Presentation Transcript

1. Camille Catlett (moderator) Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill April 23, 2012

   Welcome to the Learning TableCalifornia, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, and Pennsylvania

2. Questions & commentsare invited Try it out now. Type in where you’re calling from, and what the temperature is. Use the “Chat” pod
3. QuickPoll What do you think about the level of emphasis on cultural diversity in the measures of quality within your QRIS? Too little emphasis Appropriate level of emphasis Not enough emphasis
4. Logistics for today’s Live Session Mute/UnMuteyour phone Please mute your phone during the Live Session (*6) and unmute it when you want to say something (*6) Identify yourselfPlease identify yourself when you speak (“Hi, this is Camille from California . . . “) Chime in Share your questions and comments in the part of the screen marked”Chat”
5. Organization of Live Session Evidence to guide our thinking Kathryn Tout Reframing our thinking Sharon Ritchie Applications and discussion Camille Catlett, Iheoma Iruka and all of you
6. Kathryn Tout April 23, 2012

   QRIS Quality Measurement for Diverse Children: Current Practices, Issues and Options

7. Goal for this portion of the Live Session Discuss current QRIS quality measurement practices from the perspective of diverse children (culture, language, ability) Identify options and issues for improving or refining measurement practices
8. Quality measurement is part of a larger QRIS process
9. Improving quality measurement for diverse children requires… Prioritizing, clarifying and developing quality standards and indicators that relate to: Culture Language Provisions for children with special needs
10. Dimensions of program quality that may emphasize diversity Environment for learning and play Interactions Teacher/Caregiver and child Teacher/Caregiver/Program and family Planning for individual children: Curriculum Assessment Program philosophy and policies Teacher/Caregiver knowledge, attitudes and beliefs Teacher/Caregiver qualifications
11. Options for measurement Observation Program self-report (with or without verification) Review of documents/evidence (with or without verification)
12. A scan of current practices related to quality measurement In next slides, review each of the quality dimensions and possible options/tools for measuring each one Culture, language, and ability will be addressed individually when relevant Discuss opportunities and challenges with each approach
13. Environment for learning and play Indicators in this domain typically focus on materials or provisions in the environment that relate to diversity and that can be observed (or that a teacher can be asked about) Environment Rating Scale Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Extension (ECERS-E) Challenge – Measurement may not include an assessment of how materials are used with children
14. Interactions (teacher-child) QRIS include tools to examine interactions, but these tools may not explicitly tap diversity CLASS Interactions related to language and literacy (ELLCO) Challenge – observational measures are costly to include in a QRIS, yet they may yield the most rich information
15. Interactions (program – family) Indicators related to Family Partnerships are common in QRIS, though not typically focused on diversity. Examples: LA County QRIS - Results of screenings are shared with the family in a confidential and supportive manner; Resource directory of community early intervention and other support services are readily available to families PA Keystone STARS – written information on community resources Palm Beach, FL – parents meetings based on needs and interests of parents Many states included more general indicators related to communication with families, gathering of information, provision of activities, and information about community resources
16. Interactions (program – family) Most of these are measured via program self-report and/or document review. The Program Administration Scale and Business Administration Scale are used in some states to capture some of this information. Challenge: how should these activities be scored in a QRIS? They are typically “counted” in a “more is better” approach. A stronger research base is needed to move beyond this
