Early Data Trends!

Now that several sites have moved through the rating process, we have some data to look at!

The Environment Rating Scale (green FCCERS, yellow ECERS and blue ITERS) has been tough to pass.  Overall, an average of 3.5 is needed to pass the ERS.  Below you will see the average scores we have so far or each of them.

Here are the averages for the green FCCERS (Family Child Care)

Space and Furnishings
	Indoor space use for child care	4.00
	Furniture for routine care, play, and learning	2.00
	Provision for relaxation and comfort	4.57
	Arrangement for indoor space for child care	2.85
	Display for children	3.42
	Space for privacy	3.14
Personal Care Routines
	Greeting/departing	6.14
	Nap/rest	1.16
	Meals/snacks	1.71
	Diapering/toileting	1.71
	Health practices	2,57
	Safety practices	2.57
Listening and Talking
	Helping children understand language	4.71
	Helping children use language	4.14
	Using books	3.14
Activities
	Fine motor	3.14
	Art	3.14
	Music and movement	3.42
	Blocks	3.00
	Dramatic play	4.14
	Math/number	3.57
	Nature/science	4.00
	Sand and water play	3.85
	Promoting acceptance of diversity	3.14
	Use of TV, video, and/or computer	1.00
	Active physical play	2.28
Interaction
	Supervision of play and learning	3.57
	Provider-child interaction	5.00
	Discipline	3.42
	Interactions among children	4.57
Program Structure
	Schedule	3.85
	Free play	3.85
	Group time	4.50
	Provisions for children with disabilities	6.00

Here are the averages for the blue ITERS (Center Infant/Toddler)

Space and Furnishing
	Indoor space	3.45
	Furniture for routine care and play	3.27
	Provision for relaxation and comfort	3.73
	Room arrangement	3.36
	Display for children	4.41
Personal Care Routines
	Greeting / departing	5.09
	Meals / snacks	1.95
	Nap	2.27
	Diapering / toileting	2.18
	Health practices	2.14
	Safety practices	2.64
Listening and Talking
	Helping children understand language	4.41
	Helping children use language	4.68
	Using books	3.32
Activities
	Fine motor	4.14
	Active physical play	3.09
	Art	5.55
	Music and movement	3.18
	Blocks	2.88
	Dramatic play	3.05
	Sand and water play	4.00
	Nature / science	4.55
	Use of TV, video, and/or computers
	Promoting acceptance of diversity	3.68
Interaction
	Supervision of play and learning	4.09
	Peer interaction	5.00
	Staff-child interaction	4.86
	Discipline	3.55
Program Structure
	Schedule	3.77
	Free play	3.68
	Group play activities	4.79
	Provisions for children with disabilities	2.00

And here are the averages so far for the yellow ECERS (Center preschool)

Space and Furnishing
	Indoor space	3.51
	Furniture for care, play and learning	3.07
	Furnishings for relaxation	3.00
	Room arrangement	4.07
	Space for privacy	4.46
	Child-related display	5.07
	Space for gross motor	1.93
	Gross motor equipment	3.24
Personal Care Routines
	Greeting/departing	5.10
	Meals/snacks	2.41
	Nap/rest	2.13
	Toileting/diapering	2.34
	Health practices	2.15
	Safety practices	1.80
Language-Reasoning
	Books and pictures	4.56
	Encouraging children to communicate	5.54
	Using language to develop reasoning skills	3.85
	Informal use of language	5.22
Activities
	Fine motor	4.34
	Art	4.83
	Music / movement	4.95
	Blocks	3.66
	Sand / water	4.73
	Dramatic play	4.00
	Nature / science	4.63
	Math / number	4.49
	Use of TV, video, and/or computers	3.05
	Promoting acceptance of diversity	5.00
Interaction
	Supervision of gross motor activities	3.85
	General supervision of children	4.73
	Discipline	4.34
	Staff-child interactions	6.51
	Interactions among children	6.46
Program Structure
	Schedule	4.63
	Free play	5.15
	Group time	6.22
	Provisions for children with disabilities	5.43

What Is Your Vision?

At our Reflective Practice group last week, we talked about our vision for the future. 

The first assessment in Early Achievers is only a starting place.  Where do you hope to go in the next 5-10 years of elevating your practice to optimize school readiness for children?

Before the Seahawks winning season, the coach met with each player to visualize with them about their potential and where they hoped to go.

Below are samples of the Vision Boards created by participants in the Reflective Practice group that night.

Here is an interpretation of the vision of Early Achievers to give you motivation about your own vision.

The 5-10 Year Plan

CLASSAll classrooms have quality interactions, elevated to the highest scoring on the CLASS Assessment. 

All classrooms have a positive, respectful climate, highly sensitive teachers who see each child individually.

