220 likes | 318 Views
Parent Aware. A Quality Rating System. What is Parent Aware? Voluntary Rating Tool Identifies, recognize, and celebrates quality in early education Designed by professional, child care providers and parents . Pilot Program.
E N D
Parent Aware A Quality Rating System
What is Parent Aware? • Voluntary Rating Tool • Identifies, recognize, and celebrates quality in early education • Designed by professional, child care providers and parents
Pilot Program • Parent Aware began as a privately funded pilot project in July of 2007 • Purpose: to address the fact that in Minnesota, today nearly half of children arrive at kindergarten underprepared.
Pilot Program • Included: • Licensed child care providers (center and home based) • Early educators • Locations: • Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties • City of St. Paul • Areas of North Minneapolis • Areas of Wayzata
Expansion • Minnesota Received: Race To The Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) • “The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge takes a holistic approach to early education, promotes innovation, and focuses on what it takes to help put young children on the path of learning, opportunity, and success.” Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Expansion • RTT-ELC Grant Key • Aligning and raising standards for existing early learning and development programs • Improving training and support for the early learning workforce through evidence-based practices • Building robust evaluation systems that promote effective practices and programs to help parents make informed decisions.
Expansion • Expansion: • Starts in 2012 • Continues to add counties each year • Entire state by 2015
Mission • Parent Aware wants all Minnesota children to be ready for kindergarten • How: By providing free, research-based tools, and resources that help parents ask important questions and make informed choices about high quality early learning opportunities
Partners • Minnesota Department of Human Services • Minnesota Early Learning Foundation • Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network • Minnesota Department of Education • Child Trends • University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development • Wilder Research • United Way
Why Participate • Parent Aware: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dGsygtL7FJc <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dGsygtL7FJc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Process • Visit: http://www.parentawareratings.org/ • Contact: Child Care Resource and Referral Agency at http://mnchildcare.org/ • Attend: Information meeting and Orientation Meeting • Receive: Coaching, training, rating, marketing tools
Process • Accelerated Process if Accredited • Accreditations that are eligible for Four Stars Earned: • The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) • The Council on Accreditation (COA) • The National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) • The American Montessori Society (AMS) • The Association Montessori International (AMI)
Components • Points awarded in the following areas: • Learning environment and curriculum • Adult/child interaction • Staff/provider education • Tracking child progress (assessment) • Children’s health and safety • Family partnerships
Components • Learning environment and curriculum • Use a curriculum aligned with the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress or Birth-3 Indicators of Progress in all classrooms • Full list of aligned curricula listed on website for Infant - Toddler and Prekindergarten
Components • Common aligned curricula • Bank Street Developmental Interaction Approach • Creative Curriculum • Family Child Care • Preschool • Infants, Toddlers, and Twos • The High Scope • Preschool Curriculum • Infant/Toddler Curriculum • Montessori
Components • Adult/child interaction • Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) • Goal of CLASS • Positive Climate • Concept Development
Components • Tracking child progress (Assessment) • Conducted at lease twice a year • Assess all areas of the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress or Birth-3 Indicators of Progress in all classrooms • Aligned assessment available of website
Components • Common aligned assessments • High/Scope • Infant-Toddler Child Observation Record • Preschool Child • Observation Record • The Ounce Scale • Teaching Strategies-Gold Assessment • Work Sampling System
Components • Staff/provider education • Educational level • Special trainings • Health and Wellness • Special needs children • Developmental areas • Cultures and socioeconomic levels differences
Components • Children’s health and safety • Examples: • Supporting families needs in areas of medical assistance • Public health services • Consultants
Components • Family Partnerships • Child Care Assistance Program • Minnesota Family Investment Program • Medical assistance • Public health services • Bridge to Benefits – https//mn.bridgetobenefits.org
Trainings • Minnesota Center for Professional Development • Provides trainings • Tracks progress of each professional • Website: http://mncpd.org/