Quality Assessment and Improvement: Child Care Providers’ Perspectives

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Issues in Early Childhood

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to explore perspectives of child care providers regarding the concept of quality in early care and education as well as the utility of the assessment process. The participants include providers who experienced a city-wide quality assessment and improvement initiative. The focus of this study is the meaning ECE directors and providers take from their experiences in this initiative. Two sets of qualitative findings offer insight into 1) providers’ conceptions of quality and how it is aligned with a widely used assessment of quality – the Environment Rating Scales (ERS); 2) providers’ experience with the assessment process; and 3) issues and challenges in changing practice to align with the ERS.

Authors

• Soyeon Park, San Francisco State University

• Charlotte Ferretti, San Francisco State University

• Gretchen Ames, San Francisco State University