What you need to know about Missouri's Quality Rating System. A series of meetings will be held across the state in December to provide the latest information about Missouri's QRS! These meetings are in prepartion for the upcoming 2009 Legislative Session as bills are expected to be filed in both the House and Senate. MHSA and MHSSCO challenge the Head Start Community to participate in a meeting close to you! Download the meeting schedule here.

Missouri Panel on School Readiness: Focus on Pre-Kindergarten Education

Homelessness Awareness Week November 17 - 21, 2008

Calendar of Events

Statewide Initiatives

MHSA Council information includes meeting agendas and past meeting minutes

2008 MHSA Awards and Scholarships

Outstanding Community Partnerships and Collaborations

MHSA Newsletter

MHSA Membership Opportunities

Earn a degree in Early Childhood Development

Missouri Early Childhood Standards-Head Start Outcomes Framework Alignment
Making effective and appropriate use of the Missouri Early Childhood Standards is important to ensure they help early childhood professionals make good decisions about curriculum and assessment and to encourage the thoughtful applications of these standards consistent with our best knowledge in how children grow and learn. This document is intended to serve as a resource at both local and state levels and may be helpful to:

• Assist Head Start grantees as they articulate and educate stakeholders on how activities align with the Missouri Early Childhood Standards and as they seek to design child outcomes along the lines of the Framework.

• Assist Head Start grantees as they strive to consistently implement a high quality and comprehensive program, including ability to carry out a research‐based curriculum aligned with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework and the Missouri Early Childhood Standards.

• Assist Head Start grantees with efforts between their agency , local education agency (and other child care partners) for developing continuity of developmentally appropriate curricular objectives and for shared expectations for children’s learning and development

• Assist in the development and coordination of state early childhood programs and systems

Alignment of Missouri’s Early Childhood Standards (Early Learning Guidelines) with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (includes examples)

Alignment of Missouri’s Early Childhood Standards (Early Learning Guidelines) with the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (without examples)