Board of Directors

Colorado Springs, CO – The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is thrilled to announce that it has received the prestigious Gold Seal Quality Care designation from Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF). This honor is a testament to the excellence of ACSI’s Early Education Florida Approval Program (FAP), which achieved an impressive 97% compliance score, surpassing the required 85% for Gold Seal accreditation. 

This designation enhances ACSI’s accreditation standards beyond the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC) levels, giving ACSI Early Education (EE) schools a significant competitive advantage over non-Gold Seal designated schools, both secular and religious, throughout Florida. 

ACSI President & CEO Dr. Larry Taylor shared the significance of this achievement for Christian education.  

“At ACSI, we continuously strive for excellence in Christian education,” he said. “This Gold Seal recognition exemplifies our commitment to providing students with high-quality, Christ-centered learning environments that exceed required expectations. I am so proud of our team, including ACSI Director of Early Education Dr. Althea Penn, Early Education Administrative Assistant Raevin Mahaney, and Early Education Florida Program Coordinator Tammy Hicks, for making their hard work.” 

ACSI accredited schools that are recognized by the Florida Approval Program and exceed licensing regulations will now benefit from a variety of enhancements. These include the ability to offer credentialed early educators in classrooms that adhere to national health and safety standards, such as lower student-to-teacher ratios. Moreover, Gold Seal-designated schools are eligible for higher school readiness subsidy/reimbursement payments, participation in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program, sales tax exemptions on educational materials, and more. 

The review process for the Gold Seal designation is extensive, with DCF forming evaluation teams composed of members from various Florida educational organizations, including the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Head Start Director’s Association, and the Florida Association of Child Care Management, among others. 

The Gold Seal designation is valid for up to five years, and ACSI-accredited schools seeking this certification must demonstrate adherence to the rigorous standards set forth in the ACSI Florida Approval Program Gold Seal Manual. 

For more information or to apply for Gold Seal designation, ACSI Early Education schools can contact Tammy Hicks, Florida Approval Program Coordinator, at tammy_hicks@acsi.org.