Resources

The Compendium of Quality Rating Systems and Evaluations, published in 2010 by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation was the first compilation of data related to QRIS. 

The QRIS National Learning Network (NLN) is a coalition of states and other organizations formed to use rating and improvement strategies to improve children's development. The NLN provides resources related to the design and implementation of quality systems like QRIS for early care and education. 

The INQUIRE Data Toolkit, developed by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Administration for Children & Families, is an online resource that provides analytical recommendations and a comprehensive list of data elements needed to address policy and research questions related to quality initiatives and the early care and education of young children.

The QRIS Resource Guide is intended as a tool for States and communities to explore key issues and decision points during the planning and implementation of a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS).

The QRIS Cost Estimation Model and QRIS Resource Guide are online quality rating and improvement resources provided by the Office of Child Care.

This National Standards Crosswalk Tool is designed to help states that are developing and aligning program standards for licensing, quality rating and improvement systems, and/or prekindergarten programs, to search and compare the content of several sets of national standards.

The Early Childhood Workforce Index 2020 was published by the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of Berkeley. The Index provides an overview of policies related to workforce qualifications, work environment, and compensation. Users can use the State Explorer to see profiles of each state and the District of Columbia.

The Integrated Measurement, Program Assessment, and Collaboration Tools (IMPACT) is led by the University of Oregon's Early Childhood Precision, Innovation and Shared Measurement (EC PRISM) program at the Center of Translational Neuroscience. Users can search, compare, and access early childhood measures, each of which are scored on four categories: usability, cost, cultural relevance, and technical merit. 

This brief summarizes findings from two surveys disseminated in 2020 to understand the impact of COVID-19 on quality improvement systems and early childhood providers.