IMPROVING QUALITY IN EARLY CARE AND

EDUCATION

• Many approaches

• Combination of strategies

• Ongoing

Exciting to consider the possibilities!

NATIONAL INTEREST IN QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS

• Federal Initiatives to support early care and education

• Brain development research

• Longitudinal studies providing evidence of economic returns on early investment

WHAT IS QUALITY?

• Quality is a process that programs use to constantly strive for excellence

• Based on current research, best practices and observation/ input from educators/families

• Attention to three Areas

• Philos0phy

• Reflective Evaluation

• Support for Educators

QUALITY

• The Quality process never stops, it is an on-going endeavor*

* Please see Alameda County Child Care Planning Council Statement on High

Quality ECE Principles and Standards for further information

IMPROVING QUALITY

• Articulated philosophy

• Addressing diverse needs of families,

educators and the community

• Guides program implementation

and practices

IMPROVING QUALITY

• Reflection

• Evaluation

• Continuous improvement

IMPROVING QUALITY

• Learning

• Support

• Compensation

TOOLS AND SUPPORTS THAT ASSIST IN QUALITY

IMPROVEMENT PROCESS

Assessment tools-ERS, CLASS, ASQ,DRDP, CSEFEL

Assistance through professional development programs, advisors, coaches and consultants

Leadership for ECE community

Leadership through Professional Associations and Higher Education

Leadership through individual programs

We are all in this together!

WHAT ARE QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT

SYSTEMS (QRIS)?

• State frameworks outlining

effective evidenced based

strategies for improving

quality in early childhood

programs

QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT

SYSTEMS…

• Create common definitions of quality

• Coordinate early learning standards, professional development, and incentives around shared improvement goals

• Align existing resources

• Expand successful quality improvement approaches

• Strengthen early care and education programs and systems

QRIS SUPPORT QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

• Use assessment and ratings

to evaluate a program’s current level

of quality

• Provide multi-level supports to

improve program quality

3 LEVELS OF SUPPORT

TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND PROGRAM

• Quality improvement plans

• Training, technical assistance, and mentor coaching

• Identification of resources to improve program quality

• Financial incentives

• Professional development

• Grants for facilities or program improvement

QRIS IN 32 STATES

QRIS DEVELOPMENT IN CALIFORNIA

• One of the last states to begin development of a QRIS

• Regional versus statewide approach

• Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Federal Grant

• Funding being used to develop regional QRIS

• Alameda is one of 16 participating counties

RACE TO THE TOP EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE

(RTT-ELC)

Federal grant to improve early care and education programs for young children by supporting states’ efforts to:

• Increase the number of low income and disadvantaged children enrolled in high-quality early learning programs

• Integrate and strengthen learning standards, use of assessment, workforce development and family engagement

California Department of Education received a RTT-ELC grant to assist 16 counties in California to develop a QRIS

Funding through 2015

QRIS RATINGS

• Centers and family child care

• Nationally recognized indicators of quality

• California RTT-ELC Quality Continuum Framework • First year of development• 16 QRIS counties and Department of Education• Collaborative committee process

• Publication of ratings to be determined

RTT-ELC QUALITY CONTINUUM FRAMEWORK

Tool used to measure program performance in 3 core areas:

• Child Development and School Readiness

• Teachers and Teaching

• Program and Environment

QUALITY CONTINUUM FRAMEWORK

• Observational assessments by external evaluators

• Submit documentation

• Ratings based on RTT-ELC Quality Continuum in 3 elements

• Combined points from ratings across 3 elements locate program on a Quality Tier

• Alameda County’s Framework will have 5 Tiers

All programs in the QRIS, from Tier 1 to Tier 5, are making a commitment to quality care.

THE QUALITY ELEMENTS

1. Child Observation

2. Developmental Health and Screenings

3. Ratios and Group Size• Centers only beyond licensing regulations

4. Program Environment Rating Scales• ECERS-R, ITERS-R, FCCERS-R

5. Director Qualifications• Centers Only

6. Minimum Qualifications for Lead Teacher/Family Child Care Homes

7. Effective Teacher-Child Interactions• CLASS Assessments

WHAT IS THE QRIS PILOT?

• Test Sites in Alameda County

• Learn how to implement the rating system

• Determine quality improvement activities

needed and desired

• Gather feedback from participants

WHO WILL BE INCLUDED IN QRIS?

• Family child care

• Title 5 centers

• Title 22 centers

• Head Start centers

HOW WILL PARTICIPATING SITES BE SELECTED?

• Licensed, in good standing

• Serving children with high needs

• Alameda County Early Learning Advisory Committee selection eligibility criteria

• Program Readiness

• Year 1: 20 sites • Year 2: 40 sites• Year 3: 40 sites

CALIFORNIA’S DEFINITION

OF HIGH NEEDS CHILDREN

• Living in low income families

• Special needs or developmental delays

• English Language Learners

• Enrolled in Migrant and Tribal programs

• Infants and Toddlers

• Homeless, in foster care or involved with Child Protective Services

AM I ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN QRIS?

If you are a licensed early care and education center or family child care home YOU are eligible to apply for participation in

QRIS

BENEFITS TO PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS

• Assessments by external evaluators in both the ERS and the CLASS

• Sample of classrooms at each site

• Quality rating on California’s RTT-ELC Quality Continuum Framework

• Create a QRIS quality improvement

roadmap to identify next steps

BENEFITS TO PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS

ACCESS TO:

• Quality improvement resources

• Technical assistance (TA): Rater, navigator and/or coaching

• Professional development advising

• Free or reduced cost trainings

• 2nd rating to document quality post TA

• Quality rating to use in communicating with parents/families and caregivers

BENEFITS FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY

• Participating sites will provide important information about effective quality improvement strategies

• Improved understanding of the Quality Continuum Framework

• Identifying how it works for individual programs

• Learning how it works for the the county overall

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I WANT TO APPLY?

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

• Are a majority of the children you serve in the high needs categories listed?

• Are you and your program ready to work as a team and make a 2 year commitment to quality improvement?

• Will you commit to the the extra time it takes to meet with a coach, go to trainings or improve curriculum and environments?

• Do you feel ready and comfortable to have an outside assessor observe and assess your program on an ERS and CLASS?

IF YOU SAID YES TO ALL OF THE CRITERIA:YOU ARE READY TO APPLY!

• Contact the Alameda County QRIS Administrator to

determine your site eligibility

• QRIS staff will contact you for an interview in early

Fall 2014

• Complete the application in Fall 2014 and return

MANY WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY

QRIS is one method of participation

Others include:

• Resource and Referral Agency Workshops

• CARES Plus and My Teaching Partner

• Community College Cohorts

• Completing College Course in ECE

• Working with a Mentor Coach

QUESTIONS

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information please contact:

Mary Anne Doan

QRIS Administrator

First 5 of Alameda County

510-227-6937

maryanne.doan@first5alameda.org