Reach for a Rating! Tips on a Successful Virtual Colorado Shines Rating
ACECC recently hosted a special panel of Arapahoe County providers who have personally experienced a virtual Colorado Shines rating. Going through a rating is a big deal, and it can look different depending on the type of child care program. So, we brought together a diverse panel of early childhood directors, teachers, and family child care owners to hear firsthand about the new virtual rating option, their challenges and successes of rating during COVID-19, and important tips early childhood professionals should know about for any rating.
Our panelists had a wide range of experience in early childhood, from large center-based programs to family home providers:
Cherise Robart, Director/Owner, Creative Infinity and Children's Playland
Kathy Lopez, Director, H&H Early Learning Center
Nicole Lopez, Assistant Director, H&H Early Learning Center
Joyce Bertram, Director, Bethany Busy Bee Preschool and Kindergarten
Meredith Haun, Teacher/Assistant Director, Bethany Busy Bee Preschool and Kindergarten
Jennifer Cleveland, Family Child Care Provider, Jennifer's Childcare
Steph Olsen, Family Child Care Provider, Kid's Castle
Wait, what is a rating?
Early childhood programs in Colorado can receive ratings in our state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Colorado Shines. A Colorado Shines rating is truly a symbol of quality. Programs receive scores on a scale of 1 to 5, based on how well they:
Support children’s health and safety
Ensure staff are well-trained and effective
Provide a supportive learning environment that teaches children new skills
Helps parents become partners in their child’s learning
Demonstrates good leadership and business practices
ACECC oversees Quality Improvement in Arapahoe County, providing coaching, support, and funding to early childhood programs who are going through the rating process. Ultimately, our goal is to elevate the quality of care in our community.
The Office of Early Childhood worked with Clayton Early Learning to offer an interim virtual rating during COVID. Early childhood was counted as an essential business, and it was equally important to provide alternate, safe ways to elevate quality during the pandemic.
The tips and advice shared in this panel were especially relevant to programs looking at a virtual rating. But much of the advice was timeless.
How does “Reaching for a Rating” strengthen a program?
Cherise, with Creative Infinity and Children’s Playland, shared about how their rating experience has been a series of steps over the years. She took over Children’s Playland in February, and then went through a rating less than a month later, scoring a two in Colorado Shines. With each rating, they improved a little bit more, and now have a goal to get a Colorado Shines Level Four after their most recent rating.
Joyce with Bethany Busy Bee commented that the first few times they went through a rating, it could be pretty challenging for staff to make changes, especially for people who had been in the field for a long time and aren’t accustomed to how Colorado Shines is laid out.
But, she said, “I feel like it’s such a great tool to direct us to improve. And we really saw that we were making changes that were good, that were effective for the children, and that were helpful for parents.”
H&H had a lot of success involving their teachers and co-teachers in the rating process. Kathy, with H&H, shared: “I think it really empowered the teachers to take, you know, a bigger part in their classrooms.”
Jennifer Cleveland shared that while studying for the rating, she adjusted her home childcare setup, transforming her very open room into little areas for blocks, reading, or drama – something which she pointed out isn’t always second-nature or top-of-mind for family home providers. She said: “Immediately the children played differently in those spaces, and really just benefited from having the space set up that way.”
Steph Olsen shared that they adapted their materials to work during the pandemic, like switching from felt to stick puppets, so that the children didn’t lose out on puppet play activities. Steph really encouraged child care programs to see a Colorado Shines rating as a worthwhile challenge. Speaking from experience, she added:
“There’s a sense of pride because this doesn’t come overnight. Kid’s Castle studied FCCERS for an entire year.”
Her advice? “Take it slow. If you’re brand new, it’s going to be the best adventure you go on. The first couple months you might think, why did I even ask for this book? But as a user consistently in our daily routine of FCCERS and the Colorado Shines rating system, it’s unbelievably the best thing that made us the best family child care home in the industry. We’re firm believers.”
Additional Resources
Here are links to the resources mentioned in the video.
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