Tag Archives: Quality Rating and Improvement System

Innovation in monitoring in early care and education: Options for states

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4/2015

Executive Summary

Ensuring children are in safe environments that promote health and development is a top priority of families, state regulators, the federal government, and national organizations that accredit early care and education programs (ECE). This paper examines monitoring across ECE settings and considers lessons learned from the analogous sectors of child welfare and health. Although professional organizations in partnership with federal agencies developed national guidelines for health and safety, there is wide variation in state and local regulations around the minimum health and safety requirements for children in care. Areas of regulatory variation include: 1) thresholds for the number of children in licensed care at ECE facilities located in family child care homes (FCCs); 2) the comprehensiveness of background checks for ECE provider staff and individuals residing at FCCs; and 3) the frequency of monitoring visits.

ECE providers may receive funding from one or more public sources including, the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS), State Pre-Kindergarten (State Pre-K), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Early Intervention and Special Education, and the Department of Defense Child Care. Providers funded by more than one public source are subject to multiple accountability systems that are not always aligned. ECE providers seeking national accreditation engage in yet another layer of accountability and quality improvement. Some states that are building or reforming Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are attempting to create unified early learning standards and consistent ECE program ratings across funding streams and provider types.

Many states use differential monitoring to improve the efficiency of monitoring systems and technical assistance (TA) systems. As opposed to “one size fits all” systems of monitoring, differential monitoring determines the frequency and comprehensiveness of provider monitoring based on the provider’s history of compliance with standards and regulations. Providers that maintain strong records of compliance are inspected less frequently, while those with a history of non-compliance may be subject to more announced and unannounced inspections. This paper includes case studies from states involved in various stages of implementing differential monitoring approaches.

Implementation of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG), which was signed into law in November 2014, will likely result in more uniformity in state practice in some of the components of monitoring. Using examples from states reforming their child care licensing systems, this paper outlines the challenges and possibilities of building accountability systems that support positive child and family outcomes while reducing the burden on individual providers within multiple funding streams. This paper provides a general overview of the current monitoring system, and highlights several examples of promising state practices that are already underway. It offers a vision for accountability that addresses compliance with a minimum floor of health and safety standards, and promising strategies for continuous quality improvement. The goal of this paper is to inform upcoming changes in licensing and monitoring systems that will take place in the context of the reauthorized CCDBG implementation.

Source: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of health and Human Services.

Available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/108601/rpt_ece_monitoring.pdf

The QRIS Compendium

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October 2014

The QRIS Compendium and qriscompendium.org is a comprehensive resource for administrators, policy makers, researchers, technical assistance providers and others for information about all of the QRIS operating in the US and its territories. Features of the 2014 QRIS Compendium include: information on topics like rating, use of observational tools, and indicators; full state and locality QRIS profiles; functionality to create customizable data reports about specific QRIS data elements; and useful analysis of some of the key facts about QRIS in 2014.

Source: The BUILD Initiative

Available at: http://qriscompendium.org

Best Practices in Data Governance and Management for Early Care and Education: Supporting Effective Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

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7/14/2014

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems QRIS currently serve as a centerpiece of many states’ early care and education ECE activities. However, QRIS can only strengthen ECE program quality if they are built on quality data. Intentional and rigorous data management and governance practices are essential for data gathered exclusively for the QRIS such as program observation scores as well as for external data accessed by the QRIS such as workforce registry data.  The purpose of this brief is to illustrate the need for and benefits of building strong ECE data governance structures and implementing system-wide data management policies and practices, using the example of QRIS. The brief first describes existing QRIS data systems and the common challenges to data coordination and integrity in these data systems. The brief then provides guidance on best practices related to data governance and the development of integrated data systems that can support QRIS implementation, monitoring and evaluation. As additional resources, the appendices include the interview protocol used with states, as well as specific state and local case studies and a glossary of terms related to coordinated data systems.

Source: Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/best-practices-in-data-governance-and-management-for-early-care-and-education-supporting-effective-quality-rating-and

Best Practices in Ensuring Data Quality in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems QRIS

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7/14/2014

Collecting and using data are core activities in a well-functioning Quality Rating and Improvement System QRIS. Yet, data used in a QRIS are frequently housed in different systems, using different data management techniques. Ensuring a high level of QRIS data quality involves implementing a number of best practices drawn from established practices used in other fields. The purpose of this brief is to describe the specific strategies QRIS data stakeholders can use to improve upon the collection, management, and dissemination of QRIS data. The audience for this brief includes QRIS program administrators, technical assistance providers, data managers, and researchers.

