Massachusetts’ Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)

Overview of revised standards and initial pilot design

Overview

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Process for Development of the Standards

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Content of the Standards

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QRIS Pilot

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Next steps

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Process for developing QRIS Standards

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Guidance from EEC Board and EEC Advisory Team

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Group of internal and external stakeholders created a draft

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Draft posted for public input

  Heard that the Standards were complicated Concerns about whether truly evidence-based 

Standards were reviewed and revised in order to ensure that they are clear, evidence-based and measurable.

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MA QRIS Standards

 Standards Categories:  Curriculum and Learning  Environment    Workforce Qualifications and Professional Development Family Involvement Leadership, Management and Administration  Customized for:    Center and School Based Family Child Care After-School and Out of School Time  Rating: Blocks – Must do everything at Level 1 before progressing to Level 2, etc.

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QRIS Standards - Categories

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Topics covered within each category:

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Curriculum and Learning: curriculum, assessment,

teacher child relationships and interactions, special education, children with diverse language and cultures 

Environment: indoor, outdoor, health and safety

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Workforce Qualifications and Professional

Development: directors, teachers, teacher

assistants, consultants 

Family Involvement

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Leadership, Management and Administration:

administration, management and leadership, supervision, evaluation, community involvement

Example: Center-Based: Curriculum and Learning - Curriculum Level

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Standard

Meets Licensing regulations Meets Requirements of Level 1 PLUS Program uses a written comprehensive curriculum that reflects diversity in its approach, is developmentally appropriate for the children served, and is aligned with the "MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences" Schedule includes specific time each day for reading to children either individually or in small groups Materials are sufficient, in good condition, reflect the language and culture of the children in the classroom and are appropriate to the age of the children in the class Meets Requirements of Level 2 PLUS Staff has received formal training in the curriculum and uses the MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning Standards to guide their planning of the written weekly lesson plans Daily schedule includes individual, small group, child initiated and teacher directed activities Meets Requirements of Level 3 PLUS Alignment of the Curriculum with the MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning Standards is documented in the daily/weekly lesson plans Staff receive ongoing training and supervision with feedback to ensure fidelity to the curriculum model Program supports reflective teaching practices for staff through the use of peer groups, coaches and /or mentors. Schedule includes built-in staff planning time

Measurement

License in good standing Curriculum from an approved list or submission of the curriculum for review Daily schedule includes a time allotment of at least 15 minutes for reading to children Teacher uses Materials Checklist in Early Childhood Program Standards for 3 and 4 year olds. Use of the ITERS (if appropriate) and ECERS Documentation of the staff training in the MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning Documentation of the staff training in the curriculum and a review of the lesson plans An outside reliable rater administers the ITERS (if appropriate) and the ECERS with a total score of 4.0 or better with a sub-score of at least 3.0 in all areas Documentation of the training (Registry), review and documentation of the process for supervision, feedback and reflective practices. Review of lesson plans and documentation of reflective teaching practices such as videos, journals, meeting notes or portfolios An outside reliable rater administers either: ITERS (if appropriate) and ECERS with a total score of 5.0 or better with a sub-score of at least 5.0 in all areas OR CLASS with a total score in the high range Current accreditation certificate

6 Level 4 + Level 5 Meets Requirements of Level 4 PLUS Accredited by a national organization TBD

TBD

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Highlights: ERS tools

Many states have a strong role for the ERS tools in their QRIS standards  Standards have a strong role for the ERS tools    Level 2 – use the tools for self assessment Level 3 – score of 4.0 or higher, with no sub-score below 3.0, by outside reliable administrator Level 4 – score of 5.0 or higher in all areas by outside reliable administrator  ERS vs. CLASS  ERS is more broadly focused on the environment, whereas CLASS focuses on instructional practice, teacher child interactions and the content of the teacher's instruction in the classroom  Decided to use ERS tools as foundational building blocks and self-assessment tools, and introduce CLASS at higher levels and through professional development

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Highlights: National Accreditation

 We heard concerns about:    the reliability of national accreditation measuring quality; the costs of pursuing national accreditation; and the lack of research studies that validate the value of national accreditation  We also heard support for national accreditation  Because it’s a national model   The benefit of programs going through a standardized process The state’s investment to date in national accreditation  Revised the standards to:  Have a Level 4 + for accreditation, because of block system will still need to document evidence of meeting earlier criteria  Programs who are pursuing accreditation will likely have an advantage in being able to document meeting the Standards

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Highlights: Workforce Qualifications

 We heard feedback about:  The QRIS standards needed to lay out a pathway for workforce qualifications  How would the career lattice and QRIS align?

