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This section includes information about:
Early childhood programs across the country are developing program standards
as the yard stick against which program quality is measured. Program standards
may focus on the system policies (e.g. policies ensure that family supports,
service coordination, transitions, and other practices occur in response to
child and family needs rather than being determined by the age of the child),
or may focus directly on services (e.g. appropriate ratio of children to adults
throughout the day, teacher/provider level of education or training).
A variety of terms are used to communicate the same concept, including
quality indicators, standards, readiness of schools, program outcomes and
early learning standards. Variation also exists with respect to program
standards established for typically developing children, children with
disabilities, or all children.
National/professional organization recommendations
State examples of program standards and quality indicators
- The Massachusetts Cost and Quality Study,
is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Child
Care Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. The study examines full-day,
year-round, community-based center care for preschool-age children and for
infants and toddlers. In 1999-2000, 90 preschool classrooms were observed
and directors were interviewed about the costs of providing care. In
2001-2002, 200 infant/toddler classrooms were observed and directors were
interviewed about costs. The Massachusetts Early Care and Education Study
also provides information on Indicators of Quality Full-time Preschool Programs.
- North Carolina School Readiness Assessment
looks at both the condition of children when they enter school (Kindergarten)
and the capacity of schools to educate all children, whatever each child's
condition may be. The condition of children includes health and physical
development, social and emotional development, approaches toward learning,
language development and communication, and cognition and general knowledge.
The readiness of schools includes: (1) knowledge of growth and development of
typically and atypically developing children, (2) knowledge of the strengths,
interests, and needs of each child, (3) knowledge of the social and cultural
contexts in which each child and family lives, and (4) ability to translate
developmental knowledge into developmentally appropriate practices.
- Illinois Birth to Three Program Standards and Quality Indicators & Resource Guide (draft)
presents draft standards related to organization, curriculum and service
provision, developmental monitoring and program accountability, personnel,
and family and community partnerships.
Measurement tools
- Environment Rating Scales
are available to professionals serving young children through the FPG
Child Development Institute. Scales include:
- Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R), designed to
assess group programs for children of preschool through kindergarten
age, 2½ through 5;
- Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale, Revised (ITERS-R),
designed to assess group programs for children from birth to 2½
years of age;
- Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS), designed to assess family
child care programs conducted in a provider's home;
- School Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS), designed to
assess group-care programs for children of school age, 5 to 12.
- Assessing
Program Quality, National Center for Early Development and Learning,
Spotlights No. 7, February 1999.
(PDF: 42kb) The
article discusses the NCEDL development of the Early Intervention Services
Assessment Scale to comprehensively assess the quality of early intervention
services.
Links on this site are verified monthly. This page content was last updated on 02/01/2008 CF.
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