• NAA: National AfterSchool Association
• NACCRRA: National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
• NAEYC: National Association for the Education of Young Children
• NAFCC: National Association for Family Child Care
• National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE): Dual mission of accountability and improvement in teacher preparation. Current accreditation process establishes rigorous, performance-based standards to teacher education programs.
• Native Student: A "native student" is a degree-seeking student who enters a college or university as a first-time freshman (subsequent to the summer following high school graduation). Thus, a fall-term freshman who earned college credit prior to and/or during the summer immediately after high school graduation at another institution is still considered a native student at the institution in which he/she enrolls in the fall. Likewise, a student who enrolls in another institution as an occasional student while simultaneously enrolling in the initial college/university, or enrolling as a non-degree seeking "summer guest", continues to be a native student at the home institution.
• Natural Allies: An initiative designed to ensure that early care and education professionals at all levels have knowledge and skills to meet the needs of young children with disabilities and their families who are served in a variety of settings.
• NCCA: National Child Care Association
• Nursery school: An early care and education program for children, usually between the ages of 3 and 5, who are not old enough to attend kindergarten.