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

2. 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

3. 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?

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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?

8. National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool

9. 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

10. 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)

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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?

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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).

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

21. 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?

22. 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?

23. 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

24. North Carolina’s 5 Star License
7/17/13
North Carolina’s 5 Star License
Star License became law
1998 – New standards effective
2005 – 2 component system in place
2012 – Validation Study of current QRIS
Division of Child

25. 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

26. 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
points
points
points
Division of Child

27. 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

28. 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

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

30. 7/17/13
Need More Information?

31. Reflections or Questions?

32. Resources
Delaware Stars. (2014). Delaware Stars for Early Success Program Guide. Retrieved from 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
National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement. (n.d.). National Program Standards Crosswalk Tool. Retrieved from walk.

33. National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement
Thank You
Phone:
National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement
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