Transcript An Overview of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s QRIS System – PA’s Early Learning Keys to Quality Rebecca E.

An Overview of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s
QRIS System – PA’s Early Learning Keys to Quality
Rebecca E. Gomez, M.Ed.
Southeast Regional Key
Background and Inception of PA’s System
• Created in 2002 as a quality rating system and operated within fixed
number of providers through a case management system;
• Since the inception of Keystone STARS, the performance standards
have been the bedrock of the program;
• They are guided by the principle that quality early learning
programs are the foundation for children’s success, and that
investment in the early care and education of PA’s children is an
investment in the future;
• The Keystone STARS Performance Standards reflect research-based
practices to improve outcomes for children;
• They are organized into 4 STAR levels that build upon each other in
order to support continuous quality improvement – Accreditation is
the top tier of the System (NAEYC, NAFCC, NAA, COA and
NACCP).
Governance: A System-Oriented Reorganization
• Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)
created in September 2004;
• The goal of OCDEL is to create a seamless system to serve
young children and their families;
• OCDEL, through its volunteer committees, analyzed all
programming and decided to develop the Pennsylvania Early
Learning Keys to Quality;
• The new structure brought programs for children and families
from the Departments of Public Welfare and Education under
one umbrella;
• PA Early Learning Keys to Quality launched in July 2005.
PA Early Learning Keys to Quality
Vision
All Pennsylvania families will have access to high-quality
early care and education and school-age child care
opportunities for their children that foster success in school
and in life.
Mission
To create a quality improvement system in which all early
learning programs and practitioners are encouraged and
supported to improve child outcomes. Improvements in
programming are designed to increase the capacity to support
children’s learning and development; increase educational
attainment among practitioners; enhance professional skills
and competencies in support of children’s learning and
development.
Goals to Define Work
1.
Establish new early learning programs;
2.
Build the capacity of child care as partner for school
readiness;
3.
Improve professional preparation & development of
teachers & administrators;
4.
Assure access for most disadvantaged;
5.
Engage parents and other stakeholders;
6.
Fully coordinate efforts of Welfare & Education
Departments –Office of Child Development and Early
Learning.
Aligning the System with Vision, Mission, and
Goals
• STARS – Standards, Training/Professional Development,
Assistance, Resources and Supports;
• Bring Professional Development and Program Quality
together into the 6 Regional Keys with partners PA Key and
OCDEL (lesson learned);
• Create a SYSTEM - all resources (financing etc.) examined to
insure alignment with State objectives and linkages to STARS
quality program improvement within DPW and PDE;
• STARS Advisory Committee reviews standards and
recommends protocol/program changes.
System Administration: A Regional Approach
Regional Key Responsibilities: Professional
Development System-Building
• Provide integrated PD and TA to support facility and
practitioner participation and movement in STARS;
• Provide PD and TA to support practitioners and facilities
to maintain Certification compliance;
• Facilitate access to PD and TA to assist practitioner
movement along the career lattice;
• Coordinate regular communication and purposeful
collaboration to facilitate the integration of PD and TA
opportunities & build long-term cross-system and
interagency relationships.
Professional Development System
• Conduct Professional Development and Technical
Assistance inventories to determine the region’s needs and
resources;
• Develop early childhood education professional
development and technical assistance plans and
administer funds in the region directly and via
subcontracts;
• Develop credit-bearing offerings and promote articulation
agreements to assist in transferring credits from two-year
to four-year colleges.
System Coordination: PA Key/ OCDEL
• Responsible for statewide coordination of system components
such as:
o Management of statewide professional development credential
programs, reimbursement strategies, registry;
o Provision of technical assistance to community engagement groups
in Regional Keys;
o Facilitate Early Childhood Mental Health Project housed in
Regional Keys;
o Coordinate Environmental Rating Scales;
o Statewide workgroups and advisory groups (e.g. Cross-systems
Technical Assistance workgroup).
System Coordination: PA Key/ OCDEL
continued
• Responsible for statewide coordination of other Quality
Initiatives that are built on the STARS Program:
o Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts;
o Head Start Supplemental Programs.
