Quality Rating Systems: A Study of Differing Models and Methodologies The Annual Meeting of the Chil

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Quality Rating Systems A Study of Differing
Models and Methodologies The Annual Meeting of
the Child Care Policy Research Consortium March
8 11, 2005 Baltimore, MD Midwest Child Care
Research Consortium
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Midwest Child Care Research Consortium

• In 2001, researchers and state program partners
  in four states initiated the Midwest Child Care
  Research Consortium (MCCRC).
• The four states are Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and
  Nebraska (HHS Region VII).
• In 2004, researchers from Mississippi State
  University and the National Center on Rural Early
  Learning Initiatives joined MCCRC.

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Measurement Assessment and Data

• The Consortium has a rich history of conducting
  multi-state research studies. The Consortiums
  research focuses on issues associated with
• early childhood program quality (center-based
  programs and family child care homes
• provider workforce issues
• parent perceptions of child care use and quality
  and,
• state and federal polices and programs such as
  child care subsidy funds.

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Measurement Assessment and Data

• Data are analyzed across the consortium as well
  as state specific to identify
• significant findings
• how policy decisions impact early childhood
  programs and the families who use the services
  and,
• how state and federal policies can be changed to
  improve early childhood programs and the
  well-being of families with young children.

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Measurement Assessment and Data

• MCCRC was awarded a grant in 2000 from the Child
  Care Bureau and was also funded by the Kauffman
  Foundation to conduct a 3 year study.
• Year 1 Phone survey of providers (n2,026)
  randomly selected from 4 states and 365 of those
  providers participated in program observations.
• Year 2 Paper survey of parents (n1325) in same
  sites Phone survey of subsidy-receiving parents
  (n651).
• Year 3 Licensing specialists worked with
  researchers to gather asset data about providers
  (n1499) and directors (n186) and program
  observations were conducted (n115).
• Year 4 Surveys and observations were completed
  with family child care providers (n390).

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Measurement Assessment and Data

• MCCRC was funded in 2003-2004 by the Child Care
  Bureau and the Kauffman Foundation to conduct a
  study of Family Child Care.
• In 2004, MCCRC received a grant from the Child
  Care Bureau to implement and study Quality Rating
  Systems across the MCCRC states.
• In 2004, MCCRC was awarded a grant from the
  National Center for Rural Early Childhood
  Initiatives to increase the sample size of rural
  early childhood programs studied and to
  facilitate the development of a Quality Rating
  System in Mississippi.

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Current Work of MCCRC

• The current project builds on the previous work
  of the Consortium and creates a system for
  differentiating quality in five states. The
  current project will
• Create five models of Quality Rating Systems.
• Document quality-enhancement experiences of
  providers across states and across levels of
  quality.
• Investigate change over a one-year period in the
  Quality Rating System scores associated with
  provider training.
• Investigate perceptions of career development
  among providers and perceptions of child care
  among subsidy-receiving parents.

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Objectives of the Study

• To operationalize and validate 5-level Quality
  Rating Systems being developed in five states.
• To study the naturally-occurring training of
  providers and to assess changes in quality
  ratings associated with varying levels and types
  of training using a pre-post study design.

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Objectives of the Study, cont.

• 3. To qualitatively study providers and parents
  to learn more about
• provider career intentions at various levels of
  quality.
• how parents perceive quality ratings in terms of
  their willingness to pay for quality care.
• the experiences of subsidy-receiving parents.
• 4. To build on the past work of the Consortium
  and to link new data to extant data.

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Context of the Study

• The context of the MCCRC study is one in which
  there are many states and national organizations
  exploring various types of rating systems.
• MCCRC study is unique in that
• It is a five-state consortium involving
  university researchers working in partnership
  with staff from state agencies.
• The sample population includes rural and urban
  early childhood programs and programs that are
  subsidy- receiving as well as non-subsidy-receivin
  g.
• It includes focus groups of parents and
  providers.

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Context of the Study, cont.

• At this time, 35 states are in the process of
  developing Quality Rating Systems.
• 20 states have 2-3 tier systems
• 8 states have 4 tier systems
• 7 states have 5-6 tier systems

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Context of the Study, cont.

• Categories that are common among Quality Rating
  Systems include
• Learning Environments
• Staff Compensation
• Parent / Family Involvement
• Program Evaluation
• Administrative Policies and Procedures
• Professional Development (Education, Training)
• Summarized from the National Child Care
  Information Centers Common Categories of
  Criteria Used in State Tiered Quality Strategies.

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Context of the Study, cont.

• NAEYC Statement
• Quality rating systems (which include tiered
  reimbursement, rating licensing and voluntary and
  mandatory rating systems of programs based on
  indicators of program quality) should be used
  for
• Greater consumer awareness of quality programs
• Increasing resources to help programs improve and
  sustain higher quality
• Lead to system-wide improvements in the quality
  of all programs, including all settings and
  auspices and ages of children served.
• Exert from two-page NAEYC document (November,
  2004)

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Context of the Study, cont.

