EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF DUVAL Helping parents choose, preparing children to learn

QUALITY CONNECTIONS Presentation at the Board Meeting

August 25, 2010

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All Jacksonville Early Learning Programs will provide high quality care and early learning services that result in demonstrated positive school readiness outcomes for all children.

COALITION VISION STATEMENT

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QUALITY CONNECTIONS - PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

To empower school readiness providers to offer quality early learning experiences to school readiness children as required by Florida Statute 411.01, based on a system of environment assessments, sustained support, and professional guidance.

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QUALITY CONNECTIONS - MEASURABLE OUTCOME – FY 09-10

Number of classrooms assessed - 2 classrooms

Overall AVERAGE score of 3.0 (year 1 or year 2 serviced centers) or above, on ITERS* + ECERS*

Overall AVERAGE score of 3.50 or above (centers which have received more than 2 years of service).

In the 7 point scale, 5 is considered high quality. According to Dr. Cryer (author of ERS) “A score of 5 is considered the benchmark for high quality”. ____________________________________________________________________

*ITERS – Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale – 0 to 30 months *ECERS – Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale – 31 to 60 months

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ITERS & ECERS define environment in a broad sense and guide the observer:

to assess the arrangement of space both indoors and outdoors Health and safety of the children the materials and activities offered to children the supervision and interactions that occur in the classroom Listening and talking; language and reasoning and the schedule of the day, including routines and activities.

The definition is much broader than just physical space – includes process & structure qualities – encompasses all of the above.

DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENT IN ITERS & ECERS

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ITERS-R / ECERS-R SUBSCALES

ITERS-R – Birth to 30 months 1. Space and Furnishings 2. Personal Care Routines 3. Listening and Talking 4. Activities 5. Interaction 6. Program Structure 7. Parents and Staff In the first 6 subscales, there are 32 items and over 350 indicators which are scored.

ECERS-R – 31 months to 5 yrs 1. Space and Furnishings 2. Personal Care Routines 3. Language and reasoning 4. Activities 5. Interaction 6. Program Structure 7. Parents and Staff In the first 6 subscales, there are 37 items and over 400 indicators which are scored.

1-2 INADEQUATE 3-4 - MINIMAL 5-6 - GOOD 7 - EXCELLENT

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“It is the average total score that is related to positive child development, but not any of the single requirements by themselves.” (All About the ECERS-R, xii)

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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE – ENVIRONMENT SUPPORT Introductory meeting – Director & Specialist

Center staff meeting to discuss expectations with the teachers

Support strictly anchored to ITERS and ECERS

Learning materials purchased for the supported classrooms

Average caseload per Specialist – between 14 to 17 centers

Differentiated system of support

Average number of technical assistance visits to each center during the period August through March – 12 to 14

Spring (Post) Assessments conducted in April / May

Unit Cost per Quality Connections center - $11,000

Balance between technical assistance & provider accountability

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2.89

1.73

3.80

2.82

3.90

3.27 2.90

3.56

2.12

5.10

4.61 4.59 4.35

3.95

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

Space & Furn Personal Care Routines

Listening & Talking

Activities Interaction Program Structure

OVERALL

PRE POST ITERS SCORES – FY 2009-2010 Overall ITERS-R Score

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2.95

2.41

4.17

3.64 3.96 4.06

3.41 3.47

2.58

4.95 5.08

3.82

4.93

4.09

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

Space & Furn Personal Care Routines

Lang & Reasoning

Activities Interaction Program Structure

OVERALL

PRE / POST ECERS SCORES – 2009-2010

Overall ECERS-R

Score

10

7%

15%

37%

17%

13% 11%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

< 3.00 3.00 to 3.49 3.50 to 3.99 4.00 to 4.49 4.50 to 4.99 5.00 to 5.49

FY 2009-2010 - ITERS SCORES DISTRIBUTION QUALITY CONNECTIONS CENTERS

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2%

14%

32% 30%

13%

9%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

<3.00 3.00 to 3.49 3.50 to 3.99 4.00 to 4.49 4.50 to 4.99 > 5.00

FY 2009-2010 - ECERS SCORES DISTRIBUTION QUALITY CONNECTIONS CENTERS

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4.64 4.14 4.02

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010

AVERAGE ENVIRONMENT RATING SCORE - 2007-2008, 2008-2009 & 2009-2010 Scores show the shifting balance between Support and Accountability

