The Purpose of QRIS

The Purpose of QRIS. 1st Post Due by Day 3. Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is designed to increase program quality by bridging the gap between the minimum standards set by each state’s child care licensing standards and the high standards that reflect research-based best practices. For this discussion, you will research your state’s regulations and compare them to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation Standards. View this four-minute video on The Benefits of NAEYC Accreditation (Links to an external site.), which provides an overview of the NAEYC Accreditation benefits, to further familiarize yourself with the accreditation process before drafting your discussion post.

In your initial post,

• Compare your state’s (FLORIDA) licensing regulations to the NAEYC Accreditation Standards in the following categories for a preschool-age classroom of four-year old children: (a) child to staff ratio, (b) group size, (c) teacher’s preparation, and (d) director preparation.
  • Be sure to cite the document/report you are referring to for your state regulations.
• After reading the required textbook chapters, list two benefits and two barriers to pursing accreditation for an early childhood program from your perspective as a current/future administrator.

RESOURCES:

NAEYC. (2016, August 5). The benefits of NAEYC accreditation (Official video) (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDFZI8nn__Y&feature=youtu.be

Articles

ABC grow healthy best practices for child care centers (Links to an external site.). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://scchildcare.org/media/1709/GH_Best_Practices_for_Centers.pdf

• This document provides information on many policies from hand-washing policies to what should be covered in new employees’ orientation, and it may assist you in your Evaluating Program Manuals Assignment this week.

Child Care Aware of America. (2013). We can do better: Child Care Aware of America’s ranking of state child care center regulations and oversight (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://www.ks.childcareaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2013-Update-We-Can-Do-Better.pdf

• This document provides information on the annual ranking of all states’ child care center standards and may assist you in your discussion this week.

Web Pages

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. (2011). Caring for our children (Links to an external site.).  Retrieved from http://nrckids.org/CFOC3/index.html

• This web page provides information about quality health and safety practices and policies for early care and education programs, and it may assist you in your Evaluating Program Manuals Assignment this week.

QRIS National Learning Network. (2017). QRIS state contacts & map (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://qrisnetwork.org/qris-state-contacts-map

• This document provides information on the agencies that monitor QRIS in each state (website addresses included inside the Excel document) and may assist you in your discussion this week.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Administration for Children & Families. (n.d.). Head Start policy & regulations (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/standards/hspps/45-cfr-chapter-xiii/45-cfr-chap-xiii-eng.pdf

• These detailed performance standards may assist you in your discussion this week.