Children feel safe to take risks, feel their emotions, explore and take leadership.  They are comforted when needed and empowered to try new things.

There are clear expectations and effective follow through.  More focus is given to positive behavior than negative behavior.  Teachers anticipate potential behavior issues and are proactive in making adjustments.

The program is well organized with little waiting time for the children.  The children are able to be independent, make choices and think for themselves.  The activities and materials are inviting and interesting to the children in the classroom.

Children are encouraged to develop problem solving and reasoning skills as the teachers ask open ended questions, encourage brainstorming, comparing, predicting and other thinking skills.  The children have opportunities to plan and carry out ideas.  The teachers help them evaluate and summarize after activities.  Concepts in the classroom relate to the children’s real life world.

Children are exposed to rich language, back and forth, ongoing conversations and opportunities to express themselves and explain their thinking.

ERSAll classrooms have quality environments, elevated to the highest scoring on the ERS Assessment

The indoor space is safe, clean, and spacious and designed for the children and the adults who use it, including those with disabilities.  Furnishings are child sized for children and comfortable furniture for adults is available.  Children are able to reach and use materials without assistance.

There are plentiful soft places and materials for the children to use for relaxation and comfort in a variety of places in the room.

All areas where the children play are easily supervised and arranged for successful movement by both adults and children – uncrowded, well organized traffic flow.

There are items displayed in the room that are appropriate for the children and include photos of the children, families, real life activities and items, meaningful diversity, and children’s artwork.  The displays are located where children can see them easily and are updated regularly.

There are options for children to occasionally play alone or with one friend and not have to always be in a large group.

Children and families are greeted individually upon arrival and relevant information is shared daily.

Meals, naptime, diapering/toileting and all other health and safety practices are elevated to the highest level always.

Children of all ages are exposed to rich language and encouraged to talk.

Books are available to children all day.  The variety of books includes fiction and non-fiction and reflects the diversity of a child’s world.  Children use books alone, are read to individually and in small groups.

Children have daily opportunities to develop fine motor skills with many kinds of materials:  building, art,  manipulatives, puzzles.

Children are able to choose materials to create individual art.  Choices include drawing materials, paints, sculpture, and collage as appropriate for their age.

Musical experiences that are meaningful are available in group times and free play/work times.  Many kinds of music and musical materials are available.

A variety of types of blocks are accessible near a solid, protected surface.  People, animals and transportation materials are available with the blocks.

There are many opportunities for dramatic play.  The materials reflect the diversity of a child’s world and include opportunities to play out both male and female roles.  In addition to home play with dolls, kitchens and dress up clothes, other dramatic play scenarios are available.

Children are exposed to written numbers, counting, measuring, comparing and shapes in a variety of materials and activities.

The classroom brings nature and the natural world inside for the children to experience.  There are living things to care for, natural objects and books/materials in addition to real life experiences with science and nature.

Sand and water play are available regularly for children both indoors and outdoors.

The environment reflects the diversity of our community in books, pictures, and materials.  Learning to celebrate our diversity and undo racism is intentional.

If TV or computers are used, the time is limited, interactive and appropriate for the children.

The children have daily opportunities to be active outdoors, or in very inclement weather, indoors.  There are a variety of materials to challenge each child’s developing motor skills safely.

Teachers are constantly providing supervision of the children, but use that supervision as a time to interact with them and  enrich their learning.

Conversations between adults and children are frequent, positive and ongoing.

Attention to positive behavior decreases negative behavior.  When negative behavior occurs, teachers respond appropriately for the child’s age and development.  Strategies to increase positive behavior, such as duplicate materials, are in place.  If a child is physically or emotionally hurt, all participants in the incident have the opportunity to discuss how they feel.

The children interact positively with each other.  There are child to child conversations and opportunities to work together.

The schedule of the day is familiar to the children, but also flexible enough to change as needed.  Though planning ahead, materials and activities are ready to go so children are engaged without waiting or wandering.

Much of the day is spent in free play/work time.  Teachers interact regularly with the children to have conversations, ask open ended questions, and to make the most of teachable moments.

Group times are limited and done in small groups when possible. 

Quality StandardsChildren are screened within 90 days of enrollment for red flags about disabilities/delays.  These screenings are shared with families.

Children are exposed to a rich language environment with high quality interactions

Children’s individual strengths and needs are assessed on an ongoing basis using informal observations and formal assessment.  That data is shared with families, used for individualizing and informing teaching and planning.

The assessments used with the children align with WaKIDS and teachers are trained to assess children.

Activities, materials and approaches are individualize for each child

Teachers review observation and assessment data regularly for planning and program improvement

Teachers collaborate with elementary school teachers and data is collected as children move on to school to analyze readiness and effectiveness of approaches  I added this one – it is not in EA

There is a curriculum philosophy and all staff can identify the program’s curriculum philosophy and are trained on that philosophy

The curriculum aligns with the WA State Early Learning and Development Guidelines.  Lead staff are trained on the WA ELDGs.

