Program Standards Alignment and Monitoring to Support QRIS Participation

Smart Start National Conference

May 6, 2015

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Session Overview

• Who participates: sectors and provider types

• Alignment of standards• Alternate pathways• Supports for program and staff• Monitoring• Outreach and communication• Challenges and strategies for success

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The many sectors…

• Child care centers (regulated)• Family and group child care

homes (regulated)• Head Start programs• Nationally accredited centers

and homes• Prekindergarten• Nursery schools and

preschools• Preschool special education

programs• Faith-based programs• Others?

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Cross-Sector QRIS

Cross-sector Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) means one that aims for participation by most early care and education providers, regardless of setting, funding stream, or auspice. At a minimum, this includes child care centers, family and group child care homes, Pre-K, and Head Start; that is, all publicly supported or licensed settings, but usually not license-exempt programs.

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System Elements – How do they differ?

System Element Accredited Care Head Start Pre-K

Standards Each accrediting body has its own standards, procedures, duration, rigor, reliability

HS Program Performance Standards HS Act, HS Outcomes Framework

State Pre-K regulations, ELGs, teacher certification

Monitoring & Accountability

Each has own procedures, frequency, duration, rigor, reliability.

Triennial reviews, annual self-assessment, five year recompetition cycle

Varies by State

Provider Supports/Program & Professional Development (PD)

State PD & training and technical assistance (T&TA)

T&TA system (regional, state) & grantee funds

State higher education system

Source of Funding Federal & some state funding, primarily tuition, accreditation grants

Federal grants Primarily State funding

Engagement & Outreach Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, internet

Community needs assessment

By school district

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Relationships

Working across sectors requires relationship-building.

Relationships are built on:• Knowledge of the other

system (what they do, why they do it, and how they do it);

• Communication;• Respect; and• Trust.

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Self-Reflection

• Working across systems requires us to reflect on and acknowledge that there are many different pathways to better quality.

• What is the definition of high quality, the approach to promoting continuous quality improvement (CQI), in the various sectors in your State or Territory?

• How can we trust, build on, and incorporate these multiple pathways in the QRIS process?

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National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool

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National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool

Ten topic areas plus several subtopic areas:

1. Children with Special Needs2. Eligibility, Recruitment, and Transition3. Family and Community Partnerships4. Health and Safety5. Learning Environment and Practices6. Nutrition7. Personnel Management and Human

Resources8. Program Administration9. Supporting Skill Development10. Transportation

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

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National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool

Alignment of Standards:• Head Start Program Performance Standards (HS)• Department of Defense (DoD)• Caring for Our Children (CFOC3)• National Association for the Education of Young Children

Accreditation Standards (NAEYC)• Council on Accreditation After School Program Standards

(COA-AS)• National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and

Education Programs (NAC)• National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)

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Reciprocity

• Compliance with another sector’s standards “counts” in your QRIS.

• Documentation from another sector regarding certain criteria or standards “counts” in your QRIS.

• Reciprocity rests on TRUST:

– Trust the monitoring process;

– Trust the compliance decisions; and

– Trust the other system.

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Reciprocity

Reciprocity could go both ways….

Achieving or maintaining a certain level in your QRIS could “count” in the other sector…

– QRIS level required to receive Pre-K funds; or

– QRIS level could reduce the number of licensing monitoring visits.

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Alternate Pathways

• Can programs reach a level in the QRIS in multiple ways?

• How does the State or Territory determine what to accept at what level?

• What evidence does a partner need to provide to demonstrate its “equivalency” to QRIS standards?

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Supports for Programs and Staff

Considerations for available supports: • Acceptance of another sector’s training and

technical assistance (TA) to “count” in your system;

• Understanding by PD and TA staff of other sectors’ standards and sources of evidence; and

• Determination of financial awards and which programs or staff are eligible to receive them.

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Delaware Stars

NAEYC Accredited Programs:

• Once accepted into Delaware Stars, programs must provide a copy of their accreditation and complete the Delaware Stars Orientation specific to NAEYC programs.

