ISBN: 0833096664 9780833096661

Category: Unavailable

Page count: 210

In 2013, the Delaware Office of Early Learning contracted with the RAND Corporation to conduct an independent evaluation of Delaware Stars for Early Success, the state's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for early learning and care programs. The project was designed to provide objective and rigorous empirical evidence of the extent to which rating tiers reflected differences in the quality of home- and center-based programs and whether the system was operating effectively in terms of technical assistance, financial support, and other features. This final report summarizes all findings of the evaluation. The primary focus is on two questions: Do early care and education programs with higher ratings in the QRIS deliver higher-quality care and early learning than those with lower ratings? Do children in programs with higher ratings in the QRIS have better learning and developmental outcomes than children in programs with lower ratings? These questions are examined using data collected in 2014-2015 on program quality from a sample of Delaware center- and home-based providers, along with measures of learning for children enrolled in the sampled programs. The authors also report on results from a survey of the directors of the sampled providers. Other components of the evaluation are also addressed in this report, including findings regarding quality improvement supports, financial incentives, and other aspects of system performance, some of which were analyzed in more detail in two earlier reports. Based on the findings, recommendations are offered for improving the effectiveness of the QRIS.