17. Planning for individual children Indicators related to curriculum and assessment are included widely in QRIS, though there is not usually an explicit focus on diversity. Example: LA County QRIS: All children are screened using a high quality, culturally and developmentally appropriate screening tool within 90 days of starting the program and annually thereafter. Screenings are used to individualize all children’s needs and site level modifications and accommodations are implemented, as appropriate. PA Keystone STARS: IEP/IFSP informs classroom practice Miami-Dade: Adapt activities to meet children’s needs Challenge: What components of curriculum and assessment can be observed?
18. Program philosophy and policies Some QRIS do include indicators that tap policies or program philosophy on diversity. Example: LA County QRIS – Families of children with special needs are welcomed to the program; inclusive program philosophy These are typically assessed via document review Challenge: Selecting evidence that will demonstrate the extent to which policies and philosophies are part of daily practice (i.e., do programs actually comply with their policies?)
19. Teacher/caregiver knowledge, attitudes and beliefs No QRIS examples found that include this dimension Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (particularly child-centered vs. adult centered caregiving beliefs) are important predictors of global quality Beliefs and attitudes also are hypothesized to be related to family-sensitive caregiving and culturally responsive practice Challenge – developing indicators of attitudes and beliefs that would be feasible for a QRIS Indicators could be developed to reflect coursework or specialized training that serve as proxies for knowledge This set of quality indicators may be best addressed through PD efforts, but it is challenging to prioritize a quality dimension if it isn’t highlighted in the QRIS
20. Teacher/caregiver qualifications A small number of QRIS do include specific qualifications related to diversity. Examples: L.A. County QRIS - At least 1 staff member has specialized college course work/professional development training that prepares them to work with children who have special needs, including administration and interpretation of developmental screens, and is available to assist colleagues. PA Keystone STARS– staff training in inclusion and accessing resources Miami Dade and Palm Beach – staff communicate (oral, written) in children’s home language These can be verified using a Registry Challenge: Deciding where to place indicators in the QRIS (i.e., at which level to include them)
21. Final challenge: Linking quality measures to children’s well-being What are the outcomes of interest? For culture, outcomes are primarily in the social-emotional domain (Shivers & Sanders, 2011) Positive social relationships Positive orientation towards own racial/ethnic group Positive self-concept For English Language Learners, oral language and vocabulary are critical For children with special needs, outcomes across all developmental domains are important Challenges Using reliable and valid measures that are appropriate for the populations Linking specific quality practices to outcomes
22. Supporting quality measurement for diverse children (and programs) Offer opportunities for information and Q&A Important to be intentional in implementation Establish committee/working group to address issues as they arise Example: Parent Aware (Minnesota’s QRIS) English Language Learner Workgroup Collect data to monitor implementation and outcomes
23. Further information? Kathryn Tout ktout@childtrends.org
24. Think about it… Measuring Quality What questions do you have for Kathryn about measuring quality for young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?
25. Think about it… Measuring Quality What are ways in which your QRIS is looking at quality for infants and toddlers who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?
26. QuickPoll What do you think about the level of emphasis on linguistic diversity in the measures of quality within your QRIS? Too little emphasis Appropriate level of emphasis Not enough emphasis
27. Sharon Ritchie FPG Child Development Institute