 Revised the standards to:  Provide a pathway describing the workforce qualifications for Directors, Teachers, Family Child Care Providers, Assistants, and Consultants

Center-Based: Workforce Qualifications and PD: Teacher

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 4 + Level 5

Standard

Meets Licensing Regulations Meets Requirements of Level 1 PLUS Child Development Associate's credential for the age of the children served, with a minimum of 12 credits in early childhood education/child development/special education. Teacher has in Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) that is developed in conjunction with the Supervisor that addresses the identified training needs of that teacher. IPDP ensures that the teacher is trained in the MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning, diversity, oral language development, supporting children's literacy development, and the Strengthening Families protective factors. Teacher IPDP addresses the actions and timelines that are required to move to the next level Or development or a related field. Meets Requirements of Level 2 PLUS Meets National Association of Early Childhood Education teacher requirements or timelines Associate's degree, with a minimum of 30 credits in early childhood education/child development/special education and enrolled in a program leading to a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education/child IPDP ensures that the teacher receives training in the components of the assessment process including screening, observation, use of assessment tools and IDEA processes Teacher IPDP addresses the actions and timelines to move to the next level Or special education languages Meets Requirements of Level 3 PLUS Meets National Association for the Education of Young Children teacher requirements or timelines Baccalaureate degree in early childhood education/child development/early childhood special education including certification as a Teacher of Young Children with Special Needs or Early Intervention Specialist (DPH) or a related field with 36 credits in early childhood education/child development/early childhood PDP ensures that the teacher receives training in selection and use of screening and assessment tools, collection and interpretation of data and strategies for teaching children with special needs and diverse Meets Requirements of Level 4 PLUS Accredited by a national organization TBD

Measurement

License in good standing

Registry

Review of the PDP

Registry

Review of the PDP

Registry

Review of the PDP

Current accreditation

certificate TBD

Family Child Care: Workforce Qualifications and PD: FCC Provider

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 4 + Level 5

Standard

Meets Licensing regulations Meets Requirements of Level 1 PLUS High school diploma or GED Child Development Associate's credential (CDA); (or higher i.e. AA or BA) for the age of the children serve Has a minimum of 24 months experience as a Family Child Care Provider Provider has an Individual Professional Development Plan (IIPDP) that addresses their identified training needs. IPDP ensures that the provider is trained in the MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning, diversity, oral language development, supporting children's literacy development, and the Strengthening Families protective factors. Provider’s IPDP addresses the actions and timelines that are required to move to the next level. and/or special education. Meets Requirements of Level 2 PLUS CDA (or higher i.e. AA or BA) with 15 college credits in early childhood education, child development, Has a minimum of 36 months experience as a Family Child Care Provider IPDP ensures that the provider receives training in the components of the assessment process including screening, observation, use of assessment tools and IDEA processes Provider’s IPDP addresses the actions and timelines to move to the next level Meets Requirements of Level 3 PLUS Associates Degree in early childhood education, child development, early childhood special education or a related field with 24 credits in early childhood Has a minimum of 60 months experience as a Family Child Care Provider IPDP ensures that the Provider receives training in selection and use of screening and assessment tools, collection and interpretation of data and strategies for teaching children with special needs and diverse languages Meets Requirements of Level 4 PLUS Accredited by a national organization TBD

Measurement

License in good standing Registry Review of the IPDP Registry Review of the IPDP Registry Review of the IPDP Current accreditation certificate TBD

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Highlights: License-Exempt programs

License exempt programs = public school preschool, some Montessori and or religious elementary schools

 We heard concerns about:  Having different entry points into the QRIS for license and license-exempt programs at Level 1  Concerns about not having license-exempt programs meet basic health and safety standards as codified in licensing at Level 1  Revised the standards to:  Rely on precedent in Income Eligible re-procurement  License-Exempt programs will use the Center and School-Based standards. They will have to demonstrate they can meet licensing standards at Level 1.

