Establishing an Ecosystem for High-Quality Early Learning (EEQEL)

Iheoma U. Iruka, Debi Mathias, Harriet Dichter

Outline of Discussion• Pathway to Today’s Discussion• Example of QRIS Theory of Change• Core Components for QRIS & Interconnections• Varying Goals of QRIS & Link to Approaches• Cross-sector Discussion• Preliminary “Interconnection” Tool Discussion

HOW WE GOT HERE…

BUILD QRIS 3.0 Project

What did QRIS 3.0 Project tell us? Levels of inputs and activities in QRIS are not clearly connected to goals and robust standards and financing; Intended outputs and outcomes of QRIS significantly vary on whether focused on all of ECE providers or specifically focused on child care; Intended outputs and outcomes depend on key purpose: school readiness, program improvement, or cross-sector; Stated impacts differ and don’t necessarily align with inputs, activities, and outcomes; and Recommendations stressed the importance of financing and communication, but also the need to ensure the inputs and activities driving the system align with the goals and theory of change for the system.

EXAMPLE OF QRIS THEORY OF CHANGE

What this “Models” project seeks to do• Example 1: Explore the general current theory of change guiding QRIS.• Example 2: Explore another option for QRIS theory of change.

Example 1: General Theory of Change for QRISASSUMPTION: Does this communicate that QRIS is a program that is linear?

QRIS: System for supports, improving quality, structure for financing and parental choice.

Environmental Quality Improvements• Improvement in index of quality.• Knowledge and beliefs about developmental practices.• Provider responsiveness and emotional availability.• Sensitive provider-child interactions.• Language, literacy, and numeracy instruction.• Behavior management.• Individualization for children with special needs and challenges.• Family Engagement.Teacher/Provider Impacts• Higher level of competence and knowledge.• Improvement of staff qualifications.• Professionalization of providers/teachers.

Child Outcomes - all domains• Language Development.• Literacy/Mathematics/ Science.• Creative Arts.• Social and Emotional Development.• Approaches to Learning.• Physical Health and Development.

Should QRIS be guided by this general theory?• Theory of change generally assumes linearity.• Theory of change does not necessarily assume bi-directionality and connectivity.• Theory of change generally communicates as if QRIS is a program rather than a system with many interconnected parts and actors.

CORE COMPONENTS FOR QRIS & INTERCONNECTIONS

HEALTHHEALTH

EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTEARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

FAMILY LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTFAMILY LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT

Let’s talk about the cross-sector aspect of the components

Leadership & Governance

Stakeholder Engagement

Standards Accountability & Rating Process

Equity

OUTCOME:Thriving Children and Families

The Conceptual Framework for QRIS:What are the main components?• Leadership & Governance

Structure and leadership for system• Financing Adequate resources for• Rating process and system accountability• Quality Improvement supports• ECE services provided by participating programs• Stakeholder Engagement Provider outreach & engagement Parent/community outreach & engagement Policymaker engagement

• Standards Early learning and development Health (physical and behavioral) Family engagement & support• Improvement Supports Aligned with standards and outcomes• Accountability & Rating Process Rating and process, alignment with standards and supports, and communication of impacts for system improvement

EQUITY FRAMEWORK UNDERGIRDS ALL THESE COMPONENTS

Each component has a logic model (e.g., governance structure)Cohesive, stable, & accessible infrastructure and framework

OutcomesAgreements about roles and responsibilities of governanceGovernance about QRIS –standards, finance, communication, evaluation, CQI & accountability

OutputsDevelopment of governance structure

Roles & responsibilities of governance members

ActivitiesState/locality ECE agencies

Administrative structures

Inputs

Interconnection among QRIS components?

Leadership & Governance

Stakeholder Engagement

Standards

Accountability & Rating Process

Equity

QRIS QRIS Purposes & Outcomes

How do we indicate that change in one component impacts another?How do we indicate that as a system, QRIS components are interdependent on each other?How do we shad that problems in one component negatively impacts another component?

