ACE Partners With StraighterLine and ChildCare Education Institute to Provide Early Childhood Professionals Path to a College Degree

StraighterLine students are eligible to transfer their earned credits to an ACE bachelor’s-completion program.

INDIANAPOLIS – June 14, 2023 – American College of Education® (ACE), StraighterLine and its subsidiary ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) have joined forces to accomplish their aligned mission of providing career-advancing educational opportunities for educators. CCEI certificate program completers can have their credits transcribed by ACE to then apply them to one of the college’s bachelor’s-completion programs.

CCEI is the industry leader for online professional development, specializing in offering online childcare training and certificates. It was recently acquired by StraighterLine, an existing ACE partner.

“One of our many goals at ACE is to provide educational opportunities that meet students where they are,” ACE CEO and President Geordie Hyland said. “Partnering with StraighterLine and CCEI means we can give early childhood educators a viable way to finish their bachelor’s degrees in less time and for less money, because their earned credits will seamlessly transfer.”

“We are thrilled to partner with ACE because they fully embrace our mission to empower more learners to reach their college and career goals,” said Heather Combs, StraighterLine CEO. “While families continue to seek high quality care for their children, our nation is grappling with a shortage of teachers. Our partnership aims to help solve that shortage by providing early childhood educators a flexible and affordable path to upward mobility and degree attainment, and to open more early childhood classrooms at the same time.”

ACE’s commitment to early childhood education extends to its Master of Education in Early Childhood Education, a program where ACE is the fourth largest conferrer according to recent IPEDS data reflecting the 2020-21 academic year.

About American College of Education

American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited, 100% online college specializing in high-quality, affordable programs in education, business, leadership, healthcare and nursing.  ACE is ranked #2 on Newsweek’s 2023 top online colleges list. Headquartered in Indianapolis, ACE offers more than 80 innovative and engaging programs for adult students to pursue a doctorate, specialist, master’s or bachelor’s degree, along with micro-credentials and graduate-level certificate programs. In addition to being a leader in online education, ACE is a Certified B Corporation. Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

About StraighterLine

StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. Each year, 150,000 learners take one of StraighterLine’s 215 courses to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 2,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. Visit www.straighterline.com for more information.

About ChildCare Education Institute, A StraighterLine Company

ChildCare Education Institute® provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings. Over 200+ English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition approved training partner, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and as an IACET Accredited Provider, offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. Visit www.cceionline.com for more information.