• Once complete, NAEYC programs are designated Star Level 5 and may keep their Star Level by maintaining their NAEYC accreditation and submitting copies of their annual NAEYC reports to Delaware Stars.

• NAEYC programs are assigned a Technical Assistant to be their contact person for Delaware Stars, but are not eligible to receive ongoing TA visits or Delaware Stars grants and awards.

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Delaware Stars

Head Start and ECAP Programs:

• Once accepted into Delaware Stars, must provide a copy of their most recent Compliance Monitoring Report and complete the Delaware Stars Orientation specific to Head Start and Early Childhood Assistance Program (ECAP) programs.

• Once complete, programs are designated Star Level 4 and may keep their Star Level by maintaining good standing with Head Start and ECAP monitoring standards, and by submitting copies of their annual monitoring reports to Delaware Stars.

• Programs may choose to maintain at a Star Level 4 or move up to a Star Level 5. To achieve Star Level 5, programs must request an Environment Rating Scale assessment and meet the minimum required classroom scores for that level.

• Programs are eligible for technical assistance when actively working on achieving Star Level 5, but are not eligible for any grants or awards.

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Monitoring

Key Point:Even a QRIS that appears simple can become complex and expensive to administer unless steps are taken to streamline the documentation procedures for standards and sources of evidence.

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Sources of Evidence

For each standard you must:• Clarify if, when, and how documentation

is required;• Specify what documentation will be

accepted to verify compliance:– Self report;– Import data from another system;– Submit a document; or– Onsite observation using assessment tool(s).

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Staffing

• Key component of the monitoring system• Who does what?• What do they need to know?• What education or training should they

have?• Are the roles clearly defined?

– Internally?– Externally for providers, partners, and the public?

• Is there duplication of effort?

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Outreach and Communication

• How is the communication with providers, parents, and the general public about the QRIS framed?

• How do partners understand the QRIS and how it benefits their system and children and families?

• Is there a mechanism in place for ongoing feedback and evaluation?

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Table Discussion

With respect to cross-sector participation, discuss the following at your tables:

Challenges Strategies for Success

Alignment of Standards

Program and Practitioner Supports

Monitoring

Staffing

Outreach and Communication

North Carolina’s 5 Star License

• 1997 - 5 Star License became law

• 1998 – New standards effective• 2005 – 2 component system in

place• 2012 – Validation Study of

current QRIS

Types of Programs that Participate

• Head Start• NC PreK• DPI After School• Centers• Homes• Religious Sponsored

NC’s Initial QRIS

3 - 4 points

5 - 7 points

8 - 10 points

11 - 13 points

14 - 15 points

Revised QRIS – 1/1/2006

Initial QRIS

Star rating based on points earned from 3 components: Program Standards, Staff Education, and Compliance History

Minimum compliance history score for a license = 60%

Revised QRIS

Star rating based on points earned from 2 components: Program Standards and Staff Education

Minimum compliance history score for a license = 75%

QRIS – Current Status

• Tiered Reimbursement • Subsidy payments tied to star levels• Limiting subsidy to 3-5 star providers as of 7/01/12

• Targeted Technical Assistance for Raising Quality and Increasing Stars• Licensing staff – development plans for 1-2 star facilities• Race to the Top• Resources funded by Quality dollars to support higher stars

• Another Validation Study Underway • Initial mapping complete on group size/child staff ratio

and education

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Need More Information?

www.ncchildcare.nc.gov

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Reflections or Questions?

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Resources

• Delaware Stars. (2014). Delaware Stars for Early Success Program Guide. Retrieved from http://www.delawarestars.udel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Program-Guide-7-14.pdf.

• Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality. (2012). Good, Better, Best: PA’s CQI Guide to Best Practices, Center and Group Considerations, Version 2.1. Retrieved from http://www.pakeys.org/pages/starsDocs.aspx.

• National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement. (n.d.). National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool. Retrieved from https://occqrisguide.icfwebservices.com/index.cfm?do=crosswalk.

Thank You

National Center on Child Care Quality ImprovementNCCCQI does not endorse any non-Federal organization, publication, or resource.

Phone: 877-296-2250Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com