Glossary

Competitive Contract: Multiple organizations placed bids on services needed. 

Sole-source Contract: Only one organization can bid on and provide the contractual services needed.

MOA/MOU: Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are written agreement or understanding between parties to work together. 

Statewide: QRIS operates throughout the state.

Counties: QRIS only operates within certain counties.

Localities:  QRIS only operates within localities across the state. 

Other:  The service area of the QRIS operates in a different manner. 

State Agency:  A state administrative body or unit of government.

Resource and Referral Agency:  A local and/or statewide nonprofit organization involved in supporting child care services.  

Licensed center-based programs:  Non-parental, state licensed, center-based child care programs.

Head Start/Early Head Start:  Federally-funded preschool program providing services to low-income families. 

School-operated early childhood programs:  Early childhood or preschool programs operating within schools. 

Licensed family child care:  Non-parental, state licensed, home-based child care programs.

Legally licensed-exempt home based providers:  License-exempt, home-based care operating legally with a license such as a provider caring only for his/her relatives. 

Legally licensed-exempt center-based providers:  License-exempt, center-based care operating legally with a license such as before and after school run programs. 

School-aged programs:  Before- and after-school run child care programs. 

Tribal early childhood programs: Programs operated by federally-recognized tribes.

Other:  Another type of QRIS participating program.  

Participation by program type unknown:  Individual program participation was not reported.  

Voluntary:  Whether QRIS participation is voluntary for programs.

Licensed programs enrolled at the first level: Whether all licensed programs are considered participating at the first level of the QRIS.

Mandatory for programs serving children receiving subsidies: Whether QRIS participation is required for programs serving children who receive CCDF subsidies.

Mandatory for programs receiving other streams of funding: Whether QRIS participation is required for programs receiving public funding (see QRIS Rules by Funding Stream below for further descriptions). 

Programs with children receiving CCDF subsidies: Whether child care programs serving children receiving Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies, which are subsidies that asisst low-income families with the cost of child care, must participate in the QRIS.

Programs receiving Head Start/Early Head Start funding: Whether child care programs receiving federal or state Head Start/Early Head Start funding must participate in the QRIS. 

Programs with children receiving IDEA funding: Whether child care programs serving children wtih Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding must participate in the QRIS.

Programs receiving state Pre-K funding: Whether child care programs receiving funding for public Pre-K must participate in the QRIS.

Other: Whether child care programs receiving other funding streams must participate in the QRIS.

Initial reliability: The initial process to ensure a rater is accurately and consistently rating programs.

Ongoing reliability: The ongoing (annual or monthly) process to ensure a rater is accurately and consistently rating programs. 

Accredited center-based programs:  Nationally recognized center-based child care programs.

Head Start/Early Head Start:  Federally-funded preschool program providing services to low-income families. 

School-operated early childhood programs: Early childhood or preschool programs operating within schools. 

Accredited family child cares: Nationally recognized family child care programs. 

Legally license-exempt home based programs:  Home-based care provider operating legally without a license (i.e. a provider caring only for his/her relatives). 

Legally license-exempt center-based programs:  Center-based care provider operating legally without a license (i.e. child care programs run by religious organizations). 

School-age programs: Before- and after-school run child care programs. 

Blocks at early levels & points at later levels: At early levels, the hybrid rating structure uses blocks, meaning all standards in one level are met before moving to the next.  Higher levels incorporated a points system, which means each standard is assigned a certain number of points. Block standards met and the total number of points earned reflects a program's level.  

Mix of blocks and points at all levels: Each level is composed of mandatory standards (blocks) and additional points-based standards. 

Largely a point system with some specific requirements: The system uses a points rating structure but has some specific criteria.  A common example a licensing requirement that is equivalent to the first level.

Block: Block rating structures require all items at one level across all categories to be met before advancing to the next level. 

Points: Points rating structures assign points to each quality standard. The total points earned across all categories determine the level. 

Hybrid: Hybrid rating structures use both block and points to determine ratings.  Generally the lower level(s) are blocks (all criteria must be met) and points are earned across categories to reach higher levels. 

Annual Report: A written document each year for measuring progress.

