MASSACHUSETTS QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM (MA QRIS)

POLICY GUIDECONTENTS

YOUR PROGRAM’S MA QRIS APPLICATION.................................................................................................2

WHAT IS MY MA QRIS GRANTED LEVEL?.................................................................................................2

POLICY ON PROCESSING APPLICATIONS IN “FINAL SUBMIT” STATUS.....................................................3

TYPICAL TIME NEEDED TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT MA QRIS LEVEL.......................................................3

EXPIRATION OF MA QRIS GRANTED RATINGS.........................................................................................3

CAN I SKIP A LEVEL?.................................................................................................................................3

EXEMPTION POLICY.................................................................................................................................4

MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS................................................................................................................5

HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO DO MY CQIP AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS?.................................................5

LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: ENVIROMENTAL QUALITY.....................................................5

FAMILY CHILD CARE ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE, REVISED EDITION (FCCERS-R)...............................6

LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: INTERACTIONS......................................................................7

LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT..........................................................8

LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: ADMINISTRATION.................................................................9

QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.............................................................................10

POLICY ON FORMAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT............................................................................10

WHAT DOES EEC MEAN BY “AT LEAST ONE EDUCATOR PER CLASSROOM?”.........................................12

WHAT DOES EEC MEAN BY “ALL EDUCATORS/ADULTS THAT INTERACT WITH CHILDREN?”.................12

CAN MORE THAN ONE PERSON BE CONSIDERED A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR?...............................12

BACHELOR’S DEGREES...........................................................................................................................12

APPENDIX A: SUPPORT PERSON CONSENT FORM.....................................................................................13

NOTICE OF CONSENT FOR SUPPORT PERSON TO ACCESS MA QRIS APPLICATION (TO BE COMPLETED BY THE PROGRAM)................................................................................................................................13

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YOUR PROGRAM’S MA QRIS APPLICATION

WHAT IS MY MA QRIS GRANTED LEVEL?

You can find your program’s MA QRIS granted rating by logging into the QRIS Program Manager (QPM) in the EEC Single Sign In. Select the application with the highest Level. Here are some examples of MA QRIS application statuses:

This program is granted Level 2. It has a Level 2 granted Level, and has applied for, but not been granted, Level 3:

This program is granted Level 2. It has not been granted Level 3 because the status is “EEC Review Complete”:

This program is granted Level 3, which you can see clearly under the Status:

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PROGRAM’S MA QRIS APPLICATION STATUS

Draft: This is the status your application is in while your program is still working on it. You can go in and out of your application while you work on it. The draft is incomplete until submitted.

Final – Submitted to EEC: Once you are done with your draft and you are ready for EEC to review it, you must click on Final Submit. Email your Program Quality Specialist to let her/him know you have pressed Final Submit, since your Program Quality Specialist does not receive any other notification of your application's submission. You cannot make any edits to your application in this status.

EEC Review in Progress: Your Program Quality Specialist is currently reviewing your application. You cannot make any edits to your application in this status. If you need to make any changes while your application is in EEC Review in Progress, simply contact your Program Quality Specialist.

EEC Review Complete: Your Program Quality Specialist is done reviewing your application and has determined that the application in not finished. You can make edits to the application while in this status. Please email your PQS when you are done making edits!

QRIS Rating Granted: After your application is reviewed, if it meets all of the required criteria, your Program Quality Specialist will grant your program’s new rating. You cannot make any edits to your application in this status.

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POLICY ON PROCESSING APPLICATIONS IN “FINAL SUBMIT” STATUS

All “Final Submit” MA QRIS applications will be processed within 90 days of submission. If you believe that your program’s application has been in “Final Submit” status for longer than 90 days, please email Amy Whitehead-Pleaux, Director of Program Quality, at amy.whitehead-pleaux@mass.gov with your EEC program number and the date you submitted your program’s MA QRIS application.

Please keep in mind the following: An MA QRIS application is not officially submitted until it appears in

the status of “Final Submit” in the QRIS Program Manager (QPM) online application. Please see the graphic above for an example of how a “Final Submit” application will appear in the QPM. Applications in “draft” status are not considered submitted, and will not be processed.

