Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)

Quality rating and improvement systems, or QRIS, is a nation-wide, systems approach to raising the quality of early learning programs, with the goal of ensuring that all children are ready for kindergarten. Nearly every state has or is in the process of implementing a QRIS. QRIS raises early learning quality by creating a common definition of and standards for quality, using ratings and assessments to provide opportunities for programs to demonstrate quality, and coordinating supports to help providers continue to improve quality. California started implementation of QRIS in 2011 with the federal Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant. This grant was awarded to help improve early childhood education systems and better serve the most vulnerable children. Santa Clara County was one of the first sixteen counties in California to adopt the QRIS framework through QUALITY MATTERS…A STRONG START for kids–which uses the QRIS’s nationally recognized methods to assess, improve, and communicate the quality of early learning providers in Santa Clara County–with the aim of increasing access to high quality of early learning programs throughout our community. Today, QRIS is used in every county in California. What is a high quality program like? School readiness – Our kids have the knowledge and skills to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Environment – Our classrooms are warm, safe, fun, and engaging. Effective teacher-child interactions – Our kids have meaningful, supportive relationships with their educators and caregivers. Social-emotional development – Our kids are emotionally resilient and interact with peers and adults in prosocial ways. Health, nutrition, and physical activity – Our kids are healthy and thriving developmentally. Program administration – Our child care centers and classrooms are effectively supporting their staff and their kids’ families. Professional development – Our educators and caregivers are lifelong learners who are provided with and are committed to opportunities to improve their craft. Family engagement – Our families are our partners in providing our kids with rich personal and learning experiences and are supported in their critical role in their child’s development. What benefits does QRIS provide? For Parents. Every child who is enrolled in a QUALITY MATTERS QRIS program is cared for by a well-trained caregiver or educator who is invested in providing high quality early learning and development experiences. QUALITY MATTERS helps families identify and enroll their children into high quality early child care centers to ensure dramatic social, emotional, developmental, and academic outcomes for years to come. For Providers. QUALITY MATTERS supports and recognizes early childhood caregivers and educators for the critical role they play in our communities. Participation in QRIS unlocks access to a menu of resources and incentives designed with providers’ professional and quality improvement needs in mind. For The Community. QRIS helps the community identify high quality early childhood education centers, provides access to those programs, and helps foster a community that invests in and celebrates early learning. This will ensure that all kids in our community will have a strong foundation for education and will succeed in kindergarten and beyond. How are early learning programs rated? Tiers range from the Bronze, which indicates commitment to quality improvement, to Platinum level. 11 Bronze 9 Silver 62 Gold Or Platinum QUALITY MATTERS staff determine a program’s rating based on seven key elements of quality. These elements were crafted by the California Department of Education, based on the well-researched indicators of a high-quality early childhood education program outlined below, and articulate clear, comprehensive, measurable, and reliable measures of quality. 7 Elements of Quality Child Observation Developmental and Health Screenings Minimum Qualifications for Lead Teacher/Family Child Care Home Effective Teacher-Child Interactions Ratios and Group Size Program Environment Rating Scales Director Qualifications Within each element, programs are given 1-5 points based on their current level of progress within the continuum of quality improvement. Points are added up and programs are rated based on the number of points they received. These ratings help inform programs of the elements in which they are high quality, and the elements in which they could use greater supports and development. Learn more about Quality Rating. Family Child Care Home Providers are not rated on elements 5 and 7. logo FIRST 5 Santa Clara County 4000 Moorpark Avenue, Suite 200 San Jose, CA 95117 Email: earlylearning@first5kids.org Phone: 408.260.3700 Fax: 408.296.5642 EDUCATOR September 12, 2018 | 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm FIRST 5 Santa Clara County 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 100 San Jose, CA 95117 EXECUTIVE CABINET July 10, 2018 | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm FIRST 5 Santa Clara County 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 100 San Jose, CA 95117 FCCHP September 26, 2018 | 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm FIRST 5 Santa Clara County 4000 Moorpark Ave., Suite 100 San Jose, CA 95117