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CASS COUNTY — The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) and Strong Beginnings preschool program for Heritage Southwest ISD in Cass County, Michigan, have earned elite honors with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s leading organization for early childhood programs.

Heritage Southwest ISD’s staff from 12 GSRP and 4 Strong Beginnings classrooms were recognized as Accredited+, earning outstanding scores in all nine NAEYC standard categories. The HSISD Program as a whole earned a score of 100 percent for overall program quality and an average of 93 percent for classroom quality across Cass County. NAEYC validates a little over six percent of all early childhood programs in the nation at this level of quality.

The NAEYC Accredited+ recognition is valid for five years until 2030. It is based on the highest proficiency in nine standard areas. To achieve this, 10 out of the 16 ISD classrooms were observed during a four-day site visit by two trained NAEYC assessors, along with a review of hundreds of indicators for classroom and program quality.

Heritage Southwest ISD’s Early Childhood was one of only two programs in Michigan to participate in a pilot research study of the new NAEYC accreditation system, and it was the largest program in the study with 37 teaching staff at multiple sites. This distinguishes the HSISD Strong Beginnings classrooms as the first NAEYC-accredited program in the state.

The ISD early childhood programs serve young children in partnership with four local school districts: Cassopolis Public Schools, Dowagiac Union Schools, Edwardsburg Public Schools, and Marcellus Community Schools.

HSISD early childhood staff

Administration/Support: Jamie Duis, Vicki Foote, Christine Whitmire

Early Childhood Specialists: Angela Enright, Shirley Penley

Family Liaison: Betsy Bradley

Lead Teachers: Melissa Allen, Shatina Brunty, Brittany Dano, Teresa Edwards, Becky Florey,

Mariah Green, Jessica Humphries, Emris Latham, Debbie Luthringer, Heaven Penley, Tonya

Roberts, Bren Steele, Jennifer Stolpe, Malinda Topash, Brooke Ward, and Gracie Wilson.

Associate Teachers: Grissel Aviles, Jessica Cropsey, Tara Fosdick, Jessica Glossenger, Kylie

Haeb, Sherrie Herter, Kim Koblitz, Lexi Lane, Liz Losee, Emily Mead, Angela Mosier, Kayla

Oliver, Brenda Osborn, Kalynn Riege, Savannah Watson, Ashley Wilds, Victoria Williams

Support Teachers: Emma Burnett, Becca Feirick, Julie Florey, Airyann Paulson, April Stewart