Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is the terminology used by the NAEYC and refers to the guidelines for providing best practice in early childhood education programs. An ideal early education program requires that the school, site or center meet all current DAP standards. The original DAP statement was issued in 1986 and has been updated multiple times. Ideal preschool programs rely on the well-researched, practice-based current DAP version. Key points of DAP include making all curriculum and activities on par with the child's developmental level, creating challenging experiences that encourage and allow young children to meet new goals, using knowledge of the child's cultural and social influences to aid in learning and relying on research-based practices. Quality programs that use developmentally appropriate practices create meaningful learning experiences that are informed by the principles of child development across all domains (i.e., social, physical, emotional and cognitive) through caring, child-centered classroom activities.
Ideally, early childhood education programs should hire the most qualified and experienced individuals. Although no official teacher licensure program exists, many states and districts are beginning to require preschool educators to hold an early childhood education credential. According to the NAEYC's position statement, "Standards for Programs to Prepare Early Childhood Professional," scientific research demonstrates that young children benefit from the educator's quality of preparation. Academic programs at the associate, bachelor's and graduate levels that teach child development/learning theories, family/community relationship building, curriculum design, observing and assessment techniques and professionalism prepare educators to work in quality child-care centers and schools. Early education programs that seek out and hire teachers with a post-secondary degree in education or child development demonstrate a high standard of professional practice within the preschool community.
No formal or uniform evaluation procedures exist for early education programs in the United States. That said, an ideal early childhood education program should exhibit some form of evaluation or quality improvement mechanism. Program evaluations can measure the effects of the curriculum to determine if the school or center is meeting the learning needs of the children. Additionally, an evaluation can let administrators know what needs to be done to make improvements. According to the American Evaluation Association, evaluations help organizations determine both strengths and weaknesses in many different aspects of individual programs. These may include the program itself, specific activities or content areas or the effectiveness of teachers and other staff.