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QRS Elements

States and Territories are involved in a variety of activities to improve the availability and quality of early and school-age care programs. Most often these activities are supported by quality set-aside funds from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). A growing number of States use CCDF funds to create quality rating systems (QRS). A QRS is a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early and school-age care programs. Similar to rating systems for restaurants and hotels, QRS award quality ratings to early and school-age care programs that meet a set of defined program standards. These systems, which may also be called quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), provide an opportunity for States to increase the quality of care for children; increase parents’ understanding and demand for higher quality care; and increase professional development of child care providers. QRS can also be a strategy for aligning components of the early and school-age care system for increased accountability in improving quality of care. Additional information about QRS is available on NCCIC’s Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/topics/topic/index.cfm?topicId=44.

All QRS are composed of five common elements: (1) standards; (2) accountability measures; (3) program and practitioner outreach and support; (4) financing incentives; and (5) parent/consumer education efforts. Currently, 17 States (Colorado, District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vermont) have a statewide QRS.

The following includes summaries of the five common elements around which QRS are built. Examples from State QRS are included to illustrate each element. These examples do not include all States that have a QRS, but are meant to represent a range of approaches States have taken to develop/implement these systems. NCCIC does not endorse any practice, organization, publication, or resource.

Elements of a QRS

All QRS are composed of five common elements: (1) standards; (2) accountability measures; (3) program and practitioner outreach and support; (4) financing incentives; and (5) parent/consumer education efforts. The following are descriptions of each of the five elements, including examples from States with a QRS.

I. Standards

QRS standards are used to assign ratings to programs that participate in QRS, providing parents and the public with information about each program’s quality. States typically use licensing standards as the starting point, or base of the system, on which higher levels of quality standards are built. Every QRS contains two or more levels of standards beyond licensing, with incremental progressions to the highest level of quality as defined by the State. Systems vary in the number of levels and the number of standards identified in each level. The types of standards used by QRS to assign ratings are based on research about the characteristics of programs that produce positive child outcomes. Categories of standards in statewide QRS include the following:

  • Administrative policies and procedures;
  • Children with special needs;
  • Health and safety;
  • Learning environment/curriculum;
  • Licensing status/compliance;
  • Parent/family involvement;
  • Personnel/staffing;
  • Professional development/qualifications/training;
  • Program evaluation;
  • Ratios/group size; and
  • Staff compensation.

States have developed three methods for assigning ratings:

  1. Building block approach – In this approach, all the standards within each level must be met in order for programs to move to the next level.
    • Kentucky’s system is based on four levels, with five standards for each level: child-staff ratios, curriculum, training, regulatory compliance, and personnel. Once programs meet all five standards in level one, they can move to level two, and so forth through all levels.
    • Maine’s system is based on four levels and includes sets of standards for child care centers, family child care homes, school-age care programs, and Head Start programs.
  2. Point system – In this approach, every standard is assigned a number of points, which are combined to determine the quality rating.
    • Vermont’s system is based on five “arenas of actions” (i.e., standards): licensing compliance history, qualifications and training, family and community resources, program assessment, and program administration. Programs can earn from one to three points in each arena for additional services beyond licensing requirements. Programs achieve a range of points from one or more arenas, and the total is used to determine the overall rating.
  3. Combination approach – In this approach, a combination of the building block approach and the point system determines program ratings.
    • Iowa’s system uses a building block approach for lower levels and a point system for higher levels.

II. Accountability Measures

Accountability and monitoring processes are used to determine how well programs meet QRS standards, assign ratings, and verify ongoing compliance. Monitoring also provides a basis of accountability for programs, parents, and funders by creating benchmarks for measuring quality improvement.

In most States, QRS is monitored by the licensing agency alone or in partnership with the subsidy agency or a private entity. Most often, monitoring is conducted by separate QRS staff within the licensing agency. Most States monitor annually, but some monitor more frequently.

States use a variety of approaches for monitoring QRS standards—onsite monitoring visits, program self-assessment, and document review and verification. States also rely on monitoring conducted through State licensing to ensure minimum requirements are met, and program assessments conducted by accrediting bodies to determine whether programs have met accreditation standards.

  • Oklahoma monitors programs for licensing compliance and overall QRS compliance three times a year, and completes the environment rating scale assessment every 4 years in programs that receive two or more stars.

III. Program and Practitioner Outreach and Support

Support for providers, such as training, mentoring, and technical assistance, are included in QRS to promote participation and help programs achieve higher levels of quality.

All States currently have professional development support systems to assist practitioners. These systems organize training opportunities, recognize practitioners’ achievements, and create quality parameters for available training. States can use these systems to help programs meet higher professional development standards and progress toward higher QRS ratings.

