2. IMPROVING QUALITY IN EARLY CARE AND
EDUCATION
• Many approaches
• Combination of strategies
• Ongoing
Exciting to consider the possibilities!

3. NATIONAL INTEREST IN QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
• Federal Initiatives to support early care and education
• Brain development research
• Longitudinal studies providing evidence of economic
returns on early investment

4. WHAT IS QUALITY?
• Quality is a process that programs use to constantly
strive for excellence
• Based on current research, best practices and
observation/ input from educators/families
• Attention to three Areas
• Philos0phy
• Reflective Evaluation
• Support for Educators

5. QUALITY
• The Quality process never stops, it is an on-going
endeavor*
* Please see Alameda County Child Care Planning Council Statement on High
Quality ECE Principles and Standards for further information

6. IMPROVING QUALITY
• Articulated philosophy
• Addressing diverse needs of families,
educators and the community
• Guides program implementation
and practices

7. IMPROVING QUALITY
• Reflection
• Evaluation
• Continuous improvement

8. IMPROVING QUALITY
• Learning
• Support
• Compensation

9. TOOLS AND SUPPORTS THAT ASSIST IN QUALITY
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS
 Assessment tools-ERS, CLASS, ASQ,DRDP, CSEFEL
 Assistance through professional development programs, advisors,
coaches and consultants
 Leadership for ECE community
 Leadership through Professional Associations and Higher Education
 Leadership through individual programs
We are all in this together!

10. WHAT ARE QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT
SYSTEMS (QRIS)?
• State frameworks outlining
effective evidenced based
strategies for improving
quality in early childhood
programs

11. QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT
SYSTEMS…
• Create common definitions of quality
• Coordinate early learning standards, professional
development, and incentives around shared improvement
goals
• Align existing resources
• Expand successful quality improvement approaches
• Strengthen early care and education programs and systems

12. QRIS SUPPORT QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
• Use assessment and ratings
to evaluate a program’s current level
of quality
• Provide multi-level supports to
improve program quality

13. 3 LEVELS OF SUPPORT
TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND PROGRAM
• Quality improvement plans
• Training, technical assistance, and mentor coaching
• Identification of resources to improve program quality
• Financial incentives
• Professional development
• Grants for facilities or program improvement

14. QRIS IN 32 STATES

15. QRIS DEVELOPMENT IN CALIFORNIA
• One of the last states to begin development of a QRIS
• Regional versus statewide approach
• Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Federal Grant
• Funding being used to develop regional QRIS
• Alameda is one of 16 participating counties

16. RACE TO THE TOP EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE
(RTT-ELC)
Federal grant to improve early care and education programs
for young children by supporting states’ efforts to:
• Increase the number of low income and disadvantaged
children enrolled in high-quality early learning programs
• Integrate and strengthen learning standards, use of
assessment, workforce development and family engagement
California Department of Education received a RTT-ELC grant to assist 16
counties in California to develop a QRIS
Funding through 2015

17. QRIS RATINGS
• Centers and family child care
• Nationally recognized indicators of quality
• California RTT-ELC Quality Continuum Framework
• First year of development
• 16 QRIS counties and Department of Education
• Collaborative committee process
• Publication of ratings to be determined

18. RTT-ELC QUALITY CONTINUUM FRAMEWORK
Tool used to measure program performance in 3 core areas:
• Child Development and School Readiness
• Teachers and Teaching
• Program and Environment

19. QUALITY CONTINUUM FRAMEWORK
• Observational assessments by external evaluators
• Submit documentation
• Ratings based on RTT-ELC Quality Continuum in 3 elements
• Combined points from ratings across 3 elements locate
program on a Quality Tier
• Alameda County’s Framework will have 5 Tiers
All programs in the QRIS, from Tier 1 to Tier
5, are making a commitment to quality care.

20. THE QUALITY ELEMENTS
1. Child Observation
2. Developmental Health and Screenings
3. Ratios and Group Size
• Centers only beyond licensing regulations
4. Program Environment Rating Scales
• ECERS-R, ITERS-R, FCCERS-R
5. Director Qualifications
• Centers Only
6. Minimum Qualifications for Lead Teacher/Family Child Care Homes
7. Effective Teacher-Child Interactions
• CLASS Assessments

21. WHAT IS THE QRIS PILOT?
• Test Sites in Alameda County
• Learn how to implement the rating system
• Determine quality improvement activities
needed and desired
• Gather feedback from participants

22. WHO WILL BE INCLUDED IN QRIS?
• Family child care
• Title 5 centers
• Title 22 centers
• Head Start centers

23. HOW WILL PARTICIPATING SITES BE SELECTED?
• Licensed, in good standing
• Serving children with high needs
• Alameda County Early Learning Advisory Committee selection
eligibility criteria
• Program Readiness
• Year 1: 20 sites
• Year 2: 40 sites
• Year 3: 40 sites

24. CALIFORNIA’S DEFINITION
OF HIGH NEEDS CHILDREN
• Living in low income families
• Special needs or developmental delays
• English Language Learners
• Enrolled in Migrant and Tribal programs
• Infants and Toddlers
• Homeless, in foster care or involved with Child Protective
Services

25. AM I ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN QRIS?
If you are a licensed early care and education center or family
child care home YOU are eligible to apply for participation in
QRIS

26. BENEFITS TO PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS
• Assessments by external evaluators in both the ERS and
the CLASS
• Sample of classrooms at each site
• Quality rating on California’s RTT-ELC Quality Continuum
Framework
• Create a QRIS quality improvement
roadmap to identify next steps

27. BENEFITS TO PARTICIPATING PROGRAMS
ACCESS TO:
• Quality improvement resources
• Technical assistance (TA): Rater, navigator and/or coaching
• Professional development advising
• Free or reduced cost trainings
• 2nd rating to document quality post TA
• Quality rating to use in communicating with parents/families
and caregivers

28. BENEFITS FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY
• Participating sites will provide important information
about effective quality improvement strategies
• Improved understanding of the Quality Continuum
Framework
• Identifying how it works for individual programs
• Learning how it works for the the county overall

29. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I WANT TO APPLY?
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
• Are a majority of the children you serve in the high needs
categories listed?
• Are you and your program ready to work as a team and
make a 2 year commitment to quality improvement?
• Will you commit to the the extra time it takes to meet with
a coach, go to trainings or improve curriculum and
environments?
• Do you feel ready and comfortable to have an outside
assessor observe and assess your program on an ERS and
CLASS?

30. IF YOU SAID YES TO ALL OF THE CRITERIA:
YOU ARE READY TO APPLY!
• Contact the Alameda County QRIS Administrator to
determine your site eligibility
• QRIS staff will contact you for an interview in early
Fall 2014
• Complete the application in Fall 2014 and return

31. MANY WAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
WITHIN ALAMEDA COUNTY
QRIS is one method of participation
Others include:
• Resource and Referral Agency Workshops
• CARES Plus and My Teaching Partner
• Community College Cohorts
• Completing College Course in ECE
• Working with a Mentor Coach

32. QUESTIONS

33. CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information please contact:
Mary Anne Doan
QRIS Administrator
First 5 of Alameda County
510-227-6937
maryanne.doan@first5alameda.org