After your program’s MA QRIS application is submitted:o Your EEC Program Quality Specialist (PQS) will email you to ask for documentation.o The application status will change to “Review in Progress” or “Review Complete.”o It is typical for a PQS to request clarifying documentation, so programs should expect

several rounds of back-and-forth communication with the PQS.

After your PQS begins to process your program’s MA QRIS application:o Your PQS will respond to all of your program’s follow-up communication within 30 days.o If your program’s application is in “Review Complete” status, this means that EEC is

awaiting action from you. If you have been waiting for EEC to respond to you, please contact your PQS.

TYPICAL TIME NEEDED TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT MA QRIS LEVEL

On average, it takes programs 15 days for licensed programs to advance to MA QRIS Level 1, 6 months to advance to MA QRIS Level 2, 12 months to advance to MA QRIS Level 3, and 6 months to advance to MA QRIS Level 4. Programs typically advance more quickly through the MA QRIS when they respond to their PQS’s follow-up requests in a timely manner.

EXPIRATION OF MA QRIS GRANTED RATINGS

At the present time, your program’s MA QRIS rating will not expire.

CAN I SKIP A LEVEL?

No. Programs need to apply for the next Level (i.e. Level 1 to Level 2) after the one it is already granted. If your program attempts to skip a Level (i.e. skipping from Level 1 to Level 3), EEC will only process the next Level (i.e. Level 2). If, upon earning the next Level, you want to apply for the one after that, you must submit a copy the granted application into a new self-assessed application. Instructions for copying a QRIS application can be found here on the EEC website.

Below is an example of how EEC will process the application:

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1. The program is granted Level 1, and submits a self-assessed Level 3 application.2. EEC processes this a Level 2 application.3. EEC verifies the Level 2 application, giving it a “QRIS Rating Granted” status. This closes the

application.4. If the program wishes to apply for Level 3, it must copy the Level 2 granted application into a

Level 3 self-assessed application using the instructions here.

EXEMPTION POLICY

Programs may request up to four exemptions to criteria per MA QRIS Level. Please keep in mind that:

Your program may request up to four exemptions per MA QRIS Level; exemptions will not carry through MA QRIS Levels.

You may not request an exemption on any of the MA QRIS measurement tools, except the Assessment of Program Practices (APT) tool for afterschool/out-of-school time programs.

At this time, you do not need to provide a timeline for meeting the criterion for which you’ve requested an exemption. Therefore, approved exemptions do not expire.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR REQUESTING AN EXEMPTION

Programs do not need to request exemptions in the QRIS Program Manager (QPM) application. Please follow these instructions:

1. Complete your program’s MA QRIS application on the QRIS Program Manager here.a. In the “Summary” section, click on the “Documents” tab and select “Add New.”b. Select "Other" from the “Document Type” drop-down menu.c. Select “Other” from the “Document” drop-down menu, and click save (this only needs

to be done once, and can be used to satisfy each standard).d. Use “Other” as the associated document for each standard, even if you will later request

an exemption for this criterion standard.e. Check any box under "Measurement Method" for each standard.f. Submit your application.

2. When your Program Quality Specialist (PQS) requests documentation, you may request your exemption by writing or typing the word “exemption” in the Requirements Checklist. Requirements Checklists can be found in the MA QRIS Toolboxes.

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MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS

HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO DO MY CQIP AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS?

Programs participating in MA QRIS are required to complete their CQIP and their measurement tools annually. Programs do not need to submit the updated score sheets unless they are requested by EEC, but they should be readily accessible for use in your program’s continuous quality improvement process.

LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: ENVIROMENTAL QUALITY

EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE, REVISED EDITION (ECERS-R)

ECERS-R is designed to assess group programs for children in preschool through kindergarten, and ages 2½ through 5. The scale consists of 43 items. This resource is also available Spanish.

MA QRIS uses ECERS-R as a measurement tool for all center based and public preschool programs serving preschool-age children at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. For updates and additional clarifications for ECERS-R, visit the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute website at http://www.ersi.info/. For use in center based and public preschool programs.

