Quality Rating and Improvement Systems
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) provide early learning programs with a quality rating as well as the information and supports needed to improve and maintain higher quality services for children and families. Twenty states are operating a QRIS statewide while most other states are at some stage of developing them.
Since 2004 MCEL has been working with its state and local partners to develop QRIS programs in Kansas and Missouri, including a local pilot program. In 2008 MCEL transitioned programs from this local pilot into the new Kansas and Missouri Demonstration Projects (known as KQRIS in Kansas and MO QRS in Missouri).? Programs participating in the Demonstration Projects receive reliable and valid assessments of quality that provide a rating from 1 to 5 stars and a detailed feedback report that summarizes the program?s strengths and opportunities is used to develop a detailed road map to improve quality.?
Each participating center and family child-care home receives a Quality Performance Profile (QPP), a report that summarizes its strengths and opportunities for improvement. This information is used to develop a detailed action plan for each program. Participating programs also receive targeted quality improvement support and resources, such as quality coaching, quality improvement mini-grants, technical assistance and access to training and scholarships for staff.
The QRIS is a proven approach that institutionalizes continuous quality improvement methods into early learning programs and has demonstrated substantial increases in quality levels and the number of programs achieving accreditation standards for participating programs over multiple years. After the second year of assessments for programs participating in the QRS Demonstration Project, programs continue to maintain high levels of quality or to make significant gains toward improving quality. Over 80% of participating programs achieved a 3 Star or higher and nearly 50% achieved a 4 Star or higher.
The ultimate goal of QRIS is to provide high quality early learning environments for children and families throughout Greater Kansas City, and to provide parents with needed and easy to understand information about the quality of those programs.? Providing parents and families with detailed information on program quality clearly has the potential to help inform consumer choice and put parents in the position of demanding ? and policy makers in the position of funding ? high-quality early learning programs.
Currently there are 94 programs (68 centers and 28 family child care homes) in Greater Kansas City currently participating in the QRIS Demonstration Project.??
MCEL works with a large network of community partners to implement the QRS in early learning programs in Greater Kansas City.? Partners include: the Kansas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies; The Tri-County Smart Start Coalition; The University of Missouri Center for Family Policy and Research; the University of Missouri, Kansas City ? Institute for Human Development; The Family Conservancy; and the Francis Institute.
MCEL worked with a large network of community partners to implement the QRS model. Additional partnerships have been formed with Kansas and Missouri stakeholder groups that are currently developing statewide QRS models based on the information gathered from the QRS pilot project. For more information about QRS, contact Kyle Matchell.