Annual CQI Plan: A Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan is a written guide for improving outcomes and processes.

Intermittent Visits: Visits by a licensing specialist or other licensing official on an irregular basis to monitor compliance.

Licensing Has a Role Between Ratings: Before a program can change QRIS rating, the licensing system has some role (may vary between states).

Other: Other monitoring practices.

Administration:  Administration funding sources for the most recent fiscal year. 

Quality Improvement Incentives (e.g., grants, bonuses, scholarships): Quality improvement funding sources for the most recent fiscal year.

Evaluation: Evaluation funding sources for the most recent fiscal year.

Technical assistance (e.g. coaching, consultation): Technical assistance for program staff for the most recent fiscal year.

Marketing/Public Awareness: Marketing efforts, such as advertisements, for the most recent fiscal year. 

Child Care and Development Fund:  The QRIS is supported by the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). Authorized by the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act and the Social Security Act, CCDF, in part, aims to improve quality child care and promotes coordination among early childhood development and after school programs.    

State funding (e.g., Pre-K, education): State funding allocated to pre-kindergarten or education.

RTT-ELC: Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge is a competitive grant aimed to support state's efforts to reach disadvantaged children and design and implement a system of high quality early learning programs and services.

Local funding (e.g., school district, property tax): Local funding allocated to pre-kindergarten or education.

Foundation funding: Funding is received from a non-governmental organization such as a nonprofit corporation or a charitable trust.  

Quality award/bonus:  Monetary award or bonus used to improve a program's quality.  

Startup award:  Monetary award given to starting programs. 

Improvement grant:  Funds given to developing programs.

T.E.A.C.H. scholarship: Scholarships to support early childhood staff in earning a higher degree in early childhood or a related field.

Staff scholarship: Funding granted to a staff member to pursue educational opportunities.

Staff bonus: Funding granted on a one-time basis to reward a staff member.

Staff wage supplement: Funding provided to increase hourly wages or salary for a staff member on a continuous basis.

State agency partner: A partnered state administrative agency. 

Resource and referral agency:  A local and/or statewide nonprofit organization involved in supporting child care services.  

QRIS managing organization: Organization (state or local) that oversees QRIS efforts.

Educational institution: A community college or university that provides assistance to the QRIS. 

Mentoring: Training provided to staff by a higher-level staff member.

Coaching: An individualized approach to professional development that provides staff with close instruction.

Consultation: Staff have an outside consultant (individual or group) to whom they go for help. 

Professional Development Advising: Advisors work with child care providers to explore, define, and achieve professional development goals.

Peer-to-Peer: Staff have the opportunity to work with their peers, either within their program or across other programs.

Summary of Focus Options:

• Health and safety
• Children's mental health 
• Trauma-informed care
• Social-emotional development
• Behavior management
• Continuous quality improvement
• Inclusion
• Infants and toddlers
• Improving teacher child interactions
• Using observatinal assessment tools for program improvement purposes
• School-age care
• Dual lanaguage learners
• Curriculum and assessment
• Understanding and using developmental screenings
• Program administration and management practices
• QRIS rating assistance
• Other

CLASS: Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is an observational tool used to determine the quality of teacher-child interactions and classroom environment in child care programs.

FCCERS-R:  Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-Revised (FCCERS) is designed to assess process quality in family child care programs conducted in a provider’s home.

ECERS-R: The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) is designed to assess process quality in  group programs for preschool-kindergarten aged children, from 2 through 5 years of age.

ITERS-R:  The Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ITERS-R) is designed to assess process quality in group programs for children from birth to 2 ½ years of age.

SACERS-R:  The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale-Revised (SACERS-R) is designed to assess process quality in after-school group care programs for school-age children, 5 to 12 years of age. 

ECERS-3:  The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (ECERS-3) is a major revision that introduces innovations in both the content and administration of the scale, designed to measure of quality in education and care in programs.  

ITERS-3: The Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (ITERS-3) is a major revision that introduces innovations in both the content and administration of the scale, designed to measure of quality in education and care in programs.  

