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1 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011
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0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Jan 01, 2016

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Page 1: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

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UPK Alignment with QRIS

December 2011

Page 2: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Outline of Presentation

1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment with QRIS

2. Summary of the number of UPK programs that have submitted or started QRIS applications to date

3. Planning and Evaluation Committee’s Recommendations

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Page 3: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Review of UPK Policy Objectives Implemented in FY11 and FY12

UPK planning for FY12 and alignment with QRIS was discussed at the October and December 2010 meetings of the Advisory subgroups. The major themes from Advisory group feedback included: Concerned over what funding level is necessary to fund the

existing group of UPK grantees (particularly the staff compensation issue) while expanding the group of providers that are considered “UPK”;

Considered funding UPK as a grant versus an add-on and depending on provider size (and # of children receiving financial assistance) had mixed feedback;

Suggested to allow a transition year if requiring UPK programs to be a certain level in QRIS (for instance, alert programs that in 2 years they must achieve a level 3 rating on QRIS); and

Considered the question of funding quality versus access and what the strategy should be moving forward.

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Page 4: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Review of UPK Policy Objectives Implemented in FY11 and FY12 (cont…)

For FY11 and FY12, the following policy objectives were implemented to begin alignment with UPK and QRIS*:

1. For FY12, UPK programs were required to participate in QRIS by June 1, 2011;

2. Programs shall use a portion of UPK funding to support progress on QRIS for FY12;

3. An agreement to allow EEC staff to conduct on-site ECERS/FCCERS reviews;

4. An agreement to provide staff information, including compensation and education level, through EEC’s registry or other designated mechanism; and

5. An agreement to provide child level data, with parent consent, allowing children to be assigned a State Assigned Student Identification (SASID) number.

UPK grantees were also notified that FY11 was a planning year for the purpose of restructuring UPK in FY12 and beyond.

Subject to EEC Board approval, programs may be required to be level 3 in QRIS by FY13.

*For an analysis of how UPK compares to QRIS, please see the slides in the Appendix.

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QRIS Application Status Update for UPK Programs

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To date, there are 209 UPK programs:• 118 Center-based• 75 Family Child Care• 4 Independent Child Care• 1 Private School• 11 Public Schools

193 have submitted final QRIS applications. 16 have started QRIS applications.

Page 6: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Feedback from the Planning and Evaluation Committee

On November 29, 2011, the Planning and Evaluation Committee convened to discuss ideas to align UPK and QRIS.

The Committee has the following goals:1. Align UPK with QRIS;2. Increase the number of programs defined as UPK

programs;3. The program name “UPK” should be kept – has state

and national recognition; and4. Increase access for children who are “high needs.”

The Committee proposed five recommendations.

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Page 7: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Recommendation #1

QRIS Level:

• Programs in UPK must be at least a level 3 in QRIS.

• Current UPK programs who do not satisfy level 3 in QRIS may be grandfathered in for one year.

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Page 8: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Recommendation #2

Access:

• Focus on “high needs children.”

• Currently, Massachusetts defines “high needs children” as those with sufficiently low household incomes, those in need of special education assistance, and other priority populations who qualify for federal and/or state aid.

• Massachusetts is moving toward a broader definition of “high needs children.”

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Page 9: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Broader Definition of “High Needs Children” Include children who have multiple risk factors linked to

poor school and life outcomes:i. Children and parents with special needs;ii. Children whose home language is not English;iii. Families and children involved with multiple

state agencies;iv. English language learners;v. Recent immigrants;vi. Children with parents who are deployed and are

not living on a military base;vii. Low-income households;viii. Parents with less than a high school education;ix. Children who are homeless or move more than

once a year; andx. Children in racial and ethnic communities that

experience social exclusion.

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Page 10: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Broader Definition of “High Needs Children” (cont…)

The state estimates that as many as 135,000 children from birth to age five face one or more risk factors each day that could lead to toxic stress, with as many as 20,000 (15%) facing three or more risk factors that without intervention are likely to lead to developmental delays.*

*National Center for Children in Poverty. Young Child Risk Calculator. Retrieved from http://www.nccp.org/tools/risk/

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Recommendation #3

Grant Eligibility:

To be eligible for a UPK grant, programs would have to demonstrate they serve “high needs children” as defined in the RTTT-ELC grant.• Programs would have to demonstrate that they serve

children with multiple risk factors that meet this broader definition.

• This may include providing screening and/or formative assessment scores for targeted group of children.

UPK programs must demonstrate movement toward median salary for lead teachers.

Program match is required.

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Page 12: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Recommendation #4

Change the Funding Formula:

However, keep it as a grant to programs based on revised numbers and criteria.

