Smart Start National Conference May 6, 2015 Program Standards Alignment and Monitoring to Support QRIS Participation Smart Start National Conference May 6, 2015

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

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?

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.

System Elements – How do they differ? 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

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.

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?

National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool

National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool Ten topic areas plus several subtopic areas: Children with Special Needs Eligibility, Recruitment, and Transition Family and Community Partnerships Health and Safety Learning Environment and Practices Nutrition Personnel Management and Human Resources Program Administration Supporting Skill Development Transportation https://occqrisguide.icfwebservices.com/index.cfm?do=crosswalk

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)

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Will have copies available for participants – recognize that it’s hard to read but illustrates the structure

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?

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?

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 7/17/13 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 Division of Child

Types of Programs that Participate 7/17/13 Types of Programs that Participate Head Start NC PreK DPI After School Centers Homes Religious Sponsored Division of Child

3 - 4 points 5 - 7 points 8 - 10 points 11 - 13 points 7/17/13 NC’s Initial QRIS 3 - 4 points 5 - 7 points 8 - 10 points 11 - 13 points 14 - 15 points Division of Child

Revised QRIS – 1/1/2006 Initial QRIS Revised QRIS 7/17/13 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% Division of Child

QRIS – Current Status Tiered Reimbursement 7/17/13 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

Child Care Resource & Referral Supporting the Stars Smart Start T.E.A.C.H. Child Care Subsidy Child Care Resource & Referral WAGE$

7/17/13 Need More Information? www.ncchildcare.nc.gov

Reflections or Questions?

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=cross walk.

National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement Thank You Phone: 877-296-2250 Email: OCCQualityCenter@icfi.com National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement NCCCQI does not endorse any non-Federal organization, publication, or resource.