FCCERS-3: The Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition (FCCERS-3) is a major revision that introduces innovations in both the content and administration of the scale, designed to measure of quality in education and care in programs.  

SACERS-U: The School Age Care Environment Rating Scale-Updated (SACERS-U) is an updated version of SACERS-R.  

Self-developed/home grown tool: A QRIS-created observational tool.

Trained in-person by the tool's author:  The observational tool's author trains observers in person.  

Trained in-person by an official tool anchor:  The observational tool's trained anchor trains observers in person.   

Training completed online through the tool publisher:  Observers complete an online training made by the tool's publisher. 

Trained in-house by an unofficial trainer:  Observers are trained by an in-house, unofficial trainer, such as a colleague with previous experience.   

Exact agreement: The observation trainee's score must be in exact agreement with the tool's anchor.

Agreement within 1: The observation trainee must be in agreement with the tool's anchor.

At least 80% agreement: The observation trainee's score must match with at least 80% of the anchor's score.

At least 85% agreement: The observation trainee's score must match with at least 85% of the anchor's score.

Implementation:  The evaluation monitors the fidelity of the QRIS. 

Includes program outcomes:  Investigates whether the QRIS causes demonstrable effects on program-level outcomes. 

Includes child outcomes:  Investigates whether the QRIS causes demonstrable effects on child development. 

Includes systems outcomes:  Investigates whether the QRIS causes demonstrable effects on system-level outcomes. 

Workforce: Evaluates and monitors the workforce.

Competitive contract:  Multiple organizations place bids on services needed.

Sole-source contract: Only one organization can bid on and provide the contractual services needed. 

MOA/MOU: Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are written agreement or understanding between parties to work together.  

Funded through FTE: Funding comes from the salaries of employees responsible for public awareness.

Funded through a budget set-aside or line item: A predetermined amount is allocated for public awareness.

Program Administration Scale (PAS):  http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/program-evaluation/program-administration-scale-pas/

Ratio and group size:  Child to Staff Ratio: the amount of staff required, based on the number of children present and the ages of these children. Group Size:  The number of children assigned to a caregiver/teacher or team of caregivers/teachers occupying an individual classroom or well defined space within a larger room.

Health and safety:  Regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in the facility. 

Curriculum:  Curriculum is an organized framework that outlines appropriate content to learn and delineates processes to achieve curricular goals 

Child assessment: Gathering information from formal child assessments to make informed instructional decisions.

Environment:  The evironment of the classroom including layout and materials used.  

Interactions: Teacher-child interactions. 

Accreditation:  Accreditation is the process in which certification of credibility is presented to programs that apply and meet certain standards/criteria. 

Family partnerships and engagement:  The involvement families in the program operations, ranging from parent advisory board to periodic family surveys.

Provisions for children with special needs:  Criteria specific to serving children with special needs is included in the QRIS.

NAEYC accreditation standards:  https://oldweb.naeyc.org/academy/criteria/teacher_child_ratios.html 

Caring for our Child Standards:  http://nrckids.org/index.cfm/products/stepping-stones-to-caring-for-our-children-3rd-edition-ss3/stepping-stones-to-caring-for-our-children-3rd-edition-ss3/ 

Head Start/Early Head Start Standards:  https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/ehs_ccp_101_final_hhsacf_logo_2014.pdf  

Ages and Stages Questionnaires: http://agesandstages.com/ 

Brigance Screens: http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.aspx?title=BrigEC-Screens 

Batelle Developmental Inventory: http://www.assess.nelson.com/test-ind/bdi.html 

Early Screening Inventory-Preschool or Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/prekscreen 

Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL): http://clas.uiuc.edu/special/evaltools/cl02542.html 

Denver Developmental Screening Test: https://doctorguidelines.com/2016/08/03/child-development-assessment-developmental-milestones-and-denver-developmental-screening-test/ 

Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic (LAP-D): http://www.chtop.org/Products/LAP-System/The-LAP-D.html 

Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS):  http://www.pedstest.com/default.asp

Ages and Stages Questionnaires: http://agesandstages.com/ 

Brigance Screens:  http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.aspx?title=BrigEC-Screens 