INFANT/TODDLER ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE, REVISED EDITION (ITERS-R)

ITERS-R is designed to assess center-based child care programs for infants and toddlers up to 30 months of age. The scale consists of 39 items organized into 7 subscales. This resource is also available Spanish.

MA QRIS uses ITERS-R as a measurement tool for all center based programs that serve infants and toddlers at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. For updates and additional clarifications for ITERS-R, visit the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute website at http://www.ersi.info/. For use in center based programs.

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FAMILY CHILD CARE ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE, REVISED EDITION (FCCERS-R)

FCCERS-R is designed to assess family child care programs conducted in an educator’s home for children from infancy through school-age. This resource is also available Spanish.

All family child care homes participating in MA QRIS are required to use FCCERS-R as a measurement tool at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. For updates and additional clarifications for the FCCERS-R, visit the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute website at http://www.ersi.info/. For use in family child care programs.

SCHOOL-AGE CARE ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE – UPDATED (SACERS-U)

SACERS-U is a scale designed to assess group-care programs for children of school-age, from 5 to 12 years of age.

MA QRIS uses SACERS-U as a measurement tool for all Afterschool/Out-of-School Time programs participating in MA QRIS at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. For updates and additional clarifications for the SACERS-U, visit the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute website at http://www.ersi.info/. For use in afterschool/out-of-school time programs.

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LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: INTERACTIONS

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT SCORING SYSTEM (CLASS)

CLASS is a tool for observing and assessing the qualities of interactions among teachers and children in classrooms. It measures the emotional, organizational, and instructional supports provided by teachers that are known from research to contribute to children’s social development and academic achievement.

Programs participating in MA QRIS should conduct a CLASS observation for each classroom or group setting. All educators present should be included in the observation process that leads to creating CLASS scores for teacher-child interactions. For more info about CLASS, visit https://teachstone.com/class/. For use in center

based, public preschool, and afterschool/out-of-school time programs.

ARNETT-CAREGIVER INTERACTION SCALE

Arnett-Caregiver Interaction Scale is an instrument that measures parent and caregiver behaviors and interactions with children. It has 26 items and is designed to measure the emotional tone, discipline style, and responsiveness of the caregiver in the classroom. The items are usually organized into the following four sub- scales: (1) positive interaction (warm, enthusiastic, and developmentally appropriate behavior), (2) punitiveness (hostility, harshness, and use of threat), (3) detachment (uninvolvement and disinterest), and (4) permissiveness. The Arnett CIS should be completed for each individual educator and may be downloaded at https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/assessments-and-instruments/SmartStart_Tool6_CIS.pdf. For use in center based, public preschool, and afterschool/out-of-school time programs.

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LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM SELF-ASSESSMENT

Strengthening Families offers tools to help programs make small but significant changes in their day-to-day practice to build Protective Factors with families. Structured around the Strengthening Families Program Strategies, the tool also includes surveys to gauge changes in behaviors and attitudes among parents and staff in programs doing Strengthening Families.

The Strengthening Families Self-Assessment is should be used by all programs participating in QRIS at Level 2. For more info about Strengthening Families, visit https://cssp.org/our-work/project/strengthening-families/. For use in all MA QRIS program types.

Download the self-assessments here: Center based, public school, and afterschool/out-of-school time:

https://cssp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CENTER-BASED-EARLY-CARE-AND-EDUCATION-PROGRAM-SELF-ASSESSMENT.pdf.

Family Child Care (English): https://cssp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/FAMILY-CHILD-CARE-PROGRAM-SELF-ASSESSMENT.pdf.

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LIST OF MA QRIS MEASUREMENT TOOLS: ADMINISTRATION

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION SCALE (PAS)

PAS is a reliable and easy-to-administer tool designed to assess quality in ten areas: human resources development, personnel cost and allocation, center operations, child assessment, fiscal management, program planning and evaluation, family partnerships, marketing and public relations, technology, and staff qualifications.

MA QRIS uses PAS as a measurement tool for all center based and public preschool programs participating in MA QRIS at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. For more information about PAS, visit http://cecl.nl.edu/evaluation/pas.htm. For use in center

based and public preschool programs.

