s top 5% by U.S. News & World Report for the past six years, most recently in its list of the 2020 Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs, making CUNY SPS the highest nationally listed program in New York State and New York City.

Press Contact
Andrea Fagon
Director of Marketing and Communications
andrea.fagon@cuny.edu