Batelle Developmental Inventory:  http://www.assess.nelson.com/test-ind/bdi.html 

Early Screening Inventory-Preschool or Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten:  http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/prekscreen  

Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL):  http://clas.uiuc.edu/special/evaltools/cl02542.html  

Denver Developmental Screening Test: https://doctorguidelines.com/2016/08/03/child-development-assessment-developmental-milestones-and-denver-developmental-screening-test/

Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic (LAP-D):  http://www.chtop.org/Products/LAP-System/The-LAP-D.html 

Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS):  http://www.pedstest.com/default.aspx 

Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care:  http://teachingstrategies.com/curriculum/

The High Scope Infant/Toddler Curriculum: http://www.highscope.org/content.asp?contentid=62

Montessori: http://www.montessoritraining.net/curriculum_materials/infant_toddler_program.htm

Program for Infants and Toddlers (PITC):  https://www.pitc.org/pub/pitc_docs/home.csp

Core Knowledge: http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_live_data/view.php?id=1833&record_id=189 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool: http://teachingstrategies.com/national/national-system.html 

Curiosity Corner:  http://www.successforall.org/Early-Childhood/Powerful-Instruction/Curiosity-Corner/ 

DLM Early Childhood Express: https://www.mheonline.com/program/view/5/7/2180/DLM2011/ 

The High Scope Preschool Curriculum: http://www.highscope.org/content.asp?contentid=63 

Houghton Mifflin Pre-K: http://www.eduplace.com/marketing/prek/ 

Investigator Club: http://www.investigatorclub.com/about-the-program.aspx 

Montessori: http://www.montessoritraining.net/curriculum_materials/preschool_kindergarten_program.htm 

Opening the World of Learning (OWL):  http://www.pearsonlearning.com/microsites/owl/main.cfm 

Scholastic Early Childhood Program: http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/secp/ 

High/Scope Infant-Toddler Child Observation Record (COR):  http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=851

High/Scope Preschool Child Observation Record (COR): http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=851  

Teaching Strategies-Gold Assessment (TS-Gold): http://teachingstrategies.com/assessment/ 

Work Sampling System (WSS): https://www.worksamplingonline.com/ 

Brigance Inventory of Early Development II: http://www.triangleeducationassessments.com/ 

ERS:  Environment Rating Scales http://ers.fpg.unc.edu/

CLASS:  Classroom Assessment Scoring System http://teachstone.com/the-class-system/

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation   

Council on Accreditation (COA):  http://coanet.org/about/about-coa/

National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA): http://www.necpa.net/necpastandards.php

American Montessori Society (AMS):  https://amshq.org/School-Resources/AMS-School-Accreditation 

Association of Montessori International (AMI):  http://amiusa.org/about-us/

National Center for Montessori Education: http://www.public-montessori.org/about-us

Strengthening Families checklist:  http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/resources/SF_Program-SelfAssessment_2012.pdf

Program Administration Scale (PAS):  http://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/program-evaluation/program-administration-scale-pas/

Ratio and group size:  Child to Staff Ratio: the amount of staff required, based on the number of children present and the ages of these children. Group Size:  The number of children assigned to a caregiver/teacher or team of caregivers/teachers occupying an individual classroom or well defined space within a larger room.

Health and safety:  Regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in the facility. 

Curriculum:  Curriculum is an organized framework that outlines appropriate content to learn and delineates processes to achieve curricular goals 

Child assessment: Gathering information from formal child assessments to make informed instructional decisions.

Environment:  The evironment of the classroom including layout and materials used.  

Interactions: Teacher-child interactions. 

Accreditation:  Accreditation is the process in which certification of credibility is presented to programs that apply and meet certain standards/criteria. 

Family partnerships and engagement:  The involvement families in the program operations, ranging from parent advisory board to periodic family surveys.

Provisions for children with special needs:  Criteria specific to serving children with special needs is included in the QRIS.

