Evaluating and improving the quality of a network of infant-toddler day care centres in a metropolitan area T. Musatti, I. Di Giandomenico & M. Picchio Institute of Cognitive Sciences & Technologies National Research Council, Italy 17 th EECERA Annual Conference, 29 th August - 1 st September 2007

The origins of quality evaluation of early educational services in Italy The extension of early educational provision: public and private services and the improvement of quality Improving the quality of the public services directly managed by the local government Monitoring and controlling the quality of private services which receive public funding

Experiences of evaluation of early educational services in Italy Synergies among research groups and local governments Evaluandum = educational context Involvement of teachers and coordinators as principal actors - formative function of evaluation - empowerment evaluation Improving the quality of the service

The early educational provision in the city of Rome In the last 5 years : Increase of 70% places for under 3s 146 municipal services 175 municipal + 70 private services with public funding Investment in in service–training The role of coordinators

Our project No direct evaluation of the services Designing of procedures and roles within the municipal system Developing the skills of actors involved in implementing the evaluation by intensive training Supporting the actors’ activity of evaluation

Some basic assumptions Aim of improving quality No model Analysis of all the dimensions of the service Process evaluation Description  judgment Participation of all actors

Actors and activities Coordinators of private services Municipal Coordinators Twins City coordinators Renewal of funding Teachers Parents City Managers Shared documentation, analysis, evaluation: the Dossier of the service Evaluation meetings

Conclusions Shared evaluation activities contribute to the development of a network of services in the city Shared evaluation activities are a crucial function of the governance of the local system of services The relevance of participation in the evaluation process