Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for Early Care and Education Programs: Making the Second Generation Better

Cannon, Jill S.; Zellman, Gail L.; Karoly, Lynn A.; Schwartz, Heather L.

doi:10.7249/pe235

Cited by 23 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Finally, Cannon et al. () raise concerns about the inconsistent and sometimes weak associations between QRIS ratings and children's learning. Further research on the validity and reliability of ECE quality measures will provide essential guidance to the designers of state QRIS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education

Bassok¹,

Dee²,

Latham³

2019

J Policy Anal Manage

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In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information about program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement. However, we know little about whether these accountability reforms operate as theorized. This study provides the first empirical evidence on this question using data from North Carolina, a state with a mature QRIS. Using a regression discontinuity design, we examine how assignment to a lower quality rating influenced subsequent outcomes of ECE programs. We find that programs responded to a lower quality rating with comparative performance gains, including improvement on a multi‐faceted measure of classroom quality. Programs assigned to a lower star rating also experienced enrollment declines, which is consistent with the hypothesis that parents responded to information about program quality by selectively enrolling away from programs with lower ratings. These effects were concentrated among programs that faced higher levels of competition from nearby providers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education

Bassok¹,

Dee²,

Latham³

2019

J Policy Anal Manage

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Finally, Cannon et al (2017) raise concerns about the inconsistent and sometimes weak associations between QRIS ratings and children's learning. Further research on the validity and reliability of ECE quality measures will provide essential guidance to the designers of state QRIS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education

Bassok¹,

Dee²,

Latham³

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In an effort to enhance the quality of early childhood education (ECE) at scale, nearly all U.S. states have recently adopted Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). These accountability systems give providers and parents information about program quality and create both reputational and financial incentives for program improvement. However, we know little about whether these accountability reforms operate as theorized. This study provides the first empirical evidence on this question using data from North Carolina, a state with a mature QRIS. Using a regression discontinuity design, we examine how assignment to a lower quality rating influenced subsequent outcomes of ECE programs. We find that programs responded to a lower quality rating with comparative performance gains, including improvement on a multi-faceted measure of classroom quality. Programs assigned to a lower star rating also experienced enrollment declines, which is consistent with the hypothesis that parents responded to information about program quality by selectively enrolling away from programs with lower ratings. These effects were concentrated among programs that faced higher levels of competition from nearby providers. C 2019 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.1 Here and throughout the article, we use the term "ECE" broadly, to include any center-based child care provider, including those that are independently operated, part of a franchise, affiliated with Head Start, or any other local/state/federal initiative, religious-sponsored, or operated by any other agency.

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“…For instance, although a goal of these initiatives is to nudge parents into selecting “higher-quality” ECE options, measuring quality at scale is challenging. Existing research shows that many of the quality measures currently included in QRIS are poor predictors of children’s learning, and a growing body of QRIS validation studies has generally found no or inconsistent associations between QRIS ratings and children’s outcomes (Cannon, Zellman, Karoly, & Schwartz, 2017). In addition to refining the quality measures included in informational interventions, it may be important to create systems that also provide easy-to-access information about the program features that may constrain parents’ choices.…”

Section: Conclusion and Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Parents’ Ratings and Satisfaction With Preschools Related to Program Features?

et al. 2018

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This study examines whether parents’ overall satisfaction with their child’s early childhood education (ECE) program is correlated with a broad set of program characteristics, including (a) observational assessments of teacher-child interactions; (b) structural features of the program, such as teacher education and class size; (c) practical and convenience factors (e.g., hours, cost); and (d) a measure of average classroom learning gains. It then describes associations between parents’ evaluation of specific program characteristics and externally collected measures of those features. Leveraging rich data from a sample of low-income parents whose 4-year-olds attend publicly funded ECE programs, we find little correspondence between parents’ evaluations of program characteristics and any external measures of those same characteristics. We discuss policy implications, especially in light of recent federal and state informational initiatives, which aim to help families make informed ECE choices.

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Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for Early Care and Education Programs: Making the Second Generation Better

Cited by 23 publications

References 7 publications

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education

The Effects of Accountability Incentives in Early Childhood Education

Are Parents’ Ratings and Satisfaction With Preschools Related to Program Features?

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