The Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Team is available to support you in the Internal Assessment Process (IAP) by completing an on-site assessment in your program. In addition to the Environment Rating Scales® (ERS) and Classroom Observation Scoring System® (CLASS®) this opportunity is available for all Program Observation Instruments (POIs) listed in the Keystone STARS Standards.
Why should I take advantage of on-site assessment opportunities?
Have you been using the same POI for many years and want to learn about another POI?
This is the opportunity for you. Assessors will work with you on how to implement and use the POIs that match the needs of each age group in your program. Gone are the days of completing one POI for the whole program. With so many POI choices available, it’s not only encouraged, but recommended to use whichever POI meets the needs of each classroom. Once an on-site visit is completed, the observation data collected informs change and provides a guide for your Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) journey. Perhaps your observation skills aren’t as sharp as they used to be. This is a great way to work with an assessor to hone those skills in a side-by-side assessment. The assessor can guide you through how to take notes more efficiently and effectively and what to look for specifically in the classroom to make the most of your observation time.
Are you a new director? Do you have new staff at your program? Has your program ever received an on-site assessment?
On-site assessment is a great learning opportunity that will support you through the IAP and help staff to understand “why” internal assessment is important for growth and learning. Having an objective reliable assessor conduct an assessment provides more evidence of the program’s strengths and possibilities for growth, which will inform future goals.
Is classroom arrangement causing challenges to supervision or children’s activities or are children exhibiting challenging behaviors?
On-site assessment has been useful in identifying environmental and behavioral factors that may be the cause. Our team also works closely with the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) team who may also be a resource for these types of challenges.
Are you looking for more evidence beyond the program’s internal assessments to support CQI goals and opportunities for growth?
Are you looking to enhance the IAP consultation discussion and enrich CQI efforts? Are you looking for more information about aligning scoring practices and resources used to support the scoring of a POI? Do you want more data to conduct a pre-post analysis? On-site assessment can assist you in all these avenues as well.
All POIs used to support Keystone STARS Standards are listed on page 29 of the Keystone STARS Program Manual. On-site assessment is available to STAR 3 and 4 programs working with the PQA team to maintain their current STAR level or STAR 1 or 2 programs interested in moving to a STAR 3 or 4. If you’re unsure if you’re eligible for this opportunity or if this is something that interests you, Let’s Talk. Reach out to your Program Quality Assessor for all the details.