    Re-purposing observations and data to drive our conversations about quality

28. “Re-purposing”familiar andinnovative measures Early Childhood Rating Scales-Revised (ECERS, ITERS, FDCERS)-(Harms, Clifford, Cryer) (2005) Class Assessment Scoring Systems (CLASS)- (Pianta, LaParo and Hamre)(2008) Snapshot (Ritchie, Howes, Kraft Sayre and Weiser) (2003)
29. Promote Caring Provide care that ensures that children feel connected to others; cared for; a sense of belonging; and an ability to care for and about others. Nurture Positive Relationships Develop the Whole Child Strengthen Self-Efficacy and Identity
30. Promote Caring
31. CLASS-Emotional Support
32. Promote Competence Ensure that children know that they effect their world, and are able to persist in the face of adversity. Prioritize Expression Promote Self-regulation Support Autonomy
33. Promote Competence
34. ECERS-Language-Reasoning
35. Promote Excellence Provide clear expectations and quality feedback to support children’s ability to master a wide array of tasks and skills Balance Teaching Approaches Integrate and Balance Curriculum Build Higher Order Thinking
36. Promote Excellence
37. Teaching Approaches by Content Comparing PreK to Kindergarten
38. Think about it… Measuring Quality What do you think of the idea of using existing instruments (e.g., ECERS, CLASS) differently? Or using different instruments?
39. QuickPoll What do you think about the level of emphasis on ability diversity and inclusion in the measures of quality within your QRIS? Too little emphasis Appropriate level of emphasis Not enough emphasis
40. Ways to Think About Quality Environmental and structural features physical environment child-staff ratio staff qualifications compensation administrative leadership communication and collaboration with families and community partners Curriculum and intentional teaching Planning, delivering and evaluating instruction Relating positively to children and adults
41. FirstSchool Ways to Think About Quality Nurturing positive relationships Developing the whole child Strengthening self-efficacy & identity Prioritizing communication Promoting self-regulation Fostering peer interactions Balancing teaching approaches Integrating and balancing curriculum Building higher order thinking FirstSchool 2012
42. STARTING POINT (Bruner, Hanus, & Stover-Wright, 2012) Characterized incorporation of measures to gauge the cultural and linguistic appropriateness and quality of early childhood programs within QRISs as “beginning to develop” New York: When 20% or more of the children are speakers of a particular language other than English, the program employs at least one staff member who speaks that language New Mexico: To achieve a 3 star rating, all staff in a program are required to take a 6-hour course on inclusion (Quality Early Childhood Programs for All). Minnesota: All staff are required to complete training in working with families from different cultures and socioeconomic levels
43. Other Ways to Think About Quality The new focus of the QRIS is on children’s learning, with teachers becoming increasingly competent observers and planners of appropriate curriculum. Program assessment tools (e.g. the Environmental Rating Scales) that were previously used as high-stakes “ends” would now be used as a “means” for self-assessment within a continuous quality improvement process that is focused on children being ready for successful entry into kindergarten… Unlocking the Potential of QRIS, p.3
44. Ways to Think About Quality New Mexico is not alone in questioning continued use of assessment instruments like the early childhood environmental rating scales (ERS) as tools for measuring quality. Noting that these tools were originally designed for research rather than monitoring, NC, DE and KY offered to develop and pilot-test a new program quality assessment tool designed specifically for use in a QRIS. Unlocking the Potential of QRIS, p.3
45. Joint Position Statement on Inclusion Ways to Think About Quality Access Participation Supports
46. Definition Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society. The desired results of inclusive experiences for children with and without disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, and development and learning to reach their full potential. The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and supports.
47. QRIS Standards + Inclusion
48. Think about it… From our colleagues in IL What are effective mechanisms for shifting from attention to cultural and linguistic diversity at the surface level (e.g., pictures on the wall that represent people from other cultures or have multi-cultural Crayons, paints and paper to the real questions: “What are you doing with them?” and “Is it respectful of the cultures and languages represented by the children and families in your program?”
49. Think about it… From our colleagues in CT What criteria would help programs address diversity of ability, for example, in a manner that is meaningful to children and families? Because many tools already address the physical environment or materials and equipment that are important to setting the scene for this work, is it more important, then, to include criteria that suggest programs take actionable steps to collaborate with public school systems, service providers and families?
50. New Learning Table Features This Just In – updates from the previous Live Session Using the CLASS in family child care settings – examples from Washington state Article on culturally sustaining pedagogy
51. Getting the Most out of the Learning Table Examine the explicit emphasis on cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity in your QRIS Identify areas of excellence and areas for targeted improvement Discover methods and models that you could draw upon Develop priorities for change
52. Getting the Most out of the Learning Table Before each Live Session Share the “answers” to your homework Discuss what you’ve learned After each Live Session, discuss What did you learn about your QRIS and your explicit emphasis on cultural, linguistic, ability diversity? What might you want to change? What ideas or resources could help in making those changes?
53. Think about it… Measuring Quality What discoveries have you made through the Learning Table process? What next steps have you identified for your QRIS?
54. Wednesday, May 23 1:00 – 3:00 PM Eastern

    Session 3: How are you improving experiences for young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?