QRS Preliminary Findings
Kathryn L. Fuger, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri–Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development completed a third assessment of QRS programs in August 2006. These preliminary findings showed significant improvements. <Download a PDF summary >
Stars in the Quality Rating System are based on points assigned according to program performance in key areas of program quality.
- The table provides the mean number of points in each key area for the 50 programs assessed all three times.
- Statistically significant improvements were seen in learning environment, family partnerships and total points.
Comparison of first and third QRS
assessment ratings for 50 programs
show 
significant improvement.
- By the third assessment, 42 percent of the programs had increased their star rating by at least one star; of those 24 percent increased their rating by more than one level.
- The number of 4 and 5 star programs increased from 32 percent in the first assessment to 52 percent by the third.
- Nearly 3/4 of the participating programs increased their overall points total by the third assessment.
- The majority of programs that improved their QRS scores were programs that initially scored one or two stars in the first assessment.
Mean scores from Fall 2004 assessment of children in participating programs serving at least 
50 percent low-income children:
- All entering pre-kindergarten year
- Average age 4 years, 7 months
- 23 percent from households where English was not the primary language
- Racial composition of the sample: Caucasian 15%, African-American 31%, Hispanic/Latino 40%, Other Race/Ethnicity 11%
Assessments were conducted on 93 children in Fall 2004 and again in Spring 2005. At the end of the pre-kindergarten year, statistically significant improvements were found in receptive language and social skills.
For more information about the QRS findings, please contact Jim Caccamo, director of the Mid-America Regional Council's Early Learning Department.