Miami-Dade County, Florida January 2010. Cost, Quality, Child Outcomes Study 1995 4 states - 400 centers Only 8% infant care and 24% preschool care rated.

Miami-Dade County, Florida

January 2010

Cost, Quality, Child Outcomes Study 1995 • 4 states - 400 centers

• Only 8% infant care and 24% preschool care rated high quality• Some so bad as to endanger children’s well-being

Children of the Cost-Quality Study Go to School 1999• Higher quality child care correlated with better child outcomes in

school (800 children thru 2nd grade)• Cognitive, language, social-emotional

National interest in QRIS• Incentivize and support quality in private, tuition-based industry

• Voluntary standards above licensing

Why Quality Rating Improvement System-QRIS?

• Ensure high quality ECE through voluntary higher standards

• Enhance quality through supports and incentives

• Help families make good choices with a trustworthy rating system

Quality Counts Goals

• FL Early Learning Coalitions formed 1999• Advocates studied elegant models from other states

– NC, PA, OK, TN

• FL Coalitions and CSCs got going (state ECE is very decentralized):– Palm Beach, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pinellas, Broward,

Miami-Dade• Voluntary Multi-County QRIS Collaborative to align standards• Children’s Trust convened stakeholders to design a local

system – 5 Star QRIS – ECE Professional Development

History

Standards

5 incremental steps (5 Stars) in 6 areas

•Learning Environment

– Health & Safety, Learning Activities, Interaction

•Staff Qualifications

•Ratios-Group Sizes

•Family Engagement

•Program Administration

•Curriculum

• Introduction, Application, Selection (aim for representative cross-section each cohort)

• Link to TA and Career Advisor

• Extensive Self-study

• Formal assessment for baseline, detailed report

• Quality improvement plan

• Apply for supports

– Scholarships, WAGE$, Grants

• Work on quality improvement

• Renewal

– Annual Update; 3 year cycle for Star Rating

Steps in the Process

Designed and funded byChildren’s Trust, Early Learning Coalition (ELC), Early Childhood Initiative Foundation/Ready Schools Miami

Implementation via ELC– Florida International University – Family Central Inc. – University of Miami Mailman Center – The Children's Forum – Devereux Florida – National Institute for Innovative Leadership– United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education

Additional funding leveraged– Miami-Dade CAA Head Start/Early Head Start– Miami-Dade County Public Schools – Ready Schools– Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA)– Miami Dade College

Partners

Quality Rating Improvement System• “Hub” project management- ELC

• Technical Assistance- FIU, FCI, UM

• Formal Assessment- Devereux FL

• Support Grants-Achievement Awards- ELC

Professional Development• Career Advisors & Registry- Children’s Forum

• Wage$ Incentives- Children’s Forum

• Targeted In-service Training- United Way

• College Course Development- Miami Dade College

Components & Providers

Continuous Quality ImprovementWeb-based Early Learning System-WELS– Track & analyze all QRIS data

– Customize supports; help determine which supports make biggest difference

ECE Professional Development Registry– Database of the ECE workforce education & experience

• Teachers, trainers, trainings

– Identify needs, engage partners to address needs, track progress over time

Independent evaluation –FPG Institute at University of North Carolina

Data Management

All sectors working together as a coherent early care & education system

System Building

393 programs reaching 21,720 children by Year 2

72 Head Start Programs

6,800 children

70 Family Child Care Homes

420 children

20 MDCPS Classrooms400 children

6 RCMA Centers600 children

225 Child Care Centers

13,500 children

Baseline Rating Analysis

Quality Counts Baseline Ratings in 2008for initial 197 programs

(child care centers and family child care homes)

0

25

50

75

# Programs 26 73 72 21 5

Star 1 Star 2 Star 3 Star 4 Star 5

Star Rating after Baseline

Changes in level 1 – 5 from Baseline to first Star Rating

N = 35

Increased by 2 levels

Increased by 1 level

Maintained levels 1 – 3

Maintained levels 4 or 5

Decreased by 1 level

1 6 9 16 3

Moving slowly Economic intervention in market “industry” Be careful that dis-incentives don’t outweigh incentives Celebrate 3, 4, 5 Stars

-Don’t drive out 1, 2s with negative publicityNeed critical mass of ~60% of total number rated

Promotional angle:

Our program cares so much about quality for your child that we are participating in Quality Counts

Publicizing Stars

The Children’s Trustwww.thechildrenstrust.org

Click For Providers. Click Quality Counts

Jesse Leinfelder

[email protected]

305.571.5700

More Information