Indiana Paths to QUALITY™ Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System: Outcomes for Children and Child Care Providers James Elicker, Zachary Gold, Sara Lane, & Aura Mishra, Human Development & Family Studies Evaluation Sample Child Care Providers (N=179) 179 child care providers, randomly selected: 57 licensed child care centers 46 unlicensed registered child care ministry centers 76 licensed family child care homes Children (N=221) 221 low income children (using CCDF vouchers) randomly selected: 153 preschoolers (3 yrs., in Level 1, 3, 4 or unrated) 77 toddlers (1 yr., in Level 1 and Level 4 child care) Measures Reported Child Care Providers were interviewed 5 times over 18 months: current PTQ-rated level; relationship with training coach; coach continuity; level of motivation to change (general) and to advance to higher PTQ level Children were assessed twice, 12 months apart: Toddlers: Early Learning Composite (Mullen Scales); Teacher-Rated Social Competence & Behavior Problems (BITSEA) Preschoolers: Overall School Readiness (Bracken); Receptive Vocabulary (PPVT); Social Competence (SCBE) Abstract In January 2008 the Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration launched a statewide voluntary 4-tiered child care quality rating and improvement (QRIS) system named Paths to QUALITY (PTQ). Purdue’s evaluation of PTQ is designed to determine: if the training support provided by PTQ helps child care providers improve quality; and if children in higher-rated care benefit developmentally. This evaluation is comprised of two, 2-year longitudinal studies, one with of a random sample of providers, and one with of a random sample of children from low-income families. Preliminary results identify the individual and training-related factors that best predict quality advancement by the providers and also compare the development and learning of children in unrated, lower-rated, and higher-rated child care. Implications & Future Research Child Outcomes Study Correlational longitudinal results over one year suggest toddlers’ (1-2 yrs.) early learning and social competence may benefit exposure to higher-rated child care. Results for preschoolers (3-4 yrs.) are more mixed. Level 3 or 4 child care may offer some advantages in school readiness, however they show smaller gains in receptive vocabulary growth and social-emotional adjustment than those in lower-rated care. Child Care Quality Emotional Support is in line with other national studies of child care quality, however Instructional Support (interactions that stimulate cognitive and language growth) is relatively low. We recommend increased attention to instructional support and evidence-based curriculum in future revisions of the PTQ child care quality standards and professional development efforts throughout the system. Provider Outcomes Study Most PTQ providers are planning to advance to high rated quality levels. Rate of quality advancement may understandably be slowing, as the system matures and more providers attain Levels 3 and 4. Level 3 providers are the least likely to advance, perhaps reflecting their satisfaction with achieving that level, and/or significant obstacles to meeting the standards of Level 4. Most providers are expressing continuing high levels of motivation and confidence that they will advance in PTQ. But also, the number of providers who said they were not at all interested in advancing increased from 10% to 20%, perhaps reflecting discouragement and/or perceived obstacles. There are many factors associated with provider quality advancement over 18 months, including motivation, confidence, satisfaction with the benefits of PTQ, the relationship and perceived helpfulness of the coach, and the provider’s current PTQ level. Given the importance for quality advancement of provider-coach relationships, the help coaches provide, and provider-coach continuity, we recommend keeping good coaches and providers together throughout the process of PTQ participation, as long as the provider expresses an interest and works toward improving quality. Future Research Both child and child care provider studies continue, collecting additional longitudinal data over 2 years. Future analyses will introduce statistical controls for important variables that may differ among groups. Results: Children’s Growth as a Function of PTQ-Rated Child Care QRIS Research: Nationwide Child care quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) are statewide systemic approaches to assess, improve, and communicate to parents standards for quality in child care. In most QRIS programs, several quality levels are awarded when programs meet defined program standards, including basic health and safety requirements, curriculum, policies, and ultimately national accreditation (National Child Care Information Technical Assistance Center, 2008). Results: Factors That Predicted Child Care Providers’ Quality Improvement Significant correlates were entered in logistic regression equation: Factors significantly predicting whether the providers advanced quality level or did not advance. Significant Correlates: (Strongest independent predictors are shown in bold color): Provider’s quality level at Time 1 (lower = more likely to advance) 2. Provider’s stated level of motivation to advance 3. Provider’s confidence level that they would advance 4. Provider’s rating of how helpful the coach was to the director/owner 5. Providers level of satisfaction with PTQ 6. Provider’s rating of how helpful the coach was to the staff 7. The quality of the provider-coach relationship 8. How long the provider predicted it will take to advance to the next level 9. PTQ Level (less likely to have advanced if started at higher PTQ level) 10. PTQ Level (provider was less likely to have advanced if they were at higher PTQ level) 11. Provider’s rating of how rewarding it was to participate in PTQ 12. Provider’s rating of how helpful the coach was to the director/owner 13. Any coach change during the 18 month period made it less likely provider advanced (coach continuity) Research Questions What factors, including the training/technical assistance offered by PTQ, are associated with child care providers’ advancement to higher rated quality levels? What is the observed classroom quality of PTQ-rated child care providers? Are toddlers and preschoolers enrolled in higher-rated child care settings learning or developing more optimally than children in lower-rated or unrated settings? Funding for the PTQ evaluation provided by the Indiana Family & Social Service Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning