QRIS Standards Learning Table
Session #5 -- Effective Cross-Sector
QRIS: Challenges and Opportunities
National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement
Introductions and Updates
• Introduce the state team (Name, title, agency)
AR DE KY MS NH NM OK TX
• Tell us one thing – a success, a challenge, a
question – your state team has to share about
revising your QRIS since our last call.
2
Flow of the conversation
•
•
•
•
•
Cross-sector QRIS means...which sectors?
Successes
Challenges
Example: New York’s QUALITYstarsNY
Discussion
The many sectors…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Child care centers (regulated)
Family child care homes (regulated)
Head Start programs
Nationally accredited centers and homes
Prekindergarten (state-funded)
SEA approved nursery schools/preschools
Preschool special education programs
Others?
Cross-Sector QRIS
Cross-sector QRIS means one that aims for
participation by most group early care and
education providers, regardless of funding
stream or auspice. At a minimum, this includes
child care centers and family child care homes,
Pre-K and Head Start, i.e., all publically
supported and/or licensed settings, but not
informal caregivers.
Comparing QRIS & Sector Features
Key QRIS
elements
Accredited Center
Head Start
Prekindergarten
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, reference
ELGs, teacher
certification
Monitoring &
Accountability
Each has own
procedures, duration,
rigor, reliability
Frequency varies (3-5
years), usually annual
report
Triennial federal
reviews, annual selfassessment,
five year recompetition cycle
Depends on state
Program &
Professional
Development
State PD systems for
practitioners, also
higher education
system
T&TA system (regional,
state) & grantee funds
State higher education
system
Relationships
Working across sectors is relationship-building.
Relationships are built on:
• Knowledge of the ‘other’ system (what do
they do and how do they do it)
• Communication
• Respect
• Trust
Self-Reflection
• Working across systems requires us to reflect
on & acknowledge that there are many
pathways to better quality
• What is the definition of high quality, the
approach to promoting CQI, in the various
sectors in your state?
• How can we trust, build on, incorporate these
multiple pathways in the QRIS process?
Reciprocity
• Compliance with another sector’s standards
‘counts’ in your QRIS
• Documentation from another sector in re
certain criteria/standards ‘counts’ in your QRIS
• Reciprocity rests on TRUST
– Trust the monitoring process, e.g., reliability
– Trust the compliance decisions
– Trust the other system
Reciprocity
Reciprocity could go both ways…
Achieving/maintaining a certain level in your
QRIS counts in the other sector…
• QRIS level required to receive PreK funds
• QRIS as the annual self-assessment
requirement for Head Start
Challenges: Cross-Sector Standards
• Regulation-exempt centers
– preK programs that are part of public or private
elementary schools
– part-day preschools (stand-alone)
• Possible responses
– Accept as regulated by another state agency
(education)
– Create equivalent to regulation
– Other?
Challenge: Cross-Sector Support Systems
• How do you effectively engage the support
systems of other sectors to support their
programs to participate in QRIS?
– Head Start
– Prekindergarten
– Early Intervention/preschool special education
– Other?
Challenge: Cross-Sector Supports
• How do you get coaches/TA providers in each sector to
understand your QRIS standards and sources of evidence and
work with programs in their sector to meet them?
– Head Start
– Public schools
• How do you extend the expertise of TA in other sectors to
share beyond their sector?
– Head Start TA is focused on CLASS, how can it be shared?
• How do you engage the school-based programs that may be
resistant to classroom assessment with the ERS?
• What about special education trainers/TA?
Challenges: Cross-Sector Finance
• How can we effectively acknowledge the very
real differences in resources across sectors?
• Is there a pathway that helps policy makers
and quality improvement leaders more clearly
understand the challenges in each sector,
envision a new approach and engage in a
collaborative change process?
Challenge: Outreach/engagement
of cross-sector partners
Systems like early intervention, preschool
special education, child welfare, and others
• Help them understand QRIS and how it
benefits their system/children/families
• Consider a range of options, e.g.,
– Could they prioritize child placements in higherquality settings?
– Could QRIS be part of the monitoring &
accountability system for their programs?
Challenges
• Are there any other challenges anyone wants
to identify before we turn to Ola Friday?
• We can discuss them after we hear from New
York…
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Standards are inclusive of all types of
regulated care
– Centers
– Family homes
– Head Start
– UPK
– Registered Nursery Schools
– Nationally accredited programs and providers
– Preschool Special Education programs
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Standard indicators draw from and reflect
already established indicators of quality
– Head Start Performance Standards
– National accreditation standards
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Crosswalks
– NAEYC, NAFCC and Head Start alignments
– Respect and trust for the established monitoring
process
– Clear and justifiable exceptions (ERS and
Qualifications)
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Other Alignment Activities
– NYC Dept. of Education UPK alignment
– Overview and detailed alignment reports
– Clear, joint messages to field
– Regular communication (bi-weekly calls)
– Goal: appear aligned, encourage participation,
reduce duplication
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Cross Sector Support
– Pre School Special Education
• Information sessions; conference calls; information
sharing
– NYC UPK Coaches
• Meetings; data verification and sharing
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Challenges
– Communication
– Data
– Accountability
New York QRIS Cross Sector
• Lessons Learned and Next Steps
– Additional alignment activities
– Financing alignment
– On-going communication
Questions, Reflections, Comments?
Homework for Final Session
Our final webinar will be held on January 31st, jointly with the “developing QRIS” states. Look for
SurveyMonkey soon.
From your experience of this Learning Table,
• What recommendations would you make to other states crafting a new or revising an
existing QRIS to be more efficient and effective?
• What are the big ideas that you think need further research, discussion, exploration?
Please elaborate.
• As we move forward with QRIS, what do you think are the most pressing challenges for
your state as well as for the nation as a whole?
• As you complete this Learning Table, what questions remain - if any - regarding QRIS
standards?
• If you had one remaining question to ask your partner states in this Learning Table, what
would it be?
• During the course of this Learning Table on QRIS standards, what have been your "Aha!"
moments?
• What are your state’s next steps and how can we help?
• What more can ACF do to help?
•
Are there specific topics about QRIS design that you'd like to know more about?
Follow up Technical Assistance is available by contacting your
state’s Technical Assistance Specialist.
Region I - [email protected]
Regions II, III, VIII – [email protected]
Regions IV, X – [email protected]
Regions V – [email protected]
Region VI – [email protected]
Regions VII, IX – [email protected]
Thank You
National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement
NCCCQI does not endorse any non-Federal organization, publication, or resource.
Follow-up Contacts:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.qrisnetwork.org
[email protected]