The Quality Rating System Partnership is coordinated by Rhode Island Kids Count with support from an expert consultant team, including Anne Mitchell from the National Child Care Information Center, and a Steering Committee. The Partnership will design and pilot a Quality Rating System for early care and education and out-of-school time programs across Rhode Island. Experience in other states shows that designing and implementing a Quality Rating System (QRS) is a proven strategy to systemically improve the quality of care children experience.
High-quality care produces positive outcomes for children and poor quality care produces poor outcomes. A Quality Rating System (QRS) measures the quality of early care and education and out-of-school time programs against a common set of community-developed research-based standards, offers supports to help programs meet these standards and promotes the quality of programs to parents and other consumers through easily recognized symbols, usually stars. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have developed a quality rating system; an additional 16 states are in the process of designing or exploring a QRS.
The overall goal of the Quality Rating System Partnership is to recognize and improve quality throughout the early care and education and out-of-school time systems. The 24-month research and development phase will enable Rhode Island to pilot a Quality Rating System in the fall of 2007 and implement statewide in the fall of 2008. A Quality Rating System will be an important tool to ensure that more young children participate in high quality early care and education and out-of-school time programs that promote the social and cognitive skills that children need to succeed in school.
The 24-month research and development phase will achieve the following outcomes by June 2007:
Quality standards for each level of the Quality Rating System will be in place along with measurement frameworks. The levels will be developed by the field and built on research about what matters for children. The frameworks will be applicable to childcare centers, family child care homes, out-of-school time programs and will include standards for pre-kindergarten program certification.
An assessment, monitoring and reporting system will be designed to assess programs, assign quality levels, and provide feedback to programs. Key recommendations will be made for any necessary infrastructure changes (licensing, accreditation, pre-K certification systems, others) needed to implement the system.
Quality improvement support and training efforts in Rhode Island will be linked strategically with the Quality Rating Systems so that providers have support to improve quality.
A 1-year pilot of the QRS implementation will be designed and ready to launch in the fall of 2007, including a preliminary statewide implementation plan and financing strategy.
For more information, download the of the Project Description in English or in Spanish:
The Quality Rating System Partnership is coordinated by Rhode Island Kids Count with support from an expert consultant team, including Anne Mitchell from the National Child Care Information Center, and a Steering Committee. The Partnership will design and pilot a Quality Rating System for early care and education and out-of-school time programs across Rhode Island. Experience in other states shows that designing and implementing a Quality Rating System (QRS) is a proven strategy to systemically improve the quality of care children experience.
of the Project Description in English or in Spanish:
