Quality Rating System
The Quality Rating System (QRS) pilot project, begun in 2004, provides early learning programs with the information and support they need to improve and maintain higher quality services for children and families.
At the core of the QRS is an easy-to-understand measurement tool of child care quality designed for both providers and parents. Five areas are measured — learning environment, family partnership, training and education, adult-to-child ratios and program accreditation. Points are awarded on each indicator, resulting in an overall quality rating.
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 QRS supplements national accreditation efforts by providing opportunities for more programs to participate in a system that encourages incremental quality improvement standards and provides targeted supports. While accreditation continues to serve as the highest benchmark of quality sought by participating programs, the QRS can provide stepping stones along the way.
Currently, 96 area early learning programs -- including 58 early learning centers and 38 home providers -- are participating in the pilot project. Quality rating scores will not be made public until the programs have had an opportunity to adjust to the new assessment model and the pilot phase of the project is completed. The QRS program will be expanded to 120 programs over the next year, and to 250 over the next three years. This critical mass of programs engaged in continuous quality improvement will provide enough star-rated programs to allow consumers to make more informed decisions about selecting an early learning program.
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.