The document outlines the requirements and standards for Ohio's Step Up To Quality program for early childhood education programs. It lists the program areas that will be rated including curriculum and planning, child screening and assessment, classroom environment, staff supports, staff management, staff education, professional development, transitions, and communication and engagement. It provides some brief details on the requirements for each area such as having a written curriculum, using an appropriate screening tool to assess children, and staff receiving a minimum of 20 hours of training every two years.
3. Register for Information Sessions on
the new Step Up To Quality Program
Standards www.earlychildhood.org.
Submit initial application for the 3-
Star system by 7-31-13.
4. Curriculum
and Planning
•Find appropriate
curriculum.
•House curriculum in
each classroom.
•Written plan of
activities.
Child
Screening
and
Assessment
•Identify appropriate
screening tool.
•Train staff to use it.
Classroom
Environment
•Define a quality
classroom
environment.
•Select self-assessment
tool.
6. Staff
Education
•Admin has CDA or CPL
2.
•50% lead teachers have a
CDA (or at least two lead
teachers) or one has
associate’s degree or CPL
3.
Professional
Development
•Admin, lead teachers and
assistant teachers receive
minimum 20 clock hours
training every two years.
7. Transitions
•Provide written information
to families on transitioning
children into, within and
out of the program.
Communication
and Engagement
•Obtain information about
family structure and routines
that are important to the
child’s development.
•Provides information
regarding resources and
community services to
families.
8. I strongly encourage you to view the following
on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urU-
a_FsS5Y&feature=youtu.be
Editor's Notes
With the passage of HB 487 and SB 316, early childhood programs funded by Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) will be required to participate in SUTQ. This includes Early Childhood Education, Preschool Special Education, and subsidized child care. Other programs will be able to voluntarily participate. The goal is to provide a single definition of quality, inclusive of all program types, that is measureable, easy to understand, and provides flexibility on how programs achieve the highest levels of quality. The proposed standards will be the basis of Ohio's monitoring and continuous improvement system which will be used by both ODE and ODJFS.
ODE and ODJFS will provide a variety of resources to help programs achieve and maintain high star ratings. • The state will create a guidance document detailing best practices, defining objectives and providing clear guidelines. • ODE, ODJFS and their affiliated State Support Teams (SST) and Child Care Resource and Referral Organizations (CCR&R) will offer numerous and ongoing professional development opportunities. • Staff working at star-rated programs and those working on becoming rated will be eligible to receive T.E.A.C.H. scholarships. • The state will offer technical assistance to programs that do not yet meet the new standards. • The Ohio Department of Health’s health promotion consultants and the Ohio Department of Mental Health’s early childhood mental health consultants, as well as SSTs and CCR&Rs, will assist programs with specific areas of concern.
You are invited to register to attend an information session on Ohio's revised Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) Tiered Quality Rating & Improvement System (TQRIS). The session,Overview of Step Up To Quality Program Standards, will introduce programs to the newly revised SUTQ Program Standards, TQRIS model, and the timeline for implementation. The session will be presented jointly by representatives from your regional Ohio Department of Education (ODE) State Support Team and your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.