Formula based on the number or percentage of high risk children the programs serve.

The amount is determined by 50% of the annual full time subsidy rate per expansion child.

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Recommendation #5

Use of Funds:

Fund this as a grant instead of making the funds an add-on.

Grants could be used to: increase access to high risk children, but spent on normal and expected expenses when running an early childhood program.

UPK funds should not be used to help programs move up in QRIS because other funds will be used for that.

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Page 14: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Appendix

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1. Materials on How UPK Compares to QRIS

2. Materials on Preschool to Grade 3: Closing the Proficiency Gap

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How UPK Compares to QRIS

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UPK is based on six basic eligibility criteria: Licensed or license-exempt, Provides access to full-day full-year services, Serve or willing to serve children receiving financial assistance, NAEYC accredited for center-based and public school programs, and NAFCC

accredited or a CDA or higher for family child care, Uses the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences, Uses one of the EEC approved assessment systems.

UPK funds allow programs to maintain and enhance quality criteria as they choose, without defined measurable criteria to assess and improve quality.

QRIS offers a comprehensive way to assess, improve and communicate quality to the field.

Quality criteria is organized into standards and exceeds the scope of UPK eligibility criteria. A few examples are:

Curriculum and Learning: Assessment subcategory requires programs implement developmental screening within 45 days of children’s program entry, whereas only formative assessment is explicitly required by UPK, and

Workforce standards require that directors are not only trained in the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences, but also child development and Strengthening Families protective factors.

QRIS requires measurement of quality through environmental ratings by an outside evaluator (ECERS, FCCERS, etc.)

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UPK Eligibility Requirements Compared to Level 3 QRIS

Below is a summary of how the UPK requirements align with the QRIS levels. Licensed or license-exempt

• Level 1 Provides access to full-day full-year services

• Not required in QRIS Serve or willing to serve children receiving financial assistance

• Not required in QRIS NAEYC accredited for center-based and public school programs, and NAFCC accredited or a CDA or

higher for family child care• Accreditation may be used for documentation for select standards in levels 2 through 4

Uses the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences,• At level 3, programs are required to receive training on the Guidelines and at level 4 they are

required to align it with curricula, however UPK does not explicitly require either. Uses one of the EEC approved assessment systems.

• QRIS does not require specific formative assessment tools, but states that at level 2 programs must receive professional development related to assessment, at level 3 the data is used to set goals, and at level 4 to improve curriculum planning.

Many level 3 QRIS standards can be documented with accreditation, which is a requirement of UPK,

however some QRIS requires documentation in addition to accreditation for certain standards, and

some standards cannot be met by accreditation at all. A main difference between QRIS and accreditation is use of the environmental rating

scales (ERS tools).

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Page 17: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Standards Beyond Which Accreditation Can be Used to Document Meeting a Level 3 Standard

Category 1: Curriculum and LearningCurriculum, Assessment and Diversity1A.3.2 Staff has received formal professional development in the curriculum; using the MA Guidelines for

Preschool Learning Standards or Infant / Toddler Learning; documenting children’s progress; and working with children from diverse languages and cultures and second language acquisition. (documented with PQ Registry)

1A.3.4 Staff demonstrate language and literacy skills either in English or the child’s language that provide a model for children. (documented with ERS tools)

Teacher Child Relationships and Interactions1B.3.1 All staff engage children in meaningful conversations, use open-ended questions and provide

opportunities throughout the day to scaffold their language to support the development of more complex receptive and expressive language, support children’s use of language to share ideas, problem solve and have positive peer interactions. (documented with ERS tools and other QRIS measurement tools)

1B.4.1 Staff utilize teaching strategies that ensure a positive classroom environment, engage childrenin learning and promote critical thinking skills. (documented with ERS tools and other QRIS measurement

tools)

Category 2: Safe Healthy Indoor and Outdoor Environments2A.3.2 Staff are trained in how to work with children with special diets, allergies and specialized feeding

issues. (documented with PQ Registry)

2A.3.3 Demonstrates healthy, safe and clean indoor and outdoor environments. (documented with ERS tools)

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Page 18: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Standards Beyond Which Accreditation Can be Used to Document Meeting a Level 3 Standard

Category 3: Workforce Qualifications and Professional DevelopmentDesignated Program Administrator Qualifications and Professional Development3A.3.1 Program administrator has at least a Bachelor’s degree. (as indicated in PQ Registry)

3A.3.2 Program administrator has at least 9 credit-bearing hours of specialized college-level course workin administration, leadership, and management. (as indicated in PQ Registry)

3A.3.3 Program administrator has at least 24 credit-bearing hours of specialized college-level coursework in early childhood education, child development, elementary education, or early childhood specialeducation OR Documents that a plan is in place to meet the above qualifications within five years. (as indicated in PQ

