We’re Accredited….now what? Maintaining Accreditation and sustaining quality

1. We’re Accredited….now what? Maintaining Accreditation and sustaining quality Presented by: Julie Leslie & Kim St. Marie

2. Session Goals • Approaches to sustaining quality over term of accreditation • NAEYC 5 years • MAAP 3 years • NECPA 3 years • Accreditation tools and criteria for quality improvement • Formal requirements to maintain accreditation • Related resources

3. Quality • Quality is complex • Multi-dimensional • Shaped and experienced by different stakeholders • Quality is dynamic • Quality can decline if not tended • New challenges arise • Quality must be sustained and improved over time

4. forDiscussion… • What changes has your program experienced since earning accreditation that could affect your ability to sustain the accreditation standards?

5. Strategies for Sustaining Quality • Maintain a “self-study” mindset & engage in continuous quality improvement • Look to your Accreditation Decision Report for guidance on areas to improve • Maintain up to date documentation of quality • Conduct routine observations • Continue to engage staff & stakeholders

6. Defining Self Study What is Self-Study? • Reflective Practice • Collaborative Process Why is it important? • Necessary for making improvements and sustaining quality “Self Study Never Ends”

7. Ongoing Self-Study Tasks Build shared understandings of what are best practices Gather evidence of your practices Determine strengths & weaknesses Develop improvement plans Make improvements & document progress Evaluate results & next steps

8. Accreditation Decision Report • % Met Criteria by Standard, • % Met Criteria by Group/Classroom, • Commendations on Standards, • Topic Areas for Ongoing Improvement, and • Portfolio Feedback

9. Determine Areas of Strengths and Weaknesses • Refer to Accreditation Decision Report for Improvement Areas • Use observations and survey data • Take an honest look at current practices • Celebrate strengths • Are we fully meeting accreditation standards? • Identifying areas for improvement

10. On-going Documentation and Observation Written/Photographic Sources of Evidence Observable Source of Evidence NAEYC Program Portfolio Classroom Portfolios Family Surveys Teaching Staff Surveys • Observable Criteria or Indicators • Meetings • Interactions and Communications Pre-Visit Documents On-Site Documents MAAP

11. Documentation • Devise a method for updating portfolios • Policies and practices • Curriculum and assessments • New hires • Surveys • Stay current with NAEYC updates Devise a method for updating on-site and pre-visit documentation New hires Evidence of partially met emerging indicators Surveys Stay current with MAAP updates

12. Observable Evidence: What can be directly seen: Relationships Curriculum or Activities Teaching Practices Environments Health and Safety Practices

13. Conducting observations • Be intentional/make them a priority • Be unobtrusive • Take time to understand the context • Consider the child’s perspective • Vary observation times • Provide feedback in timely manner • Use a variety of observers

14. Engage Staff • New Staff: • Hiring expectations : professionalism, excellence • New staff orientation to best practices • Mentoring • All Staff : Professional development goal setting • Individual • Teams, program-wide • Linked to annual staff evaluations

15. Engage Staff • Staff/Team meetings • Joint problem-solving to improve specific practices • Keep up-to-date on emerging best practices • Update portfolios and documents together • Use NAEYC & MAAP resources • Staff Surveys – program evaluation • Teaching Young Children • Professional development resources (MnAEYC/MnSACA trainings, videos, Youtube)

16. Program Evaluation & Accountability • NAEYC Topic Area 10.F: Sustaining and enhancing quality through formal program assessments • MAAP- I.4.D.The program leadership conducts routine assessments of the environment and activities to identify areas of improvement and to celebrate program strengths. • Program Evaluation should be: • Regular – at least annually • Collaborative – at a minimum include administrators, families, and staff • Comprehensive – inclusive of all standards • Based on valid and reliable processes for gathering data and evidence

17. Engage Families • Evaluation: Use NAEYC/MAAP’s Family Survey (or other means) to assess families’ views of program at least annually • Policies and procedures • Program quality • Children’s progress and learning • Family involvement and satisfaction • Accountability: Report findings to families • Continuous Improvement: • Involve families in goal-setting for your program • participating in the creation of a community of learners

18. Engage Other Stakeholders • Use NAEYC/MAAP’s resources to communicate what ECE and SA quality means • Make your program visible in your community; coordinate actions with others • Keep informed & advocate for ECE and SA programming with your state and local governments

19. Maintaining Accreditation • Ensures programs continue to meet Standards & Criteria/Indicators • Increases the accountability of the accreditation system • Provides NAEYC/MAAP with up-to-date program information

20. Evidence of Maintaining Accreditation • Annual Reports • Self Reports • 72 Hour Notification • Random Unannounced Visits • Responding to Complaints • Verification Visits

21. Congratulations on Achieving YOUR Accreditation!

22. Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome. -Arthur Ashe