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SCALE (BAS)

BAS is a reliable tool for measuring the overall quality of business and professional practices in family child care settings. When used with FCCERS-R, these instruments provide a comprehensive picture of the quality of the family child care learning environment, and the business practices that support the program.

BAS is required for all family child care programs participating in MA QRIS at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. For more info about BAS, visit http://cecl.nl.edu/evaluation/bas.htm. For use in family child care programs.

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ASSESSING AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM PRACTICES TOOL (APT)

APT is a quality assessment tool designed to help programs examine practices that research suggests are linked to youth outcomes. APT is designed for programs serving children from kindergarten through middle school. It includes two tools.

The APT Observation Tool (APT-O) focuses on observable program practices; and the APT Program Questionnaire (APT-Q), a self-assessment tool which examines other aspects of program quality, such as program planning and connections with schools and parents.

APT is required for all Afterschool/Out-school Time programs participating in MA QRIS. For more info about APT, visit https://www.niost.org/Tools-Training/the-assessment-of-afterschool-program-practices-tool-apt. For use in afterschool/out-of-school time programs.

QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

POLICY ON FORMAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional development is ongoing education or training designed to increase an educator’s skills or knowledge, or gain new competencies in early education and afterschool/out-of-school time.

As of July 1, 2019, the Massachusetts Quality Rating and Improvement System (MA QRIS) no longer requires specific trainings. Instead, programs are now required to take the same number of formal professional hours as before. Formal professional development must have CEUs, CECs, PDPs, or college credits associated with it, and it must be added to the PQR. See below for more information about each of these types of formal professional development.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNIT (CEU)

CEU trainings taken to meet MA QRIS criteria must have a minimum of 5 training hours (.5 CEU) and must be awarded by one of the following entities:

Accredited colleges or universities (see http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/) Training organizations with the International Association for Continued Education and Training

(IACET) accreditation (See http://www.iacet.org/) Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MAEYC) (See

http://www.massaeyc.com) National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (See http://www.naeyc.org/) The National Coalition for Education and Cultural Programs (NCECP) (See

http://www.ncecp.org/)

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COMPETENCY EDUCATION CREDITS (CEC)

Competency Education Credits are issued by Early Intervention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and must have a minimum of 5 training hours (5 CECs).

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT POINTS (PDP)

Professional Development Points may be offered by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), a school district, an educational collaborative, or a provider that is registered with DESE. A wide range of PD activities can qualify for PDPs, including ongoing participation in job-embedded activities (e.g. mentoring/coaching, professional learning communities); participation in a series of short-term activities in a given topic that equal 10 hours, and long-term activities (e.g., university courses). PDPs may only be awarded under the following conditions: PDPs must be at least 10 hours per topic, must include an assessment of learning, and participant must have met the provider's criteria for mastery. (For more information about PDPs, go to http://www.doe.mass.edu/pd/faq.html#B2).

EARLY EDUCATION AND AFTERSCHOOL/OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME COLLEGE CREDITS

Educators may use college coursework in early or school-age education to meet QRIS formal PD requirements. EEC is using the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) conversion formula, in which one college credit converts to 15 hours of study. Coursework must be from accredited institutions of higher education.

HOW MANY FORMAL PD CREDIT HOURS ARE REQUIRED?

The charts below show the required number of formal professional development credit hours. Educators may take any combination of CEUs, PDPs, CECs, or college credits to meet requirements; it is not necessary to cover all types of formal PD. Some MA QRIS Levels have additional certification and college credit requirements. Refer to the Requirements Checklists in the MA QRIS Toolboxes for details.

