Presch oo l Quality Assessment

1. Preschool Quality Assessment Oct 29, 2012 8:30-12:30 Self Assessment after lunch

2. Agenda 8:30 Welcome and review Agenda • What is the PQA • PQA Statewide Data Report 2008-09, 2009-10 (Mid Year Report) • Michigan’s roadmap to Early Care and Education Program Quality Improvement (Paris) • Descriptor scramble handout Pages 1-7 in small groups • Steps for completing the PQA handout Page 8-11 • Scoring the PQA HO Page 11-14/ page 4 of PQA Booklet Break • Uses for the PQA HO Page 15 • Plan for improvement HO page 16-20 • PQA Implementation Plan • Classroom based on self evaluation and ECS • Local school – based on several classrooms in a school • WMISD Consortium • PQA Goal A- Improve Small Group Instruction (2010) • PQA Goal B- Increase membership in early childhood professional organizations (2010) • Dec 3 set goals for WMISD GSRP Consortium (10-12) • Look at Program Evaluation Plan for GSRP • Online PQA instruction - get computers and start your own after lunch break Questions and Answers/ Evaluations for AM session Lunch Break Return after lunch and complete the PQA Self Assessment on line

3. The Importance Of Program Assessment In order to evaluate and understand children's performance and progress, we need to measure the educational experiences that the programs they attend are providing. Programs, rather than children, should be held accountable for learning.  To help programs meet these obligations, educators need valid tools to assess how well their programs promote learning in all areas of development. Valid assessment instruments can guarantee that we are looking at the right ingredients of quality. They give us the information to evaluate whether we are achieving appropriate levels of quality, and if not, where and how we can improve. HighScope has comprehensive program quality assessment tools for the preschool and youth levels. High Scope -http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=79

4. What Is Program Quality? Program quality, like child development, has many dimensions.  It includes: Structural components — the classroom: how the learning environment is set up and what happens during the program day. Process — how adults interact with children and plan and carry out meaningful learning experiences. Ways in which staff relate to parents, one another, and the community can affect children and are part of the quality process.  Finally, agency-wide factors influence what happens in the classroom and directly or indirectly impact children.

5. Preschool PQA  The Preschool Program Quality Assessment (PQA) is a rating instrument designed to evaluate the quality of early childhood programs and identify staff training needs. The Preschool PQA is reliable and valid and is appropriate for use in all center-based early childhood settings, including but not limited to those using the High Scope educational approach. • The Preschool PQA is an all-in-one program evaluation system with the following features: • Assesses key aspects of program quality • Reflects research-based and field-tested best practices in early childhood education and care • Can be aligned with the Head Start Program Performance Standards • Provides reliable, scientifically validated assessment proven in a wide range of early childhood programs and settings • Can be used as a basis for program accreditation, reporting, monitoring, and training

6. What is the Preschool PQA? • Program Quality Assessment (PQA) • Appropriate for use in all center-based settings • Research – based and field-tested • Comprehensive tool • Administered by independent evaluators or used as a self- assessment tool • Defines quality along a continuum

7. Potential Uses of the Preschool PQATraining • Individual sections can be used to focus on program components • Examples can illustrate best practice • Providing specific implementation strategies

8. Potential Uses of the Preschool PQA Monitoring • Identify areas for further development and training • Quality control for single & multiple sites • Objective and quantitative • Provides a numerical and anecdotal record of progress

9. Potential Uses of the Preschool PQA Observation & Feed back • Used to acknowledge strengths • Identify areas for improvement • Develop a plan of action (goals)

10. Potential Uses of the Preschool PQAResearch & Evaluation • Documentation • Comparison • Evaluation

11. Potential Uses of the Preschool PQA Improving the quality of early childhood programs • Effective tool to share information with parents, agencies, funders and public • Information about the PQA can be easily communicated & disseminated

12. Michigan’s Roadmap to Quality Great Start to Quality Northwest Resource Center Paris Philo Quality Improvement Consultant

13. Structure • Each item begins with a statement followed by a series of indicators defining the lower, middle and upper ends of the 5-pont quality continuum or rubric.

14. PQA Format • Divided into 7 sections • Room arrangement diagram page • Daily routine page • Series of indicator rows • Space to record anecdotal notes • Final Score for each item is at top of page • Summary score sheet at the end of each form ( classroom & agency- level)

15. PQA – High Scope Educational Research Foundation • Based on Sound Principles of a High Quality Preschool Classroom and 40 years of research in the Perry Preschool Project • http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=219 • Ypsilanti, MI • PQA Describes a high quality preschool program

16. Michigan GSRP Research • Annual GSRP Mid Year Reports • Reporting risk factors • Reporting staff qualifications • Reporting PQA statewide data • www.michigan.gov/gsrp • Look for commonalities in the statewide data to our local data – Venn Diagram

17. Preschools In Action • View preschool video clips • Take non judgmental and non biased anecdotal notes on exactly what you – sticky notes • See • Hear • They say/ quotes • Activity- Chart what you notice about the 2 clips • Categorize by learning environment/ daily routine/ adult child interaction/ curriculum, planning, instruction

18. Descriptor Scramble • Read the across the rows • Decide what level each descriptor represents • Place a #1, 3 or 5 by the indicators in the box • Complete pages 1-7 of handout

19. Steps for Completing the PQA • Step 1: Observe. Record supporting evidence. • Step 2: Read each row of descriptors and check one box per row • Step 3: Circle the corresponding level (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) • Pages 8-11 of Handout • Review Page 4 of PQA Booklet – Scoring Guide

20. Break!

21. Perspective

22. Perspective

23. Perspective

25. Preschool in Action • Video Clips of Preschool Classrooms • http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=381 • Adult Child Interaction – “Eating Snakes” • Small Group Time- “Using Pipe Cleaners and Paper Clips” • Recall/ Planning - “Talking with the Caterpillar” • Large Group Time – “Singing Punchinello” • Observe- Take Anecdotal Notes – Write in the PQA booklet • Score the anecdotes, discuss scores

26. Uses for the PQA • Self Assessment • Supervision , Observation & Feedback • Research and Evaluation • Handout -page 15

27. Plan for Improvement • Identify the item you’d like to improve • Choose II-K or V-G (P. 17) • With a partner come up with a plan for improvement (P. 18 or 19) • Share your plans • Handout P. 16-20

28. Our Local Plans for PQA • GSRP – 3 times per year • Self Evaluation in Fall • Fall PQA observation with goal setting • Follow up with Goal Setting, support, coaching • Follow up visit by Administration and Early Childhood Specialist • Formal PQA Observation in Spring by Early Childhood Specialist- for MDE/ GSRP office

29. Online PQA • Online PQA home • http://www.onlinepqa.net/ Webinar http://www.onlinepqa.net/Default.aspx?id=18

30. Goal Planning Moving from Good to Great! Developing High Quality Learning Environments for all children!