Critical Support for Quality Improvement in Early EducationAugust 24, 2009 |
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 It is widely known that high quality early education can help reduce achievement gaps in K-12 education. And while some states have established quality rating systems that encourage improvements for early care and education (ECE) sites, many lack funding. So when part of the federal Early Learning Challenge Fund that was introduced in the House of Representatives in July offered much needed support of states' quality improvement systems, many ECE professionals took notice. In recognition of the linkages between ECE quality and success in later academic settings, the fund has been included as a component of HR 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, and will be funded through cost-savings established elsewhere in the bill. A recent RAND study found that publicly funded ECE programs within California currently serve only 50 percent of eligible 3 and 4 year-olds. Rating systems have the potential to increase the transparency of ECE quality to better inform parental choice and incentivize quality improvement. Los Angeles County has made substantial efforts toward the evaluation and improvement of the quality of ECE settings, including the L.A. County Office of Child Care's STEP Program. STEP is a pilot program that examines six areas of an ECE program's operation, provides information to parents on quality, and creates incentives for improvements. First 5 LA is currently funding the evaluation of STEP. Additionally, Los Angeles Universal Preschool's 5-Star Quality Assessment and Improvement System assesses preschool classrooms based upon teacher qualifications, class sizes and ratios, quality of the learning environment, and level of parent engagement. At the statewide level, the Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee, which held its first meeting in March, is charged with developing and implementing a quality rating improvement system for California, including a rating scale and associated funding model. Committee members are working with ECE stakeholders throughout the state, with sub-committees addressing issues related to system design, financing, workforce development, data, and family and community engagement. The Early Learning Challenge Fund would provide the opportunity to further strengthen quality improvement efforts across the state and would provide dollars critical for implementation of the system. The grants provided through the Early Learning Challenge Fund would support early learning standards reform, quality improvement monitoring, professional development, and other components of a comprehensive quality improvement system. To learn more about the Early Learning Challenge Fund, please click here. We encourage you to contact your representative regarding the inclusion of this important component of HR 3221, as the bill will be considered by the House of Representatives when members returns in September. Please direct questions or comments regarding this article to Aleece Kelly, policy analyst, at akelly@first5la.org. |
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