  • North Carolina has worked to ensure that every community college offers early childhood coursework leading to the credentials specified in its rated license, and has a statewide articulation agreement to support the transfer of credits and degrees from one higher education institution to another.
  • Oklahoma established early childhood scholar coordinators in each community college to counsel and support child care staff pursuing coursework and degrees.
  • Pennsylvania redesigned its professional development system to integrate program technical assistance, creating a program improvement system aligned with its QRS.

States also promote participation in QRS by providing technical assistance. A mentor or coach can be assigned to a program to facilitate the rating process. In addition, partnerships can be formed with existing technical assistance providers in the State, such as child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies, and programs participating in the QRS can be given priority to receive this assistance. Some States invest in specialized support, such as support regarding caring for infants and toddlers or integrating children with special needs.

  • Qualistar in Colorado provides programs with an initial star rating and a Quality Performance Profile with a 1-year action plan for improvement. Coaches help programs implement these plans.
  • North Carolina has aligned all of the available technical assistance and support through the Smart Start initiative in order to help programs attain higher star ratings.
  • Pennsylvania provides onsite technical assistance to all programs participating in the QRS. Service delivery plans are developed, and a database has been established to track the provision of technical assistance.

In most States, QRS is voluntary, so States conduct outreach activities to promote the QRS goals and encourage programs to participate. States have done this in a variety of ways:

  • Developing outreach materials that are distributed through licensing agencies, CCR&R agencies, trainers, college faculty, Child and Adult Care Food Program staff, United Way agencies, and others;
  • Posting information and materials on Web sites;
  • Conducting orientation sessions about the QRS for child care programs;
  • Conducting orientations for other organizations that have contact with child care programs in the community; and
  • Designating specific outreach staff to encourage programs and provide assistance.

IV. Financing Incentives

QRS use financial incentives to help child care programs improve learning environments, attain higher ratings, and sustain long-term quality. Financial support can be a powerful motivator for participation in QRS. All statewide QRS provide financial incentives of some kind, including higher reimbursement rates linked to the CCDF child care subsidy system, bonuses, quality grants, or merit awards; loans linked to quality ratings; and priority to applications for practitioner wage initiatives, scholarships, or other professional development supports.

  • In Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, and Vermont, programs can receive a one-time cash award when they reach each star level. Montanaoffers both mini-grants (up to $1,500) and larger grants (up to $15,000) linked to QRS and other quality improvement efforts.
  • Pennsylvania offers four grant programs: a one-time Start With STARS Award for beginning programs, STARS Support Grants for quality improvement efforts, STARS Merit Awards for helping programs maintain quality ratings, and annual Education and Retention Awards for programs that employ teachers with early childhood degrees.
  • Colorado awards both public and private funding for school readiness grants to child care centers in districts with low-performing public schools.
  • One of the financial incentives offered in Indiana is financial support for the accreditation process for providers who have achieved the third level and desire to become accredited and reach the fourth level.
  • In 2007, the Louisiana Legislature passed a package of tax credits known as the School Readiness Tax Credits that support the Quality Start QRS. The tax credits took effect on January 1, 2008, and include benefits for families with children enrolled in rated centers, child care providers who serve children receiving child care subsidies, child care teachers and directors who work in rated centers, and businesses that support quality child care.

In addition to financial incentives, States may want to consider the administrative costs of designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the QRS. Costs are affected by the number of participating programs; how many of the quality standards involve criteria that must be observed directly through onsite visits (e.g., criteria measured by environment rating scales); whether separate monitoring and/or outreach staff are hired or existing staff are used, such as from the licensing agency or CCR&R agencies; and the amount of program support needed, such as technical assistance and professional development. Funds needed for automation systems and any evaluation of QRS effectiveness may vary widely, depending on the scope of the system and other factors.

V. Parent/Consumer Education Efforts

QRS provide a framework for educating parents about the importance of quality in early care and education. Most QRS award easily recognizable symbols, such as stars, to programs to indicate the levels of quality and inform and educate parents. Easy and widespread access to information on ratings is important. Many States post ratings on Web sites, while others promote QRS through media, posters, banners, certificates, decals, pins, and other items that are displayed by rated programs. In addition, CCR&R agencies play a vital role in parent education.

  • Colorado’s Qualistar program featured a front-page article on ratings in a Denver magazine. Because of this publicity, calls to Qualistar increased from 300 to 15,000 calls per month.
  • A county newspaper in Kentucky published the ratings of child care providers and the number of children served by each provider.
  • Tennessee succeeded in having TV stations in the four major media markets of the State run a feature announcing the results of the programs that were rated each week.

September 2008

 
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