WERE ACCREDITED.NOW WHAT? MAINTAINING ACCREDITATION AND
SUSTAINING QUALITY Presented by: Julie Leslie & Kim St.
Marie
Slide 2
SESSION GOALS Approaches to sustaining quality over term of
accreditation NAEYC5 years MAAP3 years NECPA3 years Accreditation
tools and criteria for quality improvement Formal requirements to
maintain accreditation Related resources
Slide 3
QUALITY Quality is complex Multi-dimensional Shaped and
experienced by different stakeholders Quality is dynamic Quality
can decline if not tended New challenges arise Quality must be
sustained and improved over time
Slide 4
FORDISCUSSION FOR DISCUSSION What changes has your program
experienced since earning accreditation that could affect your
ability to sustain the accreditation standards?
Slide 5
Strategies for Sustaining Quality Maintain a self-study mindset
& engage in continuous quality improvement Look to your
Accreditation Decision Report for guidance on areas to improve
Maintain up to date documentation of quality Conduct routine
observations Continue to engage staff & stakeholders
Slide 6
DEFINING SELF STUDY What is Self-Study? Reflective Practice
Collaborative Process Why is it important? Necessary for making
improvements and sustaining quality Self Study Never Ends
Slide 7
ONGOING SELF-STUDY TASKS 1. Build shared understandings of what
are best practices 2. Gather evidence of your practices 3.
Determine strengths & weaknesses 4. Develop improvement plans
5. Make improvements & document progress 6. Evaluate results
& next steps
Slide 8
Accreditation Decision Report % Met Criteria by Standard, % Met
Criteria by Group/Classroom, Commendations on Standards, Topic
Areas for Ongoing Improvement, and Portfolio Feedback
Slide 9
DETERMINE AREAS OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Refer to
Accreditation Decision Report for Improvement Areas Use
observations and survey data Take an honest look at current
practices Celebrate strengths Are we fully meeting accreditation
standards? Identifying areas for improvement
Slide 10
Observable Source of Evidence Observable Criteria or Indicators
Meetings Interactions and Communications Written/Photographic
Sources of Evidence Classroom Portfolios Program Portfolio Family
Surveys Teaching Staff Surveys On-going Documentation and
Observation Pre-Visit Documents NAEYC On-Site Documents MAAP
Slide 11
DOCUMENTATION Devise a method for updating portfolios Policies
and practices Curriculum and assessments New hires Surveys Stay
current with NAEYC updates Devise a method for updating on-site and
pre-visit documentation New hires Evidence of partially met
emerging indicators Surveys Stay current with MAAP updates
Slide 12
Observable Evidence: What can be directly seen: Relationships
Curriculum or Activities Teaching Practices Environments Health and
Safety Practices
Slide 13
CONDUCTING OBSERVATIONS Be intentional/make them a priority Be
unobtrusive Take time to understand the context Consider the childs
perspective Vary observation times Provide feedback in timely
manner Use a variety of observers
Slide 14
Engage Staff New Staff: Hiring expectations : professionalism,
excellence New staff orientation to best practices Mentoring All
Staff : Professional development goal setting Individual Teams,
program-wide Linked to annual staff evaluations
Slide 15
Engage Staff o Staff/Team meetings o Joint problem-solving to
improve specific practices o Keep up-to-date on emerging best
practices o Update portfolios and documents together o Use NAEYC
& MAAP resources o Staff Surveys program evaluation o Teaching
Young Children o Professional development resources (MnAEYC/MnSACA
trainings, videos, Youtube)
Slide 16
Program Evaluation & Accountability NAEYC Topic Area 10.F:
Sustaining and enhancing quality through formal program assessments
MAAP- I.4.D. The program leadership conducts routine assessments of
the environment and activities to identify areas of improvement and
to celebrate program strengths. Program Evaluation should be:
Regular at least annually Collaborative at a minimum include
administrators, families, and staff Comprehensive inclusive of all
standards Based on valid and reliable processes for gathering data
and evidence
Slide 17
Engage Families Evaluation: Use NAEYC/MAAPs Family Survey (or
other means) to assess families views of program at least annually
Policies and procedures Program quality Childrens progress and
learning Family involvement and satisfaction Accountability: Report
findings to families Continuous Improvement: Involve families in
goal-setting for your program participating in the creation of a
community of learners
Slide 18
Engage Other Stakeholders Use NAEYC/MAAPs resources to
communicate what ECE and SA quality means Make your program visible
in your community; coordinate actions with others Keep informed
& advocate for ECE and SA programming with your state and local
governments
Slide 19
Maintaining Accreditation Ensures programs continue to meet
Standards & Criteria/Indicators Increases the accountability of
the accreditation system Provides NAEYC/MAAP with up-to-date
program information
Slide 20
Evidence of Maintaining Accreditation Annual Reports Self
Reports 72 Hour Notification Random Unannounced Visits Responding
to Complaints Verification Visits
Slide 21
CONGRATULATIONS ON ACHIEVING YOUR ACCREDITATION!
Slide 22
Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is often more
important than the outcome. -Arthur Ashe