QUALITY CONNECTIONS 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 ERS Benchmark Requirement 3.0 3.0 3.5 # of Centers supported (approx.) 100 100 100 # of Classrooms 200 251 303 # of Full Time Staff 6 5.5 5.5 Average ERS Score ---------------------------- 4.64 4.14 4.02

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SUMMARY OF 3 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALES SCORES – QUALITY CONNECTIONS

Program Year 2007-2008 – none of the centers missed the benchmark of 3.0 Program Year 2008-2009 – 8 centers went through the 30-day corrective action plan process and 7 centers made the benchmark; one center’s school readiness agreement was terminated Program Year 2009-2010 – 5 Quality Connections centers and 3 Guiding Stars supported centers went through the corrective action plan process; one center’s school readiness agreement was terminated

CENTERS WHICH MISSED THE QUALITY BENCHMARK

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Quality Connections – initiative - approved by the board members at the April 25th, 2007 board meeting, and was launched during fiscal year 2007-2008

Objective was to establish a measure of quality using a nationally and internationally used tool which had been tested to reliability and validity ITERS and ECERS – were used as the tools to measure

the level of quality of early learning experiences of the children Support based on ITERS and ECERS has been provided

to approx 100 child care centers each fiscal year for the past 3 years – 07-08, 08-09 and 09-10

A LOOK BACK AT 3 YEARS OF QUALITY CONNECTIONS

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SUPPORT TO EMPOWERMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY - 3-YEAR PROCESS

FY 2007-2008: Gradual introduction of the scales to providers; Anticipation of significant improvements between pre & post assessments

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FY 2008-2009: The objective was to shift the balance between support and provider accountability, and to empower the directors to take ownership of the support of the 2 maintenance classrooms.

FY 2009-2010: The objective was to persuade the directors to take greater ownership of maintenance of quality everyday, since most of them had gone through 2 years of support, while still receiving guidance and support for the new classrooms.

TRANSITIONING TO….. RESULTS BASED ACCOUNTABILITY (RBA)

Fundamentally, the process revolves around answering three questions about the program or services being provided: 1. How much did we do? (the quantity of service) 2. How well did we do it? (the quality of the service) 3. Is anyone better off? (the quantity and quality of

the service outcome)

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FOUR QUADRANTS OF RBA

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TURN THE CURVE – QUALITY CONNECTIONS AVERAGE ERS SCORE – 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010**

** RBA TEMPLATE – QUALITY CONNECTIONS – SEPARATE HANDOUT

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 Average ERS Score 4.64 4.14 4.02

4.64

4.14 4.02

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

5.50

6.00

6.50

7.00 QUALITY CONNECTIONS - AVERAGE ERS SCORE - 5 = HIGH QUALITY

Trend Line Turn the Curve

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NEXT STEPS - Are the children and families better off?

Continuous quality improvement

• Comparison of ECERS scores to VPK Readiness Rates? • Data sharing agreement with Duval County Public Schools?

Data Development Agenda

• Percentage of centers which will have an average score above 4.00 •Percentage change in the overall score – to turn the curve in an upwards

trajectory

Select measures to turn the curve

• Review current processes to determine what works & what does not work? •Hold provider focus groups to understand their challenges – turnover, drop

in enrollment

Information & Research Agenda

• Maintain steady communication with our partners to ensure that the focus remains on child outcomes

• Are children and families better off?

Engage all our partners – JCC, ECS, DCF, FSCJ

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If you have a lot of things to do, get the nap out of the way first.

An 8-year old

THANK YOU to all the coaches, Specialists, team leaders, partners, Board members, providers and families !

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