Source: Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/best-practices-in-ensuring-data-quality-in-quality-rating-and-improvement-systems-qris

Comprehensive Early Childhood System-Building: A Tool To Inform Discussions On Collaborative, Cross-Sector Planning

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12/2013

What is the purpose of this tool?
The purpose of this tool is to help state and community leaders improve the capacity of their early childhood system. Comprehensive early childhood systems require work across the Health, Early Learning and Development, and Family Support and Leadership sectors in order to achieve agreed-upon goals for thriving children and families. The tool is based on the framework and accompanying graphic developed by the Early Childhood System Working Group (ECSWG).

Who are the intended users of this tool?
This tool is designed to assist facilitators working with state or community stakeholders from multiple sectors to plan
for and manage integrated early childhood systems. Stakeholders might include leaders from the governor’s or mayor’s office, a Children’s Cabinet or a State Early Learning Advisory Council, relevant state, county and local agencies, non- governmental agencies, and others in the early childhood policy and professional community. Potential agencies to include in such a discussion are listed in the Appendix to this document; the list includes agencies with authority over relevant federal programs and funding streams for young children and families across the sectors of Health, Early Learning and Development, and Family Leadership and Support.

What is Early Childhood System-building?
Early childhood system-building in the ongoing process of developing the structures, behaviors, and connections that make all the components of an early childhood system operate as a whole to promote shared results for children and families. The ECSWG developed this tool with the understanding that states and communities each find their own path to building a comprehensive early childhood system and that it would not be possible to develop a tool that recommends a linear process to follow to do so. System-building is dynamic and can occur in fits and starts or double back and start over. The intention is that this tool would be relevant no matter what stage a planning or management group is in.

How can the ECSWG Early Childhood System graphic facilitate system-building?
The ECSWG has developed a simple graphic (often referred to as “the ovals”) depicting the intersection of the Health, Early Learning and Development, and Family Support and Leadership systems that are necessary to develop a comprehensive early childhood system (see Figure One). Since their creation, the ECSWG graphics have been widely used and adapted by early childhood stakeholders to understand, communicate, and support policy improvements for systems. The graphic shows:

Desired Results: In the center of the graphic is the desired result for early childhood systems, thriving children and families. Each planning group will want to bring further clarity and definition to that term reflecting their own unique priorities.

Source: The BUILD Initiative

Available at: http://www.buildinitiative.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/ECSWG%20Systems%20Planning%20Tool_2014.pdf

Crosswalk of National Early Childhood Program Standards – Quality Rating & Improvement System Resource Guide

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The Office of Child Care’s National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement (NCCCQI) is pleased to provide this online program standards crosswalk tool that is prepopulated with national early childhood program standards (e.g., Head Start, accreditation, Caring for our Children).  This tool is designed to help States that are developing and aligning program standards for licensing, quality rating and improvement systems, and/or prekindergarten programs, to search and compare the content of several sets of national standards. NCCCQI is commencing this project on behalf of and in support of the Office of Child Care’s Pathways and Partnerships for Child Care Excellence work plan.

Program standards describe the expected structure and practices of early care and education settings and often represent definitions of quality that aim to have a positive impact on children’s learning and development. Standards are just one element of a system for continuous program quality improvement. Standards must work in concert with rigorous program assessment and monitoring processes, supports for programs seeking to improve quality (e.g., improvement plans, technical assistance, professional development, etc.), meaningful incentives for improvement, and mechanisms to inform consumers and the public about quality improvement efforts and achievements.

The early care and education field has multiple sets of program standards, and the content of those standards varies widely. States seeking to develop quality improvement systems often engage in a process to review and align the content of various program standards available in the field. Early care and education providers are better able to understand the path to high quality care when the various standards they must meet have similar categories of standards and use consistent terminology. This National Standards Crosswalk Tool was developed to help States and save them time and money by making several sets of national standards available in one online database with an easy-to-use search mechanism.

Statement of Intended Use

The National Standards Crosswalk Tool was developed for state policy makers interested in aligning state and national program standards. It is not intended as a guide for programs seeking to meet these standards or achieve accreditation. The accreditation standards included in this tool are from copyrighted materials. Users must contact the agencies and organizations that administer those standards to receive a complete set of the standards and additional guidance. Contact information is available in the About the Standards section.

