Quality Rating & Improvement Systems

Powerful Policy for Improving and Unifying Early Care and

Education

From Judy GoldfarbHartford Area Child Care Collaborative

From Louise Stoney & Anne MitchellAlliance for Early Childhood Finance

Forum to Explore A QRIS for ConnecticutMarch 20, 2008

Karen RainvilleCT Association for the Education of Young Children

CT Head Start Association

DSS Director’s Forum

Our Goals

• Overview of what a Quality Rating & Improvement System may look like

• Where CT is in the development of a QRIS

• Gather feedback from you as providers

So what is it??

• QRIS is a system to easily identify quality levels of programs using an identifying symbol (usually stars), as well as offering incentives and supports to help programs improve quality and move through the various levels.

So What Is Its Purpose??

• Helps to benchmark quality for consumers• Provides incentives and resources to

programs• Creates stronger infrastructure to support

and sustain the quality of programs regardless of setting or funding stream

A Guide for States and Communities Developing QRS

• Designed as a hands-on, practical resource

• Organized as a planning tool to use as States consider how to develop a new QRS or improve an existing one

• Outlines the common elements and State and community examples

Available at www.ecpolicycouncil.org

Financing QRIS

Designed to provide guidance on QRIS funding, including:

• Planning

• Administration

• Technical Assistance

• Financial Supports and Incentives for programs and practitioners

• Engagement & Outreach

QRIS Starts from the perspective of ECE being

Market-Driven

Families

Gov't

PrivateSector

• Providers offer services for a price

• Consumers choose and pay

• Tuition is the largest source of revenue

ECE is a Unique Market because it serves both public & private needs

• Enables parents to work (private)• Prepares children for school & life (public)• Enhances productivity of educational

system (public)• Strengthens future workforce (public)

Good Outcomes = Higher Standards

Higher Standards = Higher Costs

Higher Costs = Higher Prices

When consumers pay most of the bill,

the result is CONFLICT!

So Where Does QRIS Fit In??

QRIS isn’t just about ratings, it is a market intervention. It includes:

1. Quality Assurance – standards, assessment & monitoring

2. Supply Side Interventions – program and practitioner supports (TA and PD) and financial incentives

3. Demand Side Interventions – ratings, consumer education and financial incentives

States with QRS

02468

101214

1998 &1999

2000 &2001

2002 &2003

2004 &2005

2006

The Five Common Elements of a QRIS

• Standards

• Accountability (assessment & monitoring)

• Program and practitioner outreach and support

• Financial incentives specifically linked to compliance with quality standards

• Family/consumer education

Source: Mitchell (2005.

Within the Standards Category

▪ Staff Qualifications & Professional Development

▪ Environment

▪ Curriculum and Learning

Included in most QRIS and backed by research

Often Included in the Standards Category

▪ Family Engagement

▪ Leadership and Management

Included in some QRIS Research not available or not

strong

QRIS Is For All Children

National Accreditation and QRISWhere does it fit?

In all but 1 state QRIS, accreditation is:

▪ the highest rating (top level), or▪ accreditation + extra criteria is top level,

or▪ accreditation is one way to reach the top

level, or▪ in points system, accreditation =

points.

Supply Side: Program and Practitioner Support

• Technical assistance – Quality Improvement Plans– Mentoring and Coaching– Accreditation Facilitation

• Professional development – Training, workshops– College courses leading to degrees, distance

learning

• Financial incentives

Supply Side: Financial Incentives

• Grants, bonuses and awards

• Scholarships

• Wage supplements

• Tax credits for ECE programs, practitioners and investors

All linked to QRIS levelsSource: Mitchell (2005)

Demand Side: Financial Incentives

• Tiered reimbursement rates (or other 3rd party tuition subsidy)

• Tax credits – higher, refundable state income tax credits for parents (DCTC)

• Be creative!

Consumer Engagement: a Demand Side Strategy

• Symbols - establish a QRIS indicator (usually star) as a consumer guide

• Education and Outreach – ensure that consumers, funders, practitioners, the general public understand QRIS symbols and rating system

• Multi-faceted – communication in many forms; many messengers

If we don’t fundamentally change consumer behavior we won’t change the system!

So What Are Some Key Points??

Broad Participation is Key to Effective Demand

• All states include child care centers and family child care homes

• Most include school-age programs and Head Start

• Some QRIS include Pre-K

• None include unregulated family, friend, and neighbor careHigh participation (among the many types of

programs parents use) is key to success!

So what would it take to get you to jump in??

Bottom Line, What Have We Learned From Other States??

Does QRIS Work?

• Yes!

• Quality is improving

• Better child outcomes in higher quality centers (NC)

• Evaluations in NC, OK, PA and TN

Trends & Implications

QRIS is:

▪ an accountability system

▪ a framework to unify sectors of ECE system

▪ a finance strategy that addresses market failures

• a fast growing trend

It’s a SYSTEM!

So What Do These Things Look Like??

Block/Step System• Level 1:  all the Level 1 criteria must be met.• Level 2:  all the Level 1 and Level 2 criteria

must be met.  • Level 3 : all the Level 1 and Level 2 and Level 3

criteria must be met• Level 4: all the Level 1 and Level 2 and Level 3

and Level 4 criteria must be met• Level 5: all the Level 1 and Level 2 and Level 3

and Level 4 and Level 5 criteria must be met

Point System

Each level determined by number of points earned in each set of common standards

• Program administration• Family support/engagement• Staff qualifications/Professional Development• Compensation• Program Evaluation• Licensing/Compliance

Combination System

• Level 1:  all the Level 1 criteria must be met.  • Level 2:  all the Level 1 and Level 2 criteria must

be met.  • Levels 3-5:  all the Level 1 and Level 2 criteria

must be met, and then the program must earn a minimum of one point in each of the Level 3-5 categories.  For levels 3-5, the level is determined by the total number of points earned. 

