This is the highest earnable rating in the state for Child Development and Early Learning Centers.
“We are very proud of each of our staff members and the hard work that they put in each and every day to maintain and exceed these high standards as we care and educate our Jr. Warhawks who will be “big” Warhawks one day,” said Emily Williamson, director of the CDC.
’s Child Development Center was the first center in Ouachita Parish to earn a Five Star rating in 2008, and has maintained the rating since that time.
The Child Development Center continues to grow successfully thanks to the leadership of Emily Williamson and her talented staff,” said Dr. Sandra Lemoine, dean of College of Arts, Education, and Sciences. “The center is committed to providing the best educational tools, state-of-the-art facilities, an award-winning outdoor classroom, and outstanding faculty.”
The rating is based on the center’s completion of a Quality Start Portfolio, which is audited by the state to evaluate administrative practices, staff qualifications, and family and community involvement.
The center also completes self-assessments, child-staff ratios, and a center improvement plan. Classrooms undergo unannounced assessments by state evaluators with the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale and the Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale.
Dr. Dorothy Schween, director of the School of Education said, “The five stars represent the incredible amount of creative and organizational effort that Emily Williamson has put into the center. Her knowledge of child development is unsurpassed in the state of Louisiana.”
The CDC is a facility in a laboratory setting providing quality care and education for young children. The center also provides practical experiences to prepare professionals for various early childhood careers.
The five-star rating is one of many recognitions for the CDC. The outdoor classroom at the facility has earned two awards from the Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) for its innovative outdoor learning environment built mostly from recycled and natural materials.