• What is the potential benefit of a Quality Rating
  System for various constituents?
• Parents
• Providers
• Programs
• Policymakers
• Adapted from the National Child Care Information
  Centers, Goals and/or Objectives of State
  Quality Rating Systems.

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Context of the Study, cont.

• The anticipated benefits of a statewide Quality
  Rating System
• Supports parents and families by providing access
  to information
• Creates greater consumer demand for higher
  quality programs
• Supports program improvement by providing
  benchmarks for improvement, identifying areas of
  need, and incentives for change
• Supports advocates and policymakers by
  information about the status of early childhood
  program quality in the state

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Context of the Study, cont.

• Challenges for a Quality Rating System
• Raising the level of program quality in the
  community to a new height while assuring that new
  and existing programs have easily identified
  stepping stones and supports as they move along
  the quality continuum.
• Balancing expenditures among all aspects of the
  Quality Rating System, including technical
  assistance.

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Methodology

• Although each state will develop their own
  Quality Rating System, each state will use the
  same pre-post test research design and the same
  research instruments.
• The sample population will be licensed early
  childhood program (center-based and family child
  care homes).
• The sample population will be randomly selected
  from lists of licensed programs.
• Nebraska will also include some unlicensed
  programs.

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Sample Population

• The five-state total
• Center-based classroom observations,
  approximately N650
• Family childcare home observations, approximately
  N350
• The sample population will include
  subsidy-receiving and non-subsidy-receiving
  programs.

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Quantitative Study

• There are five aspects to the quantitative
  analysis. The Consortium will
• Facilitate each states development a Quality
  Rating Systems.
• Pilot the Quality Rating Systems
• Validate the Quality Rating Systems
• Study the naturally occurring provider choices in
  training, professional development activities,
  and program supports.
• Study the providers professional development
  training and the programs quality enhancement
  activities to determine how the efforts influence
  the programs QRS rating in year 2.

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Instruments used in Quantitative Analysis

• 1. Environmental Rating Scale
• Early Childhood Environmental Rating
  Scale-Revised
• Family Day Care Rating Scale
• Infant-Toddler Environmental Rating Scale-Revised
• 2. Early Childhood Rating Scale Extension
• (ECERS-E) Four Curricular Subscales
• 3. Caregiver Interaction Scale (Arnett)
• 4. Demographic Survey
• 5. Director Survey of Program Attributes
• 6. Survey of Training, Technical Assistance, and
  Program Supports

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Qualitative Study

• The objective of the provider focus groups is to
  learn about their perspectives on professional
  development and how the Quality Rating System
  (QRS) might impact their choices and their
  program. Focus groups will occur in each state
  with providers at two time points
• Before they receive their Quality Rating System
  scores.
• One year later

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Qualitative Study

• The objective of the parent focus groups is to
  learn about their perceptions of quality care,
  their perspective on paying for quality care and
  to see how these views vary across two groups of
  parents. The two groups of parents are
• Parents who receive child subsidy funds
• Parents who do not receive child subsidy funds.

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Five State ImplementationMissouri

• Efforts to create a Quality Rating System began
  several years ago and a stakeholder group has
  been meeting to guide the process of development
  and implementation.
• The Missouri model was piloted in conjunction
  with the Colorado EDUCARE model in a few
  counties.
• The stakeholder group is in the process of
  developing Quality Rating Systems for family
  child care, center-based programs, and after-
  school programs.

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Five State ImplementationIowa

• Following a request from the legislators in the
  2003 legislative session, the State Child Care
  Advisory Council (SCCAC) brought together a work
  group to study Quality Rating Systems in other
  states. SCCAC then made recommendations for Iowa.
  Since that time
• SCCAC conducted an extensive study of existing
  QRS models and made recommendations for an Iowa
  model.
• To more fully develop the recommendations, the
  State Public Policy Group facilitated public
  input on the QRS model.
• The Iowa model was recently approved to be
  piloted as part of the MCCRC study.

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Five State ImplementationNebraska Mississippi

• As part of the MCCRC study of differing Quality
  Rating Systems, Nebraska and Mississippi
  researchers and state agency partners are working
  within their states to develop Quality Rating
  System models.
• These models will be piloted during year 2 of the
  study.

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Five State ImplementationKansas

• Kansas researchers and state agency partners are
  using the Colorado EDUCARE model. This model is a
  5-level rating system for use in programs serving
  children birthage 5. The model calls for an
  initial rating/assessment followed by training
  and technical assistance. The components of the
  model are
• Learning Environment
• Family Partnerships
• Training Education
• Adult-child Ratios/ Group Size
• Program Accreditation