Teaching staff receive ongoing mentoring to set goals and elevate practice

Staff have dedicated time for planning individually and as a team

Staff take time to participate in reflective practice with peers on a monthly basis

Programs assess their approaches based on the Strengthening Families model.  From that assessment, programs create and carry out an action plan.

Programs offer a parent support and education program

Programs share information about community resources in home languages.

Programs have written transition plans for changes in settings – different classroom, new program, Kindergarten.

Staff partner with parents to address each child’s unique experience, strengths and needs.

Professional Development
All staff PD transcripts have been verified by Centralia College
Staff  increase their ECE credentials until all classrooms have BA level teachers or higher

Salaries align with other industries that have similar requirements and responsibilities.  I added this one – it is not in EA

The Doctor is In

There is an epidemic going around.  Have you been infected??

Perhaps you have contracted the Good Job Flu?

Maybe the Awesome-itis?

This kind of feedback is very non-specific.  In the CLASS assessment, specific feedback is one of the items the data collectors will look for.

The cure for the Good Job Flu and Awesome-itis is giving children feedback about what they are actually doing.  Giving feedback that is meaningful for them.

Here is your prescription:  Practice specific feedback daily, and call me in the morning J

Who is collecting the Data when the UW comes?

Some of you have asked, “Who are the Data Collectors, and what do they know about child care?

The date collectors are hired by the UW for this role, but are not necessarily child care experts.  They are, however, trained at the highest levels on the ERS and CLASS.  They are tested regularly to assure their high level skills and accuracy.  They do know about child care, but are not the ones who will make decisions about hour scoring.

I compare it to a phlebotomist (there is a $1 dollar word for you!).  The phlebotomist is highly trained to collect your blood sample, but is not the one that will diagnose you.  The blood date will go to a doctor who will do the diagnosis.

The same is true for Early Achievers.  The Data Collectors are highly trained to collect the data, but it will be a panel of Early Childhood experts at the UW will assess the data and identify your points.

Points are scored in the following areas:

1.        ERS. this is a pretty tough assessment.  Most programs are currently scoring at the minimum level of 3.5 average.  As you work with your coach and spend your quality improvement dollars, the next round of assessments will likely be higher.

2.       CLASS part 1 (Emotional Support and Classroom Organization Support).  Most problems meet the minimum threshold for this quite easily and some even score higher than the minimum 10 points.  If you have a happy classroom, are sensitive to each child’s needs and your program runs like a well oiled machine.

3.       CLASS part 2  (Instructional Support)  This one has a very high bar, so most programs have to practice these skills to meet the minimum threshold for 10 points.

4.       “Extra Points” Here is where you will submit evidence in your FSM (file of supporting materials) for at least 5 extra points to get a total of at least 30 points.

Bringing The CLASS Assessment Into Activity Areas

Bringing The CLASS Assessment Into Activity Areas

At our last reflective practice session, we played with ways to elevate the interactions in different activity areas. 

MUSIC/MOVEMENT

How could you incorporate these items in your music/movement?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

Art

How could you incorporate these items in art?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

NATURE/SCIENCE

How could you incorporate these items in nature and science?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

MATH/NUMBER

How could you incorporate these items in math/number/shapes?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

DRAMATIC PLAY

How could you incorporate these items in your dramatic play?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

BLOCKS

How could you incorporate these items in block play?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

Fine motor

How could you incorporate these items in fine motor?

Why and/or how questions

Problem solving

Prediction/experimentation

Classification/ comparison

Evaluation

Brainstorming

Planning

Producing

Connects concepts

Integrates with previous knowledge

Real- world applications

Related to students’ lives

This Is What Quality Looks Like

Quality interactions that help children think for themselves. 
Questions to engage critical thinking
Engaging, ongoing conversations
Rich language
Relating what they do in the classroom to real life

Laughter, joy and positive relationships
Adults that show affection and give each and every child personal time with them
Adults they can trust and turn to in times of need

Clear boundaries and limits that allow children to explore and interact with one another,
but help them learn to manage their own behavior
Adults that acknowledge the positive things they see more than pointing out the negative

Opportunities for children to practice leadership, to be responsible

A wealth of materials that allow children to self-select activities that are designed to meet their specific needs.   
Materials that are open ended and allow children to creatively use their own minds.

Adults who assess each child’s strengths and needs
Then use that data to inform their planning and teaching, and
Share each child’s progress regularly with families

Adults who provide support and resources to families and partner with them to help their child thrive and grow

Adults that continue to grow and learn about new research in the field

Quality looks like YOU

Keys to the CLASS Assessment