Registry)

Program Staff Qualifications and Professional Development3B.3.1 75 percent of classrooms have Educator(s) with a Bachelor’s degree or higher who work for the fullprogram day. (as indicated in PQ Registry)

Category 4: Family and Community Engagement4A.3.2 Families are encouraged to volunteer in the program, to assist in the classroom, and share culturaland language traditions or other interests such as their jobs, hobbies and other relevant information. (documented

with ERS tools)

4A.3.4 Program representative(s) participate in local community group work that is related to early childhood, and the cultural groups served by the program and/or family support. (documented with Program Administration Scale (PAS))

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Standards Beyond Which Accreditation Can be Used to Document Meeting a Level 3 Standard

Category 5: Leadership, Management and AdministrationLeadership, Management and Administration5A.3.1 Program tracks and monitors absences of individual children and contacts families when children are absent more than

20% in a month.

5A.3.2 Program director, staff and family input is solicited on an annual basis through a survey to evaluate the program. (documented with PAS)

5A.3.3 Results of the annual survey are used to develop a comprehensive written program improvement plan.

5A.3.4 Program has an annual review conducted of the accounting records by an independent partywho has accounting or bookkeeping expertise.

5A.3.5 Program tracks and monitors teacher turn over and has plan for addressing turn over.

Supervision5B.3.1 Program uses at least 3 types of internal communication on a monthly basis to inform staff ofprogram activities, policies, etc.

5B.3.2 Staff receive at least one benefit (paid vacation time, sick time, health insurance, tuition/PDreimbursement or retirement plan option). (documented with PAS)

5B.3.3 Staff are given feedback that give examples of best practice at least twice a month. (documented with PAS)

5B.3.4 The program has a system to support the career development of staff through a career ladder (e.g., regularly scheduled time to meet with a supervisor or mentor to monitor progress towards career goals). (documented with PAS)

5B.3.5 Staff salary scales reflect the educational levels, experience and performance levels, as determined by the annual evaluation of the staff members, and is comparable with the current wage level of others in the community with the same levels of education. (documented by PAS)

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P-3 Alignments:Key Principles and Elements

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Mission Statements Support Alignment

provide the foundation that supports all children in their development as lifelong learners and contributing members of the community, and supports families in their essential work as parents and caregivers.

strengthen the Commonwealth’s public education system so that every student is prepared to succeed in postsecondary education, compete in the global economy, and understand the rights and responsibilities of American citizens, and in so doing, to close all proficiency gaps.

Department of Early Education and Care

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Head StartImprove Children’s school readiness outcomes and promote changes that integrate children into a continuum of high-quality early care and education spanning from birth to age eight.

Page 22: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

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Children Experiencing Multiple Risks in MA

Page 23: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Key Principles in the P-3 Alignment

1. Horizontal alignment

2. Vertical alignment

3. Temporal alignment

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Page 24: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Principle 1: Horizontal Alignment

Horizontal alignment

Vertical alignment

Temporal alignment

Horizontal alignment

is created by using consistent learning approaches within an age range or grade.

Full-day kindergarten

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Page 25: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Principle 2: Vertical Alignment

Horizontal alignment

Vertical alignment

Temporal alignment

Vertical alignment is created by using consistent learning approaches across ages or grades.

1st grade

K

Pre-K

2nd grade

3rd grade

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Page 26: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Principle 3: Temporal Alignment

Horizontal alignment

Vertical alignment

Temporal alignment

Temporal alignment is created by using consistent learning approaches across a child’s day.

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Page 27: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

What does P-3 look like in Massachusetts?

A coordinated and collaborative approach

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Mechanisms forCross-Sector

Alignment

Teacher Quality &Capacity

Transitions and Pathways

Administrators &Leadership

Quality

Engaged Families

InstructionalEnvironment

(school andClassroom)

Data andAssessment

InstructionalTools and Practices

Cross AgencyCollaboration

on P-3

Page 29: 0 UPK Alignment with QRIS December 2011. Outline of Presentation 1. Review of UPK policy objectives implemented in FY11/FY12 to begin/continue alignment.

Need to evaluate alignment onseveral parameters

Balance: the degree to which the two documents address the same domains

Depth: the degree to which the two documents address the same specific skill and knowledge within a domain

Difficulty: the degree to which the expectations within the two documents reflect a similar level of difficulty or age-level

Kagan, Scott-Little, Reid & Greenburg, 200729

Data from the Office Of Head Start Summit, “On the Road to

School Readiness”presented by Catherine Scott-Little

on February 15-17, 2011Baltimore, MD