Advantages to the new star rated license system

 

 

Community Voices Bridget Wagoner-Barbee Director of Technical Assistance Child Care Services Association

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 1, 2008…seven months and counting…that’s the deadline for all child care providers in NC to transition to thenew two-component star rated license system. This system is based on program standards and staff education.

 

Providers also have an opportunity to earn one additional quality point from a variety of options to demonstrate their extra efforts to provide quality early care and education.

 

Program standards points are derived from basic licensing requirements in addition to enhanced environment and reduced ratio options. Programs that desire 3 points or higher in program standards must have the Environmental Rating Scales completed by trained assessors from the NC Rated License Assessment Project. These scales are reliable and valid assessments of quality and are based on observations of teachers in the classroom.

The scales cover physical environment, language, teacher/child interactions, program structure and health and safety. Scores on these assessments are proven indicators of positive early learning environments for children.

 

Education points result from the level of administrator and teacher education collectively in a child care center or family child care home.

 

According to the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project, Teacher education is a strong indicator of quality; teachers with higher levels of education had significantly higher environmental rating scale scores based on data collected in NC from 1999-2005.

 

With these changes, some child care providers may be concerned they will not be able to maintain or improve their star ratings. Some providers may feel the system is more difficult than the previous 3 component system. In reality, these changes offer more opportunities for providers to demonstrate the level of quality they provide.

 

For example:

• It takes fewer points to earn higher stars.

• With the range of seven points in education and seven points in program standards, child care providers will have the opportunity to demonstrate incremental improvements in quality.

• The rating scale scores from classrooms will be averaged.

• Under the 3 component system, rating scale scores were based on the classroom that got the lowest score.

• There is flexibility to have the rating scales completed without meeting both enhanced ratios and enhanced square footage requirements.

 

Many programs are available to assist child care providers improve and maintain quality environments and transition to the new rated license system. Durham’s Partnership for Children funds the Quality Improvement Program through Child Care Services Association (CCSA) to offer services, such as the technical assistance to child care providers with the environmental rating scales. Durham’s Partnership for Children also funds CCSA to deliver the Child Care WAGE$® salary supplements for early childhood educators to continue higher education.

 

With this new system, providers have an opportunity to more accurately exhibit the quality they provide to children and families everyday based on their star rating. Our children deserve optimal earning environments to grow and develop and the new rated license system addresses two of the important indicators of that quality.

 

Bridget Wagoner-Barbee manages the Quality Improvement Project delivered by Child Care Services Association and funded through Durham’s Partnership for Children. Wagoner-Barbee can be reached at 403-6950.

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