FAMILY CHILD CARE EDUCATORS

Formal PD Required Level 2Level 3 Level 4

Additional Total Additional Total

FCC Educator 20 hours 15 hours 35 Hours 5 hours 40 Hours

CENTER BASED AND PUBLIC PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

Formal PD Required Level 2Level 3 Level 4

Additional Total Additional Total

Program Administrator 25 hours None 25 hours None 25 hours

At Least One Educator Per Classroom 15 hours 15 hours 30 hours None 30 hours

All Additional Educators 5 hours None 5 hours None 5 hours

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that Interact with Children

AFTERSCHOOL/OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS

Formal PD Required Level 2Level 3 Level 4

Additional Total Additional Total

Program Administrator 15 hours None 15 hours 5 hours 20 hours

All Additional Educators that Interact with Children

5 hours 20 hours 25 hours None 25 hours

KEY: HOURS PER FORMAL PD TYPE

1 CEU = 10 Hours 1 CEC = 1 Hour 1 PDP = 1 Hour 1 College Credit = 15 Hours

WHAT DOES EEC MEAN BY “AT LEAST ONE EDUCATOR PER CLASSROOM?”

At Levels 2 and 3, EEC asks that center based and public preschool programs document the professional qualifications requirements of “at least one educator per classroom.” This educator is expected to maintain the content knowledge, and share it with the other educators in the classroom. It does not necessarily need to be an EEC-certified Lead Teacher.

WHAT DOES EEC MEAN BY “ALL EDUCATORS/ADULTS THAT INTERACT WITH CHILDREN?”

At some MA QRIS Levels, EEC asks that programs document the professional development requirements of “all educators that interact with children.” This includes all classroom educators, and does not include support personnel such as bus drivers or kitchen staff.

CAN MORE THAN ONE PERSON BE CONSIDERED A PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR?

No, EEC will only verify the qualifications and professional development of the person with primary responsibility for supervising educators. EEC will ask you to identify that person.

BACHELOR’S DEGREES

When bachelor’s degrees are required in the MA QRIS for any program type, educator’s degrees must be in early childhood education, school-age education, or a related field, based on the age group the educator works with.

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APPENDIX A: SUPPORT PERSON CONSENT FORM

Programs may receive assistance from support people such as coaches, technical assistance providers, family child care system staff, or umbrella agency staff on MA QRIS applications. In order for support people to access a program’s QRIS Program Manager (QPM) online application, and communicate with the EEC Program Quality Specialist (PQS) on their behalf, programs must submit the Consent Form below to their PQS. By submitting the Consent Form, the program acknowledges that it understands that the support person, in assisting them, will have access to some of their programmatic information.

NOTICE OF CONSENT FOR SUPPORT PERSON TO ACCESS MA QRIS APPLICATION (TO BE COMPLETED BY THE PROGRAM)

Program Name: ____________________________________

EEC Program Number: ______________________________

I understand that a support person may assist me in submitting MA QRIS application information into the Department of Early Education and Care’s (EEC) QRIS Program Manager, and may communicate with the EEC PQS on my behalf.

In order to support me during the MA QRIS application process, I understand that the support person will gain access to certain programmatic information such as my name, address, educational experience, work history, professional development experience, and other such relevant information that is part of the MA QRIS Application.

I further understand that the support person will have access to my personal data found on the EEC Professional Qualifications Registry (PQR). I further understand that the support person will not have access to my Social Security number, driver’s license number, salary history, or any other information determined by EEC to be legally prohibited from re-disclosure.

By signing this Consent Form, I authorize the support person to assist me in setting up a MA QRIS Application through QRIS Program Manager, and to work with the PQS to support me. I understand that the PQS will copy me on all emails to the support person that are related to my MA QRIS application. EEC recommends that the program ensure the support person includes them on all communications.

I hereby authorize the support person to assist me as outlined above. I may revoke this Consent at any time by notifying the support person of such in writing, and submitting the termination section of this Consent Form to my PQS. This Consent Form expires exactly one year from the date it was signed.

Name of Support Person: _______________________________________________

Support Person’s Agency: _______________________________________________

Support Person’s Email Address: _________________________________________

My Name (please type or print): __________________________________________

My Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________________

NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF CONSENT FOR SUPPORT PERSON TO ACCESS MA QRIS APPLICATION (TO BE COMPLETED BY THE PROGRAM)

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I may revoke this consent at any time by notifying the support person of such in writing, and submitting this section of the consent form to my PQS.

If terminating the consent, please sign here:

My Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________________

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