Financing the QRIS System
Significant Commonwealth Investment up-front;
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
CCDF: $180,205,000
Federal TANF Transfer to CCDF: $168,534,000;
Direct Federal TANF Spending on Child Care: $24,499,000;
State CCDF Maintenance of Effort Funds: $46,629,000;
State Matching Funds: $52,933,000;
Total Funds Available: $472,800,000;
Other funding sources - e.g. Accountability Block Grant for Pre-K
Counts;
o 21% Quality Set-Aside.
Paying for STARS SFY 06/07
• $6,527,422 – Regional Keys (STAR Management);
• $5,072,729 – Professional Development and Technical Assistance (through
Regional Keys);
• $2,128,986 – Community Engagement (58 Community grants through the
Keys);
• $22.5 million - Payouts to providers;
• $10,674,907 – PA Key (PD, ERS, TA to Keys);
• $46,753,937 – Total 06/07 for Keystone STARS.
STARS Supports SFY 07/08
07/08 2 tiers 5-25% subsidy and 26%+
Family Day
Care Home
Group Day
Care Home
Small (up to Medium (46- Large (100 to
45 children) 99 children) 180 children)
Very Large
(181+)
315
420
435
580
945
1,260
1,890
2,520
2,835
3,780
4,725
6,300
450
600
630
840
1,418
1,890
2,835
3,780
4,253
5,670
7,088
9,450
Start with
STARS –
1 X Award
STAR 1 –
2 X Award
STARS Merit Awards SFY 07/08
07/08 2 tiers 5-25% subsidy and 26%+,
Family Day
Care Home
STAR 2 – 3X
Award
Group Day Small (up to
Care Home 45 children)
Medium
(46-99
children)
Large (100
to 180
children)
Very Large
(181+)
788
1,050
1,575
2,100
4,725
6,300
9,450
12,600
14,175
18,900
23,625
31,500
STAR 3 –
Ongoing
1,181
1,575
2,363
3,150
7,088
9,450
14,185
18,900
21,263
28,350
35,438
47,250
STAR 4 Ongoing
1,575
2,100
3,150
4,200
9,450
12,600
18,900
25,200
28,350
37,800
47,250
63,000
Education and Retention Award
07/08 - Over 5 % Subsidy in the program to qualify
Director - BA in
ECE
Staff - BA in
ECE
Staff - AA in
ECE
Staff CDA
STAR 2
$3,090
$2,320
$1,545
$525
STAR 3
$3,605
$2,705
$1,805
$615
STAR 4
$4,120
$3,090
$2,060
$700
Keystone STARS/ Child Care Works Subsidy
Add- On
Programs with STAR 2 and above receive a per child add-on to Child Care
Works Subsidy Rate as of September 2007
Daily Increase
for
STAR 2
STAR 3
STAR 4
Full-time
$0.25
$0.75
$1.00
Part-time
$0.15
$0.40
$0.50
Outreach and Community Engagement
• Engage local stakeholders, planning groups, certification
representatives, institutions of higher education, parents,
school district representatives, and the community at large
in early care and education;
• Oversee the work of the Community Engagement
contractors in each of the local areas;
• Develop opportunities for increased financial resources &
partnering to support quality ECE within the region.
Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children
PA’s Promise for Children
Lessons Learned
System versus Silo
Lessons Learned, cont’d
• Think about accountability – what if there is a “burned
out” STAR? How do you review, suspend, remove
STARS? Could be legal considerations;
• How much does it cost, or take, for programs to make the
improvements you require? How does this relate to
financing? (substitutes, PD/TA costs, materials, etc.);
• If the program is a statewide QRS, how do you maintain
statewide consistency, while allowing for regional
flexibility?
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
• Working on CQI in higher ‘at risk’ programs, supporting
quality in diverse early learning settings– thinking about
new strategies;
• Leadership at all levels;
• Supporting people doing the work;
• Accountability – better data and statistics for decision
making at the program level and the state level;
• Continuous Quality Improvement for the Continuous
Quality Improvement System.
Contact Information
• Rebecca E. Gomez, M.Ed.
Southeast Regional Key
1500 S. Columbus Blvd. Floor 2
Philadelphia, PA 19146
[email protected]
215-271-1267