Quality Rating Systems for Early Learning Programs

In several publications released today (April 29th), the Institute of Education Sciences describes the progress that Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grantee states made in implementing rating systems to document and improve early learning program quality. The RTT-ELC grant program aimed to improve the school readiness of children, particularly those with high needs. A key priority of RTT-ELC was the use of Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (TQRIS). To learn more about these systems, the National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE) study conducted interviews with state administrators, collected administrative TQRIS data on early learning programs and ratings, and summarized TQRIS validation studies for a subset of the grantee states.   Overall, the study found: While most states increased the percentage of programs rated at top TQRIS levels, a goal of RTT-ELC, 68 percent of programs remained at the same rating level during the study period. None of the states in the study could provide data needed to assess whether the number of high-needs children enrolled in top-rated TQRIS programs increased, another RTT-ELC goal (Moving on Up? Program Quality Ratings Under Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge). States that implemented TQRIS longer and whose rating structures allowed more flexibility for early learning programs to demonstrate quality had a higher percentage of programs at the top rating levels (Quality Ratings and System Characteristics: Patterns in the Round 1 Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge States). State reports found that programs with higher TQRIS ratings also had higher scores on independent measures of quality. However, children attending programs with higher TQRIS ratings generally did not have better developmental outcomes than those attending programs with lower TQRIS ratings (Are Ratings from Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems Valid Measures of Program Quality?).