NAEYC accreditation standards:  https://oldweb.naeyc.org/academy/criteria/teacher_child_ratios.html 

Caring for our Child Standards:  http://nrckids.org/index.cfm/products/stepping-stones-to-caring-for-our-children-3rd-edition-ss3/stepping-stones-to-caring-for-our-children-3rd-edition-ss3/ 

Head Start/Early Head Start Standards:  https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/ehs_ccp_101_final_hhsacf_logo_2014.pdf  

Ages and Stages Questionnaires: http://agesandstages.com/ 

Brigance Screens: http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.aspx?title=BrigEC-Screens 

Batelle Developmental Inventory: http://www.assess.nelson.com/test-ind/bdi.html 

Early Screening Inventory-Preschool or Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/prekscreen 

Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL): http://clas.uiuc.edu/special/evaltools/cl02542.html 

Denver Developmental Screening Test: https://doctorguidelines.com/2016/08/03/child-development-assessment-developmental-milestones-and-denver-developmental-screening-test/ 

Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic (LAP-D): http://www.chtop.org/Products/LAP-System/The-LAP-D.html 

Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS):  http://www.pedstest.com/default.asp

Ages and Stages Questionnaires: http://agesandstages.com/ 

Brigance Screens:  http://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/detail.aspx?title=BrigEC-Screens 

Batelle Developmental Inventory:  http://www.assess.nelson.com/test-ind/bdi.html 

Early Screening Inventory-Preschool or Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten:  http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/prekscreen  

Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL):  http://clas.uiuc.edu/special/evaltools/cl02542.html  

Denver Developmental Screening Test: https://doctorguidelines.com/2016/08/03/child-development-assessment-developmental-milestones-and-denver-developmental-screening-test/

Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic (LAP-D):  http://www.chtop.org/Products/LAP-System/The-LAP-D.html 

Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS):  http://www.pedstest.com/default.aspx 

Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care:  http://teachingstrategies.com/curriculum/

The High Scope Infant/Toddler Curriculum: http://www.highscope.org/content.asp?contentid=62

Montessori: http://www.montessoritraining.net/curriculum_materials/infant_toddler_program.htm

Program for Infants and Toddlers (PITC):  https://www.pitc.org/pub/pitc_docs/home.csp

Core Knowledge: http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_live_data/view.php?id=1833&record_id=189 

Creative Curriculum for Preschool: http://teachingstrategies.com/national/national-system.html 

Curiosity Corner:  http://www.successforall.org/Early-Childhood/Powerful-Instruction/Curiosity-Corner/ 

DLM Early Childhood Express: https://www.mheonline.com/program/view/5/7/2180/DLM2011/ 

The High Scope Preschool Curriculum: http://www.highscope.org/content.asp?contentid=63 

Houghton Mifflin Pre-K: http://www.eduplace.com/marketing/prek/ 

Investigator Club: http://www.investigatorclub.com/about-the-program.aspx 

Montessori: http://www.montessoritraining.net/curriculum_materials/preschool_kindergarten_program.htm 

Opening the World of Learning (OWL):  http://www.pearsonlearning.com/microsites/owl/main.cfm 

Scholastic Early Childhood Program: http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/secp/ 

High/Scope Infant-Toddler Child Observation Record (COR):  http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=851

High/Scope Preschool Child Observation Record (COR): http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=851  

Teaching Strategies-Gold Assessment (TS-Gold): http://teachingstrategies.com/assessment/ 

Work Sampling System (WSS): https://www.worksamplingonline.com/ 

Brigance Inventory of Early Development II: http://www.triangleeducationassessments.com/ 

ERS:  Environment Rating Scales http://ers.fpg.unc.edu/

CLASS:  Classroom Assessment Scoring System http://teachstone.com/the-class-system/

National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC):  http://www.naeyc.org/accreditation  

National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC): http://www.nafcc.org/

Council on Accreditation (COA): http://coanet.org/about/about-coa/  

National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA):  http://www.necpa.net/necpastandards.php 

American Montessori Society (AMS): https://amshq.org/School-Resources/AMS-School-Accreditation

Association of Montessori International (AMI):  http://amiusa.org/about-us/ 

National Center for Montessori Education:  http://www.public-montessori.org/about-us 

Strengthening Families checklist:  http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/resources/SF_Program-SelfAssessment_2012.pdf