National Lessons Learned

▪ Make it simple - older QRIS are being revised, for simplicity & cost-effectiveness.

▪ Make it dynamic – QRIS standards can change, based on new knowledge.

▪ Align with child outcomes – QRIS can effectively incorporate child assessments.

▪ Align QRIS Standards and Finance – programs can’t succeed without funding; funding won’t produce results without standards.

Quality Early Care

& EducationSystem

A Standards-Based ECE System Design

Engagement & Outreach

(Selling the Vision)

for Programs, Practitioners, &

Consumers

Engagement & Outreach

(Selling the Vision)

for Programs & Practitioners

Monitoring & Accountability

(to ensure compliance with

standards)

Programs: Technical Assistance & Support

Practitioners: Professional Development

Support/Infrastructure to Meet StandardsLegal/Regulatory StandardsFunding StandardsVoluntary Standards

Quality Standards for Programs and Practitioners

for Programs, Practitioners, & Consumers

On-going Financial Assistance(Linked to Meeting Standards)

Aligned with Early

Learning Standards

to ensure compliance with

standards

Monitoring & Accountability

linked to meeting standards

On-going Financial Assistance

to meet /maintain standards

Professional/Program Development

For consumers, programs

practitioners

Engagement & Outreach

for programs and practitioners aligned to Early Learning Standards

Quality Standards

QRIS = the Framework for the Early Care and Education System

What’s Connecticut Doing

• CT Government Structure

• Law

• Work group

• Timeline

CT’s ECE Government Structure

Governor’s Office

ECE Cabinet

Established by the Governor in 2005

Subcommittees:•Accountability •Family/Community

EC Research & Policy Council

Established by the Governor in 2006

Subcommittees:•Research •Management/Infrastructure•Finance/Cost Modeling

QRIS

Why Connecticut?• This work is specified in Connecticut statute 07-03

section 20 which states:

– “The ECE Cabinet established under section 10-16s of the general statutes, as amended by this act, shall develop minimum standards and a range of higher standards of quality for all early care and education programs receiving state funding. Not later than December 31, 2008, and annually thereafter, the cabinet shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-14a of the general statutes, on the plan developed in accordance with this section to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, education, human service and higher education and employment advancement.”

Work GroupA QRIS workgroup under the auspices of the Early Childhood Research & Policy Council was convened to deliberate on the

core components of a QRIS in the CT context and provide recommendations to the Early Childhood Education Cabinet.

• Mary Budrawich • Devon Conover • Christine Devine • Marta Diez • Dona Ditrio – Head Start• Nanci Dower - CAEYC• Rita Esposito • Deb Flis • Amparo Garcia • Judy Goldfarb • George Hensinger • Dawn Homer-Bouthiette • Shaun McNally

• Mary Jane Newman – DSS Centers• Joan Parris • Gerri Rowell • Jessica Sager • Gwen Samuels• Kim Sandor • Carlota Schechter • Joyce Staples • Sherri Sutera • Myra Jones Taylor • Amy Watson • Sue Wilson

2008 Timeline• February-September: monthly Work Group

meetings

• September: recommended plan presented to the Governor’s Early Childhood Research & Policy Council (ECRPC)

• October: recommendations to Early Childhood Education Cabinet

• QRIS WG will communicate regularly with the ECRPC throughout the process via Janice Gruendel.

Standards & Accountability

• Establish & recommend Program Standards and criteria

• Develop & recommend accountability measures and monitoring system

• Recommend strategy for selecting administrative entity

There are 4 sub-groups of the QRIS Work Group, each

working on specific pieces

Program & Practitioner Supports & Outreach

• Develop & recommend model for responsive program and practitioner support (building strategically on current resources)

• Create & recommend outreach plan to recruit & retain providers in QRIS

Financing & Incentives

• Develop & recommend model for incentives and rewards

• Identify financial needs of recommended CT QRIS

• Assist in costing out components of QRIS in CT

• Identify & recommend current and potential resources & strategies for financing

Consumer Education & Outreach

• Develop & recommend identity and “brand” for CT QRIS

• Create & recommend outreach plan to inform families and fundamentally change consumer behavior

QRIS Work Flow & Internal/External Communications

• Issues

• Proposal

• Consideration/Discussion

• Confidentiality

• Recommendations

Decision-making

• Thumbs Up = Yes, I agree and support this• Thumbs Sideways = this is OK; I can live with it.• Thumbs Down = No, I have a serious problem and cannot

support this.

• Majority thumbs up on important matters• Voters are committed to explaining the reasons for their votes• All votes are thumbs up or sideways, a decision is made• If one or more thumbs are down voter and group will try to

reach acceptable agreement

Draft Recommendations

• The CT QRIS will be a voluntary system for Early Care and Education (ECE) and School Age (SA) programs that provides strong incentives to draw all programs into the system and help all programs continuously improve quality. State agencies will require participation for funded programs.

Draft Recommendations

• Programs serving all children B-12– Phase 1 = Birth to 5– Phase 2 = 6 - 12

• All center settings (licensed and exempt)• All regulated home-based settings• Voluntary• Five steps

Resources

http://ecpolicycouncil.org/ http://nccic.org/topics/topic/index.cfm?topicId=44

Sign up for QRIS Network List to obtain

information going forward: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Zmn0b7FYbBfLSyIkoItayg_3d_3d

www.naeyc.org • www.ctaeyc.org

So what do you think??

Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children2321 Whitney AvenueSuite 501 Hamden, CT 06518Ph: 203.287.3914Fax: 203.287.3915www.ctaeyc.org