The Pennsylvania Key PQA Team is supporting researchers at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to examine the widely used program observation instrument, the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Third Edition (ECERS-3). The ECERS-3 is a global quality assessment used in classrooms serving children ages 3-5 years and is currently a resource used in the quality improvement systems of thirty states. Given the widespread use of the ECERS-3 and the authors’ commitment to its continuous improvement, this study examines how the measure considers the experiences of racially, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse preschool groups.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded the researchers to examine the data collected in preschool classrooms and provide solutions related to racial equity with a particular lens toward anti-bias and culturally grounded practices.
Preschool programs in Pennsylvania are invited to join this opportunity to improve the ECERS-3. Data collectors will visit participating classrooms to complete an ECERS-3 observation and an observation using the Equity in Early Learning Assessment (EELA) on the same day. Teachers will also be asked to complete a report of the demographic information for the group. Although all center-based programs are invited to learn more about the study, and may be scheduled to participate, we are prioritizing programs in the Delaware Valley, the Lehigh Valley, and in York, Berks, and Lancaster counties.
Looking for additional information or interested in participating? Contact Rachel Kaplan, Pennsylvania’s primary contact for this research project, at Rachel.kaplan@unc.edu or 919-259-6235.
