Expanding the Notion of Quality Outcomes

Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/expanding-the-notion-of-quality-outcomes/5022070/

An interview with Kofi Darku, Director, Early Care and Education with Metro United Way, Louisville, Kentucky

As quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) continue to grow across the United States, what are we learning about how these efforts are working? Beyond the quantification of how many early childhood programs are involved and how their scores are improving on rating scales, what substantial and sustainable outcomes are being achieved?

• Are directors feeling more confident in their ability to work with their staff to keep quality moving forward?

• Have they acquired more specific skills in creating a business plan to continually improve their environments, wages, and working conditions, which encourage staff stability?

• Is there an enhanced awareness of how to offer pedagogical leadership with support systems for ongoing staff development?

• Are teachers more engaged in their work, taking initiative to keep learning and improving the program?

• Is more teacher leadership and ­collaboration emerging in the center?

• Is there evidence of more job satisfaction and excitement about making ECE a career?

Apart from improving individual programs, our quality improvement efforts have to address the larger issues of working in the early childhood field. If we fail to do this, we will not ...