QRIS AND INCLUSION
 Karen Berman
,
 Jennie Couture, Inclusion
Assistant Director, Ounce of
Prevention Fund
,
 Jeanette McCollum Professor
Emerita, University of Illinois
Manager, Bright From the
Start: Georgia Department of Early
Care and Learning
 Pam Stevens, Quality Rated
Manager, Bright from the Start:
Georgia Department of Early Care
and learning
 Pam Winton, Senior Scientist and Director of
Outreach, FPG Child Development Institute
AGENDA
 National Context and Overview
 Issues Related to an Inclusive Approach to QRIS
 Structures & incentives
 Measurement
 Professional development
 Perspectives, Strategies and Challenges: Two State
Examples (IL and GA)
NATIONAL
CONTEXT
Focus
on
High
Needs
Children
NATIONAL
CONTEXT
Focus on
Cross
Sector
Systems
Building
NATIONAL CONTEXT
Accountability & Quality
Quality Movement =
Multiple Quality Initiatives
Head Start
Performance
Framework
OSEP Monitoring and
Accountability (SSIP)
RTT-ELC
EHS/CC
Partnerships
Two Different Quality Initiatives
Quality Inclusion
QRIS
Early
Childhood
US DOE OSEP
Annual
Performance
Report (APR),
including State
Systemic
Improvement Plan
(SSIP)
Early Childhood
Special Education/
Early Intervention
What Is QRIS ?
A method to assess, improve, and communicate the level of
quality in early and school-age care settings
 Varies from state to state with all states participating at some
level
 Common elements include


Quality standards

Process for assessing standards

Outreach and support to programs to raise quality

Financial incentives

Consumer awareness
8
What Does QRIS Look Like?
Offers supports/incentives for
reaching higher levels of quality
Provides easily recognized symbols for
higher levels
9
What Is OSEP Annual
Performance Report?
 State data on children with disabilities
and their families collected and reported to
Congress
 Includes a comprehensive, multi-year State
Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP), focused
on improving outcomes for young children
with disabilities and their families.
 Needs to link to other state and federal
quality initiatives (e.g., QRIS, RTT, EHS/CC)
10
Three Issues Related to an
Inclusive Approach to
Quality Within QRIS
Structures & incentives
Measurement
Professional development
STATE
CONTEXT
QRIS Development
Illinois
Georgia
QRIS Development in IL
QRIS – ExceleRate Illinois
 Effort began in 2011
 Governor’s Office – Office of Early Childhood
Development: Early Learning Council
Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge funded in 2012
 ExceleRate Illinois finalized in 2014
 Circles of Quality – Licensing, Bronze, Silver,
Gold
IL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
 Five Awards of Excellence developed in 2013-2014
 Infant/toddler
 Family/community engagement
 Culturally/linguistically appropriate practices
 Preschool instruction
 Inclusion of children with special needs
 2014 – Approved, implementation just beginning
 Optional – an opportunity for programs in the Gold Circle to
demonstrate and improve practices in one or more areas
 Gold Circle as foundation - provides solid foundation for
Awards of Excellence
QRIS DEVELOPMENT IN GA
 FPG Child Care Quality Study
 Conducted 2008-2010
 Pervasive low quality child care across state
 Quality Rated Launched 2011
 Systematic approach to increasing quality
 Strong support from Governor
 Designed with input from diverse stakeholders
 Validation study launched 2014
QRIS DEVELOPMENT IN GA
 Quality Rated Structure
 Structural Quality