Source: National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement

Available at: https://occqrisguide.icfwebservices.com/index.cfm?do=crosswalk

ZERO TO THREE: Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)

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Supporting Babies Through QRIS is a series of documents developed by ZERO TO THREE’s Policy Center to help ensure that Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) are supporting the unique developmental needs of infants and toddlers. The documents present a national review of states’ and jurisdictions’ QRIS that have been implemented statewide and illustrates some examples of QRIS standards and supports that have been included across the nation to help programs promote young children’s development and learning.

This Series Features:

Implementation Status and Tools in US States and Other Jurisdictions- A national scan of the operational status of U.S. states’ and jurisdictions’ QRIS, as well as links to their QRIS standards and tools

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Inclusion of Infant and Toddler Quality Standards- Document charting some examples of QRIS standards that have been included in statewide-operating QRIS and intentionally help programs promote the healthy development and learning of infants and toddlers

View Document

Coming Soon

Self-Assessment Tool–Tool for states and jurisdictions to identify the strengths, opportunities, and gaps in a coordinated system of quality improvement for programs serving infants and toddlers

Source: ZERO TO THREE

Available at: http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/building-early-childhood-systems/qris/

QRIS: Building the Research Base

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10/14/13

Recently, nearly 400 people gathered in Washington D.C. for a national meeting – sponsored by the Build Initiative with funding from the Alliance for Early Success and other partners – to discuss and plan for the next generation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). The participants included state, territory and federal administrators, QRIS leaders, staff from organizations working directly with early care and education programs, and QRIS researchers who gathered to take stock of the past, present and future of QRIS. Many states and territories are still in the early years of designing or piloting a QRIS, while others are making revisions to QRIS that have been operating for more than five years. Attendees discussed challenges and opportunities in QRIS implementation and offered lessons and recommendations from QRIS practice and research.

As QRIS researchers, we have always appreciated the openness of the QRIS community to new evaluation findings, new strategies, and new methods for increasing the effectiveness of the work. Discussions in the recent meeting focused on using evidence and implementation science to improve the techniques used to measure and rate quality, to support early care and education programs in improving their quality, and to disseminate information to parents and other consumers. QRIS administrators and staff are seeking ways to make adjustments or significant changes to their QRIS, and they are looking for guidance from research and practice to make these decisions. They also recognize the resource and practical constraints that characterize work in early care and education.

Source: Child Trends

Available at: http://www.childtrends.org/qris-building-the-research-base/#more-11732

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Program Annual Performance Reports

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9/2013

In February 2013 the nine Phase 1 Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Program grantee States submitted the first Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the grant program. The APRs document progress made during the 1st year of grant implementation (January 1 – December 31, 2012). Grantees wrote about lessons learned during the 1st grant year and the progress being made in each of the five RTT-ELC reform areas and on their corresponding performance measures.

Following is a summary of the 1st year of work that grantees completed in the RTT-ELC reform area of High-Quality, Accountable Programs. Some of this work cut across various reform areas and is therefore categorized by content area. This summary is by no means an exhaustive collection of all the work in the area of early childhood program quality improvement being done in a particular State, but it is a compilation of the work highlighted and documented by grantees as being supported by RTT-ELC funds and as meeting the stated RTT-ELC goals.

The work implemented during the 1st year of the grant period in the area of High-Quality, Accountable Programs is organized using select indicators aligned with the core benchmark elements (Program Standards, Supports for Programs and Providers, Financial Incentives and Supports, Quality Assurance and Monitoring, and Consumer Education) laid out in the Office of Child Care’s (OCC) Benchmarks for Quality Improvement Project.

Source: Office of Early Learning, U.S. Department of Education

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/qris_in_rtt_elc_program_aprs_508c_final.pdf

Workforce Initiatives in Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Program Annual Performance Reports

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9/2013

In February 2013 the nine Phase 1 Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Program grantee States submitted the first Annual Performance Reports (APRs) for the grant program. The APRs document progress made during the 1st year of grant implementation (January 1 – December 31, 2012). Grantees wrote about lessons learned during the 1st grant year and about the progress being made in each of the five RTT-ELC reform areas and on their corresponding performance measures.

Following is a summary of the 1st year of work that grantees completed in the RTT-ELC reform area of A Great Early Childhood Education Workforce. Some of this work cuts across various reform areas and is therefore categorized by content area. This summary is by no means an exhaustive collection of all the work being done in the workforce area in a particular State, but it is a compilation of the work highlighted and documented by the grantees as being supported by RTT-ELC funds and as meeting the stated RTT-ELC goals.

Source: Office of Early Childhood, U.S. Department of Education

Available at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/workforce_initiatives_in_rtt_elc_program_aprs_508c_final.pdf