Quality Measurement in Early Childhood Settings

What constitutes quality in early childhood settings, and how can it best be measured with today's widely used tools and promising new approaches? Find authoritative answers in this book, a must-have for high-level administrators and policymakers as more and more states adopt early childhood Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. The most comprehensive resource on measuring quality in both home- and center-based settings, this book brings together a who's who of early childhood experts to establish what's working in quality measurement and how it can be strengthened to support better programs and optimal child development. Readers will explore specific approaches to measuring the quality of factors that are key to school readiness, including supports for early language and literacy development math and science curricula and instruction environmental supports for social and emotional competence health-related factors such as nutrition, safety, and adequate physical activity family-sensitive child care cultural responsiveness services for children with disabilities practices that promote dual language learners' development and learning To help them measure these factors accurately, readers will get critical analyses of dozens of current assessment measures, plus an exclusive inside look at today's most promising new tools. Readers will also find invaluable guidance on big picture issues--such as how to align quality measures with professional development goals and desired child outcomes; how to make sound, data-driven decisions when implementing a large-scale Quality Rating and Improvement System, and how to conduct integrated quality assessments that combine the best of observational and structural approaches. An essential reference for anyone involved in a statewide effort to improve program quality, this book also makes an ideal graduate-level text for tomorrow's early childhood decision makers. Readers will have the knowledge base they need to strengthen their quality measurement--so they can be sure their programs lead to positive outcomes and get children ready for school success.