Interconnection among QRIS components?

Leadership & Governance

Stakeholder Engagement

Standards

Accountability & Rating Process

QRIS Purposes & Outcomes

QRIS’s vary in their strength in each component area.There is a need to understand and address the interconnection across the components.Does this gear image work?

EQUITY

VARYING GOALS OF QRIS & LINK TO APPROACHES

Examples of QRIS purposes and choices for ongoing development: Where does yours fit?• QRIS Version 1: Child Care Focused Improvement (i.e. Raising the Floor)• QRIS Version 2: Child Care School Readiness (i.e. Improving Child Outcomes)• QRIS Version 3: Cross-Sector School Readiness (i.e. Improving Child Outcomes):

o QRIS Version 3a: Child care and Pre-K alignmento QRIS Version 3b: Child care, Pre-K, and Head Start alignment

CROSS-SECTOR DISCUSSION

HEALTHHEALTH

EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTEARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

FAMILY LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTFAMILY LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT

Let’s talk about the cross-sector aspect of the components

Leadership & Governance

Stakeholder Engagement

Standards Accountability & Rating Process

Equity

OUTCOME:Thriving Children and Families

EQUITY

Let’s talk about the cross-sector aspect of the components

Leadership & Governance

Stakeholder Engagement

Standards Accountability & Rating Process

State regulated child care

“Typical” QRIS

EHS/HS, deeper health and family engagement

Pre-K, certified teacher, NIEER Benchmarks

Sparks

Scenario• QRIS called “Step Up Counts” wants to ensure that all neediest children (i.e. children with child care subsidies) are showing significant growth in their “school readiness”;• Step Up Counts has made its highest level of the system accreditation with the licensing level at the mid-step to ensure that providers are encouraged to come into the system (e.g., 90% saturation);• The Head Start and public schools are reluctant to come into the system; it was not initiated by them and they receive limited financial resources for participating. Their own standards in several areas exceed those set by Step Up Counts;• Funding for Step Up provides for additional payments for low-income children in the state subsidy program and modest funding for rating and other accountability. No quality improvement resources to support providers are included;• The standards focus on self-reports about curriculum and family engagement; and• The accountability output is about program participation.Question: How has Step Up Counts ensured that its system goals match its system? How do we communicate the interconnections between components?

How can we guide “Step Up Counts” for system improvement to meet goal?• How has Step Up Counts linked the components of the QRIS to one another? To its goal? • How does the system meet the interests and needs of child care? Head Start? Pre-K? • What would you do to help this QRIS:

1) Link its components?2) Meet its goals?3) Gain acceptance and participation by child care? Head Start? Pre-K?

• How do we communicate the interconnections between components and purpose of QRIS?

PRELIMINARY “INTERCONNECTION” TOOL

Potential CQI resources…• Development of a checklist guide outlining components

Would we consider all of the potential scenarios? Would we have a computerized checklist/rubric that guides systems on what to think about as it concerns each of their components?

• States could “score” each component (and subcomponents) of their system based on well defined criteria for each component and scoring: For example, Communication to providers:

o {1 rating} Not Developed [e.g., QRIS team acknowledges the need for a communication strategy for system but not key focus for team]o {3 rating} Developing [e.g., QRIS team is currently working with organization(s) to develop and implement a communication strategy for reaching out and engaging all providers]o {5 rating} Advanced [e.g., QRIS has a communication approach that is integrated in all aspects of the system that communicates internally and externally and integrates information across the all components (i.e. leadership, standards, accountability)

• Based on the rating of each component and subcomponents, systems would be provided with a list of strategies and tools

Question?• What do you think about this tool?• What should we include? Not include?• Are there current tools, resources or guides we can pull from to help with articulating the components and interdependence among components?• How should we deal with the cross-sector issue?• How about targeted vs. universal systems?