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.