National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement QRIS Standards Learning Table Session #5 -- Effective Cross-Sector QRIS: Challenges and Opportunities

Introductions and Updates Introduce the state team (Name, title, agency) AR DE KY MS NH NM OK TX Tell us one thing – a success, a challenge, a question – your state team has to share about revising your QRIS since our last call. 2

Flow of the conversation Cross-sector QRIS means...which sectors? Successes Challenges Example: New York’s QUALITYstarsNY Discussion

The many sectors… Child care centers (regulated) Family child care homes (regulated) Head Start programs Nationally accredited centers and homes Prekindergarten (state-funded) SEA approved nursery schools/preschools Preschool special education programs Others?

Cross-Sector QRIS Cross-sector QRIS means one that aims for participation by most group early care and education providers, regardless of funding stream or auspice. At a minimum, this includes child care centers and family child care homes, Pre-K and Head Start, i.e., all publically supported and/or licensed settings, but not informal caregivers.

Comparing QRIS & Sector Features Key QRIS elements Accredited CenterHead StartPrekindergarten StandardsEach accrediting body has its own standards, procedures, duration, rigor, reliability HS Program Performance Standards & HS Act, HS Outcomes Framework State Pre-K regulations, reference ELGs, teacher certification Monitoring & Accountability Each has own procedures, duration, rigor, reliability Frequency varies (3-5 years), usually annual report Triennial federal reviews, annual self- assessment, five year re- competition cycle Depends on state Program & Professional Development State PD systems for practitioners, also higher education system T&TA system (regional, state) & grantee funds State higher education system

Relationships Working across sectors is relationship-building. Relationships are built on: Knowledge of the ‘other’ system (what do they do and how do they do it) Communication Respect Trust

Self-Reflection Working across systems requires us to reflect on & acknowledge that there are many pathways to better quality What is the definition of high quality, the approach to promoting CQI, in the various sectors in your state? How can we trust, build on, incorporate these multiple pathways in the QRIS process?

Reciprocity Compliance with another sector’s standards ‘counts’ in your QRIS Documentation from another sector in re certain criteria/standards ‘counts’ in your QRIS Reciprocity rests on TRUST – Trust the monitoring process, e.g., reliability – Trust the compliance decisions – Trust the other system

Reciprocity Reciprocity could go both ways… Achieving/maintaining a certain level in your QRIS counts in the other sector… QRIS level required to receive PreK funds QRIS as the annual self-assessment requirement for Head Start

Challenges: Cross-Sector Standards Regulation-exempt centers – preK programs that are part of public or private elementary schools – part-day preschools (stand-alone) Possible responses – Accept as regulated by another state agency (education) – Create equivalent to regulation – Other?

Challenge: Cross-Sector Support Systems How do you effectively engage the support systems of other sectors to support their programs to participate in QRIS? – Head Start – Prekindergarten – Early Intervention/preschool special education – Other?

Challenge: Cross-Sector Supports How do you get coaches/TA providers in each sector to understand your QRIS standards and sources of evidence and work with programs in their sector to meet them? – Head Start – Public schools How do you extend the expertise of TA in other sectors to share beyond their sector? – Head Start TA is focused on CLASS, how can it be shared? How do you engage the school-based programs that may be resistant to classroom assessment with the ERS? What about special education trainers/TA?

Challenges: Cross-Sector Finance How can we effectively acknowledge the very real differences in resources across sectors? Is there a pathway that helps policy makers and quality improvement leaders more clearly understand the challenges in each sector, envision a new approach and engage in a collaborative change process?

Challenge: Outreach/engagement of cross-sector partners Systems like early intervention, preschool special education, child welfare, and others Help them understand QRIS and how it benefits their system/children/families Consider a range of options, e.g., – Could they prioritize child placements in higher- quality settings? – Could QRIS be part of the monitoring & accountability system for their programs?

Challenges Are there any other challenges anyone wants to identify before we turn to Ola Friday? We can discuss them after we hear from New York…

New York QRIS Cross Sector Standards are inclusive of all types of regulated care – Centers – Family homes – Head Start – UPK – Registered Nursery Schools – Nationally accredited programs and providers – Preschool Special Education programs

New York QRIS Cross Sector Standard indicators draw from and reflect already established indicators of quality – Head Start Performance Standards – National accreditation standards

New York QRIS Cross Sector Crosswalks – NAEYC, NAFCC and Head Start alignments – Respect and trust for the established monitoring process – Clear and justifiable exceptions (ERS and Qualifications)

New York QRIS Cross Sector Other Alignment Activities – NYC Dept. of Education UPK alignment – Overview and detailed alignment reports – Clear, joint messages to field – Regular communication (bi-weekly calls) – Goal: appear aligned, encourage participation, reduce duplication

New York QRIS Cross Sector Cross Sector Support – Pre School Special Education Information sessions; conference calls; information sharing – NYC UPK Coaches Meetings; data verification and sharing

New York QRIS Cross Sector Challenges – Communication – Data – Accountability

New York QRIS Cross Sector Lessons Learned and Next Steps – Additional alignment activities – Financing alignment – On-going communication

Questions, Reflections, Comments?

Homework for Final Session Our final webinar will be held on January 31 st, jointly with the “developing QRIS” states. Look for SurveyMonkey soon. From your experience of this Learning Table, What recommendations would you make to other states crafting a new or revising an existing QRIS to be more efficient and effective? What are the big ideas that you think need further research, discussion, exploration? Please elaborate. As we move forward with QRIS, what do you think are the most pressing challenges for your state as well as for the nation as a whole? As you complete this Learning Table, what questions remain - if any - regarding QRIS standards? If you had one remaining question to ask your partner states in this Learning Table, what would it be? During the course of this Learning Table on QRIS standards, what have been your "Aha!" moments? What are your state’s next steps and how can we help? What more can ACF do to help? Are there specific topics about QRIS design that you'd like to know more about?

Follow up Technical Assistance is available by contacting your state’s Technical Assistance Specialist. Region I - Regions II, III, VIII – Regions IV, X – Regions V – Region VI – Regions VII, IX –

Thank You NCCCQI does not endorse any non-Federal organization, publication, or resource. Follow-up Contacts: National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement