Setting a New Standard
This year’s data demonstrate
that Educare classrooms
continue to set a national
standard for high-quality
environments and teacher-child
Average CLASS Scores Across Studies
interactions. Researchers use
two measures (the InfantToddler Environmental Rating
Scale-Revised and the Early
Childhood Environmental
Rating Scale-Revised) to
assess quality. On both,
the highest score is 7.
7
6
Educare 2012-11 (n=63)
6.1
5.6
5
4
3.4
Educare classrooms for
infants and toddlers score an
average of 5.3. Classrooms
for preschool-aged children
average 5.6. These scores lead
the field when compared to
11 State Pre-K Study (n=671)
3
2.1
2
1
Emotional Support
Instructional Support
other national studies of early
childhood classroom quality.
This year, the Educare Network
also added a new measure
of classroom quality to its
assessment routine. The
CLASS (Classroom Assessment
Scoring System) measures
classroom quality across
three interrelated domains:
emotional support, classroom
organization, and instructional
Educare scores on the
scores much lower on the
CLASS again exceed
instructional scale than the
national averages. Educare
other two scales – and that
classrooms score a 6.1 out of
Educare’s 3.4 average exceeds
7 on the emotional support
that of other large-scale studies
scale and 5.5 on classroom
of early childhood programs.
organization, confirming that
(Research also indicates that
preschool classrooms are
children acquire academic
warm, organized, nurturing
skills once CLASS scores on
and safe environments
this scale surpass 3.25.)
that promote learning.
But Educare program leaders
support. CLASS scores predict
So, can we call it a victory?
and researchers are determined
students’ language, reading
Not so fast. On the CLASS’
to further improve these
and math skills. Also, the
instructional scale, Educare
scores and, in turn, boost
CLASS is now being used by
classrooms average 3.4.
student achievement.
Head Start programs across
Researchers such as Dr.
the country, which will produce
Robert Pianta, who developed
an informative comparison
the CLASS, will tell you the
for quality in future years.
early childhood field typically
Promise & Possibilities
21