Portfolio assessment against five standards
 Process Quality

ERS assessment of 1/3 classrooms
 Portfolio and ERS scores combined to determine rating
 Highest level: Three Stars
Structures & Incentives
Issues
 What is a structure for bringing sectors together
around program quality within a QRIS framework?
 What are incentives for ensuring buy-in
across sectors and ensuring a fair and equitable
QRIS for all?
 How do you address the
“What’s In it For Me?” question?
SOME STRUCTURES FOR INCLUSION ALREADY IN
PLACE IN EXCELERATE ILLINOIS - CHILD SCREENING
To move from licensing to Bronze
• Program administrator must complete a Gateways Registry-approved
training on screening tools
To move from Bronze to Silver
• Program must have policies and procedures ensuring children ages 0-5
are screened at least annually
To move from Silver to Gold
• Program must have policies and procedures to ensure children ages 0-5
are screened no later than 60 days after entry into the program, parents
are provided information on results, and children are referred to a CFC or
school district for further evaluation.
SPECIFIC LANGUAGE RELATED TO INCLUSION ALSO
BUILT INTO EXCELERATE ILLINOIS
To move from licensing to Bronze
• Program administrator and one teacher must have completed Gateways
Registry-approved training on inclusion of children with special needs
To move from Bronze to Silver
• Program must have policies and procedures to support inclusion
To move from Silver to Gold
• All classroom teaching staff must complete Gateways Registry-approved
training on inclusion and must submit annual data on # of children with special
needs being served.
• Program also has MOU with a CFC and implements policies and procedures
detailing how program supports IEPs or IFSPs. By 2016, the program must
have an MOU with at least one LEA regarding services for children with special
needs.
To receive an Award of Excellence
• Additional inclusion standards must be met in areas of teaching and learning,
leadership and management, and qualifications and continuing education
DEVELOPING THE AWARD OF
EXCELLENCE IN INCLUSION
 Each new Award assigned to an ELC committee (Special Education
Subcommittee of Systems’ Integration and Alignment Committee of
the Early Learning Council)
 Broad representation of interests assured – agencies, providers, parents
 Consultant
 Recommendations for structure and process based on evidence-based practice
and policy recommendations across broad array of early childhood entities and
interests
 Intensive, iterative process to ensure cross-agency collaboration and
buy-in
 Committee as a whole and top agency staff – values & practices; understandable;
feasible in different programs
STRUCTURE – AWARD OF
EXCELLENCE IN INCLUSION
 Standard 1 – commitment to principles of full inclusion
 Standard 2 – achieve 85% of items on Illinois Inclusion
Guidelines Checklist
 Standard 3 – training on checklist, Portfolio development and
on Inclusive Classroom Profile
 Standard 4 – recent administrator training on early childhood
systems and on inclusion
 Standard 5 – recent staff training on inclusion and on Inclusive
Classroom Profile
SUPPORT FOR INCLUSION EMBEDDED
IN QUALITY RATED
 Standard 1: Director/Teacher Qualifications and PD
 Introductory training in inclusion for director and teachers
 Standard 2: Child Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity
 Annual developmental screening
 Standard 3: Family Engagement
 Policies and procedures
 Resources for families
 All staff: minimum two hours introductory training in inclusion
 Standard 4: Intentional Teaching Practices
 Ongoing formative assessment
 Evidence of adaptations/accommodations for individual needs and peer
interactions
GEORGIA – QRI
INCLUSION DESIGNATION
 Inclusion Designation: QrI (Quality Rated with an I)
 Designation for programs with high quality inclusive practices
 Purpose:

Promote High Quality Inclusion

Reward Programs

Inform Families
 Development
 Georgia Quest for Quality Inclusion
 Based on evidence-based indicators of high quality inclusion
 Eligibility
 Programs at highest quality designation
GEORGIA – QRI
INCLUSION DESIGNATION
 Built on foundation of quality
 Intensive training and technical assistance
 Trained inclusion specialists
 Individualized TA
 Mini grants to support TA plan
 Items or experiences
 Assistance with program marketing
 Opportunities for leadership
 Mentorship or model sites
Vexing Questions Related to
Structures & Incentives
How do you consider ways of including the variety of
programs for children with disabilities
(e.g., Part C services provided in a variety of settings,
or programs that are part-time …
2.5 hrs per day…
or segregated programs
that are licensed but may have
very different goals)?
Measurement Issues
How do you measure high quality
inclusive practices?
How do you ensure that the
measurement system in place
assesses whether early education
teachers/practitioners are
demonstrating that they are meeting
the needs of young children with
disabilities?
Illinois – Measurement Issues
 Some inclusion measures already in place (built into
Excelerate Illinois and compliance monitoring), but ..
 no measures consistent across all types of programs
 no measures captured the full range of characteristics of high
quality inclusion
 Existing measures in literature not comprehensive across both
program and classroom elements
 Response
 created own program-level measure (“Illinois Inclusion
Guidelines Checklist”), integrating information from literature
and policy recommendations (DEC, NAEYC)
 selected ICP (Inclusive Classroom Profile) to describe
practices at classroom level
IL MEASUREMENT - BUILT INTO
STRUCTURE OF THE AWARD
 What the process looks like
 Criteria for applying – must be at Gold Level, must include
children with special needs
 Meet specific standards demonstrating commitment to inclusion
(e.g., full participation, previous training)
 Meet standards related to previous training on inclusion
 Illinois Inclusion Guidelines Checklist (85% of 21 items)



Program-level self-assessment, demonstrate in Program Portfolio,
program improvement plan based on results
Flexible “evidence,” depending on type of program, documented in
Portfolio
Classroom-level self-assessment using ICP (Inclusive Classroom
Profile), with classroom development plan based on results
IL APPROVAL PROCESS
 Program Portfolio – address each standard, each
item on checklist
 Portfolio Review
 Committee of peers – review evidence
Follow-up visit to clarify any remaining
questions
 Maintain annually based on update program plan
 3-year review - more formal update,
documentation of continued training on inclusion
GEORGIA - MEASUREMENT
 Evidence of inclusive practices required for Quality Rated
 Standards
 ERS items
 Process to achieve QII
 Baseline with Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP)
 Targeted professional development: training and technical assistance
 Unannounced ICP assessment
 Score of 5 or higher
 Re-assessed yearly
Vexing Question
Related to Measurement
How can QRIS measurement system be kept
as simple, practical, feasible and affordable
as possible to ensure “buy-in” from
practitioners and administrators,
at the same time that indicators
are meaningful within the
context of inclusion?
Professional Development
Issues
 How do you ensure that PD is available to
support improvements within an inclusive
QRIS system?
 How do you ensure that teachers/practitioners
have access to ongoing support that will lead to
changes in their practice that will lead to more
intentional teaching, and learning opportunities
for young children with special needs.
Illinois – Professional Development
 Built into structure


Initial training specified in standards
Ongoing training required to renew; part of individual classroom and program
development plans
 Approaches

Identify and make use of what is already available – across agencies, entities, for whom,
in what formats (face-to-face, on-line; on-site assistance, training)

Bring additional professional development opportunities into the system
 Pilot study

Identify, recommend and/or develop additional professional development needed to
accomplish self assessment and portfolio development
 Current – new grants to support implementation of each of Awards of Excellence

To begin summer, 2014
GEORGIA – PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Georgia’s Professional Development System
 Professional Development Registry
 System to ensure high quality professional development
 Inclusion PD required as part of Quality Rated
 Beginner level for all
 Intermediate and advanced increased structural quality points
 QRI requires additional targeted training followed by onsite
coaching
 Will work with Technical College System and private trainers to
embed inclusive practices in pre-service and in-service
instruction
Vexing Question
Related to
Professional Development
How do you keep the costs of PD
in line with funding available?
Discussion
References & Resources
Illinois
QRIS – http://www.excelerateillinois.com/overview
Awards of Excellence http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/OECD/Pages/default.aspx
Georgia
QualityRated information and resources—qualityrated.org
QualityRated application portal---qualityrated.decal.ga.gov
THANK
YOU