Dr. Lenor Payne: Normandy Early Learning Center earns NAI bronze accreditation, eyes gold

Dr. Lenor Payne, director of early childhood for the Normandy Early Learning Center, said the center recently received bronze-level accreditation from NAI and is awaiting a decision on gold status.

"We scored at a 93%," Payne said, describing the result as a strong performance against the accreditation’s benchmarks. She said NAI requires at least an 80% score across its performance indicators for accreditation.

Payne described the accreditation process as rigorous: she said the center had to submit evidence for roughly 123 performance indicators and that the application and documentation process took about three months. "I started that in January and I didn't finish until spring break," she said, adding that she applied over spring break.

Payne said the bronze award signals to the community that the center follows early childhood best practices that address academic and social-emotional development. She said NAI is a nationally recognized accrediting organization and that accredited centers receive recognition in NAI’s publications and may host a site visit and feature.

Payne noted the accreditation is rare, saying NAI grants accreditation to only about 20 to 30 schools a year, and described the recognition as "a badge of honor." She said the center will know whether it receives the gold level by May 1.

The presentation did not include any formal board action or vote; Payne framed the remarks as an announcement and summary of the center’s accreditation work.