Questions from a center director and answers

My name is Cindy and I work at BCC/FAU CDC. I have a few questions to ask about QRIS and was wondering if you could help me.


1. How do you want the organizational chart with staff schedules laid out?
This would be part of your operating procedures for the star 4 level in administration. I think an easier way to do it would be to make a chart showing the hours of the day and listing staff within their hours as shown in the boxes. An excellent resource, which I’ve shown the mentors, is the book Handbook for Early Childhood Administrators by Hilde Reno. There is staffing pattern chart on page 176, and a sample is available on the companion website at www.ablongman.com/reno1e
There are many wonderful samples of forms as well as other resources in the book and website.

2. We do not have blinds on our windows but if we get the college to tint them would that be sufficient?
This is a level 7 issue in both the ITERS-R and the ECERS-R on item 1, indoor space. It asks that natural light from windows, doors and/or skylights be controlled (so the children can rest in dimmer light during naptime or so that glare can be reduced during very sunny times of the day). Typically we look for curtains or blinds. Tint would not be something that can be controlled. There are often facility issues that may not be able to be addressed. The authors of the scales have stated that it is the overall score that is important, more so than individual items. As long as the subscales are all at level 3 or higher, the goal is to eventually reach an overall score of 5 or higher.


3. We have a playground checklist but not for the classrooms and the rest of the school maintenance is done as needed should we make a checklist for that?
Do you arrange for the maintenance yourself or does the college have you on their maintenance schedule? I would suggest making a basic classroom checklist that the teachers follow, but for larger maintenance, if the college does it, ask their maintenance dept. what their procedure is and include a written description of that in your portfolio. There are sample checklists in the Reno book/website.


4. For the professional development plans what exactly do you want?
Each teacher is at a certain level in their education. The professional development plan would spell out the next steps that you and each person agree on at the annual evaluation time. It may be to sign up for a CDA preparation program for some people, or to take one course toward an Associate degree for others. You may want to put in writing the expectation that they complete a certain amount of inservice hours for the year. There is a sample on pg. 272 of the above referenced book.


5. Is there a checklist for staff and their qualifications?
There is a Professional Development Report Form which you’ll complete for each person. Your mentor has a copy. We are producing a manual for all participating programs which explains each domain in depth and has samples of the QRIS report forms. We hope to have it back from the printer by mid-summer.

Sections for the Portfolio

Suggested Sections for QRIS Portfolio


Title:Facility Information
Contains:
Facility Information Form

Title:Professional Qualifications
Contains:
Professional Development Report Forms
Copies of documentation attached to each individual form for both education and inservice training

Title: Ratio and Group Size
Contains:
Classroom information form for each classroom, with enrollment list attached

Title:Curriculum
Contains:
Curriculum Checklist and Overview

Approved Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Checklist OR Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Review Checklist

Staff training records – divide by lead teachers and other classroom staff

Copy of ERS reports score page showing subscale scores of 4.5-5.49 for activities, language and reasoning and program structure OR lesson plans reflecting benchmarks for all Florida Performance Standards for each age group.

Assessment /Observation procedure, i.e. page in handbook describing it.
(Selected copies of observations/portfolios to be reviewed on site).

Evidence that lesson plans contain a section for differentiated activities to meet individual needs.

Evidence that individual progress toward goals is communicated to families

Title: Family Engagement
Contains:
Family Engagement Checklist

Copy of family (parent) handbook

Signed acknowledgement (to be observed on site)

Samples of modes of communication and/or photos showing example

Evidence of family involvement activities

Documentation of family-teacher conferences, i.e. flyer, sign-in sheets

Conference forms (to be reviewed on site)

Copy of plan for transition activities

Documentation that transition activities take place

Copy of tabulation for satisfaction survey (samples to be reviewed on site)

List of languages spoken by families and communication plan

Screening and referral process (file review to observe that screening was done and results shared with families will take place on site)

Title: Program Administration
Contains:
Program Administration Checklist

Copy of Risk Management Plan (or pages where information is located indicated on checklist)

Copy of Personnel Policy Manual (or pages where information is located indicated on checklist)

Agendas/Sign-in sheets for staff meetings

Sample performance review (files will be reviewed onsite)

Copy of operating policies and procedures (or pages where information is located indicated on checklist)

Copy of marketing plan

Sample staff observation form

Copy of signed acknowledgement forms

Copy of salary scale

Copy of quarterly financial report and analysis

Copy of projected budget

Copy of Professional development plan form – (files will be reviewed onsite)

Title: Accreditation
Copy of accreditation certificate and Gold Seal certificate/letter.

QRIS Portfolio - Program Administration Checklist

Please provide clarification:

Level 2 asks for health and safety procedures under the personal policies. This is also asked for again under level 4 under written policies. Is it possible for a school to submit the same information for both levels? If not, please provide specific examples of what is expected for level 2 and level 4. Thanks.

QRIS Portfolio Paperwork

A school has requested further information on the items below:

(i) On the classroom list form, does the school use the children’s first names only? There is a concern about privacy.

(ii) If the school has a computer programs that will compile the needed information for the classroom list form, could they attach it instead of filling out the form?

(iii) Under Curriculum 4A, does they school only supply the numbers from the Standards or is additional information required?

(iv) Under Curriculum 4B, are the schools able to request the information be reviewed on site? Not only are they concerned about privacy, but this would require the school to make a high number of copies.

Thank you and look forward to the clarification.