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Highlights: Strengthening Families

 We heard feedback about:  How could we incorporate the work Massachusetts was doing as a state on Strengthening Families into the QRIS standards?

 Revised the standards to:   Include the Strengthening Families framework as a training topic for Directors, Teachers, Family Child Care Providers and Assistants Added criteria that starting at Level 2, programs and providers must use the Strengthening Families self assessment tool

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Highlights: Measurement

Majority of measurement will be done through having a license in good standing, document submission, verification in the workforce registry, and onsite monitoring using the ERS tools (ECERS, ITERS, FCCERS, and SACCRS)  Additionally named measurement tools that are required, include:  Curriculum: Materials Checklist in the Early Childhood Program Standards or NAFCC (Level 2); Optional: CLASS (Center/School, Level 4)  Teacher Child Relationships: Self-assessment tool to monitor classroom climate such as Arnett (Level 2); Arnett Scale completed by outside reviewer (Level 4)  Children with Diverse Languages: Self-assessment using the ECERS or ELLCO (Center/School, Level 3); Use of the Pre-Las or other valid instruments to determine child’s primary language (Level 4)  Outdoor: Use of a certified playground inspector (Center/School, Level 3)  Health and Safety: Use of the California Health Scale as a self-assessment (Center/School, Level 3)  Family Involvement: Strengthening Families self-assessment tool (Level 2)  Leadership, Management and Administration: Optional: Program Administration Scale by outside validator or NAEYC validation visit

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QRIS Pilot – Spring 2010

 The pilot will be open to these groups:  Current UPK grantees   Head Start programs, and Income eligible contract providers (center-based, public school, family child care and school-age)  Through the pilot EEC will test out the rating system and the monitoring tools  EEC will work to develop fiscal incentives from ARRA and other sources for FY2011 to encourage programs to maintain and continue to improve their quality  Still need to figure out Family and Consumer Engagement component  Will evaluate process

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QRIS Pilot Timeline

 March – May 2010   Train reviewers to reliability on ERS tools Invite selected programs to submit documentation for rating  June 2010  EEC staff review documentation and determine eligibility for ratings  July – September 2010  Do onsite reviews, primarily for ERS ratings  Concurrently   Rebidding Professional Development Programs will continue to receive EEC funding, of which a portion could become dependent on completing the rating process

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Program and Practitioner Supports:

Linkage with Professional Development Procurement

In FY11 EEC will put out a procurement for professional development that will:   Combine current PD funding into a single procurement Purchase professional development that supports both individual educators on a pathway and programs’ efforts to attain higher levels of quality through QRIS.

EEC’s goals for the procurement are:  Educators: Address two primary pathways, both with mentoring, coaching and other supports, to:  • • move educators towards degrees in early education or a related field and increase educator competency as evidenced in the attainment of CDAs and other certifications. Programs: Support providers in developing their staff, moving up QRIS scale, and obtaining accreditation.

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To achieve these goals in the PD Procurement…

EEC will focus resources on three areas:

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Career and Provider Planning

 individual educators and programs, and/or

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 program leadership training to support career planning for their individual staff.

Coaching and Mentoring

   support the academic success of individual educators in higher education, implement a career plan for educators to attain specific skills, knowledge and abilities, and/or Support improvements by programs that result in achieving a higher level on QRIS or accreditation.

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Competency Development

 attain an associates, bachelors or masters degree in early childhood education or a related field;   attainment of specific competencies by educators; attainment of increasing levels on QRIS by programs.

Will likely require selected vendors to prioritize working with programs and providers participating in QRIS

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QRIS Next Steps:

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Moving forward with the pilot this spring

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Pilot rating and monitoring process

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Ensure connection between PD procurement and QRIS Complete workforce registry

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There will be an opportunity after the pilot to step back and consider any necessary changes to the Standards or Rating process.