Public input sought on draft quality rating and improvement standards and indicators for early childhood programs
Attend the Public Input Meeting, Thursday, December 2nd, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Blandin Foundation Atrium, 100 North Pokegama Ave in Grand Rapids, or provide input from now through Wednesday, December 8th through an online survey available at www.surveymonkey.com/s/QRISConsultation.
The Minnesota Department of Education and Department of Human Services seek public input on draft quality rating and improvement system standards and indicators for early childhood programs
Minnesota’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment data show that fewer than half of Minnesota children are fully prepared for kindergarten, especially in the developmental areas of mathematical thinking, language, and literacy.
Children in poverty and in families where English is not the primary language spoken are at highest risk of entering kindergarten already behind other children, and may spend their entire school experience trying to catch up…sometimes without success.
However, decades of research shows that children who attend high quality early childhood programs are much better prepared to enter school and be successful, graduate on time, and go on to higher education.
Minnesota has been working on a quality rating and improvement system so that children across the state can benefit from high quality early care and learning programs and be better prepared for kindergarten.
The 2009 state Legislature directed the Minnesota Department of Education and Department of Human Services to develop common program standards and indicators for a statewide voluntary quality rating and improvement system (QRIS).
Since then, the departments have been developing standards and indicators based on best practice, research, the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation’s Parent Aware QRIS pilot and evaluation, and the draft was reviewed by a panel of national experts.
The standards and indicators are designed to apply to licensed family child care, child care centers, school-based pre-K programs, and Head Start programs, providing both private and public programs with a clear pathway to quality.
Before presenting the common standards and QRIS indicators to the Legislature in 2011, the departments invite your feedback on the draft standards and indicators at one of these workshops.
Additional Public Input Meetings Across the State:
Thursday, November 18th, 5:15–6:45 p.m., Alexandria, MN
Tuesday, November 23rd, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Maplewood, MN
Monday, November 29th, 7:00-8:30 p.m., North Mankato, MN
All workshops are the same, and participants will be actively involved in learning about the draft standards and indicators and contributing ideas, insights, and perspectives. No RSVP is required, but sending an email to QRISRSVP@gmail.com will help us plan for room size and materials.
We also invite feedback through an online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/QRISConsultation between Wednesday 17 November and Wednesday 8 December; please forward the survey link to others in your organization or in the early education community.
If you would like to review the drafts standards and indicators prior to attending an input meeting, you may do so by visiting the online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/QRISConsultation.
The Department of Education and Department of Human Services will carefully consider the input received from these and other workshops throughout the state and from the online survey as they prepare their final recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature by March 2011.
On behalf of Minnesota’s young children, families, and early childhood providers, we encourage you to participate in this process to support our state’s commitment to ensuring that all children are fully prepared for kindergarten.
Eileen Nelson
Early Childhood Education Specialist
Minnesota Department of Education
Eileen.Nelson@state.mn.us
Deb Swenson-Klatt
Director, Child Development Services
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Deb.Swenson-Klatt@state.mn.us