Department of Education

 

GDForum ID: 615

Description of Proposed Guidance Document Changes

Section §22.1-289.05 of the Code of Virginia directs the Board of Education to establish a unified quality rating and improvement system for all publicly-funded early childhood providers in order to improve school readiness in the Commonwealth. To provide all Virginia children with equitable opportunity, Virginia should establish a measurement and improvement system that ensures all children have access to quality teaching and learning experiences that meet their unique needs. The Guidelines for Practice Year 1 of the Early Childhood Unified Measurement and Improvement System describe the guidelines and protocols for Practice Year 1 (2021-2022) of the Unified Measurement and Improvement System. Virginia’s Unified Measurement and Improvement System will support continuous quality improvement in all publicly-funded early childhood programs, which generally prioritize underserved children, including children in low-income households, children with disabilities, children who are Dual Language Learners and children who face other challenges. Programs that do not receive public funding will have the option to participate. In Practice Year 1, the Unified Measurement and Improvement System will utilize two nationally recognized quality standards to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in publicly funded birth-to-five programs. ? Through measurement of the quality of teacher-child interactions, using a nationally recognized and verified tool, educators will receive frequent feedback on strategies to support learning and growth for all children. ? Through the use of a quality curriculum, educators in early childhood programs will be supported to access quality instructional materials as a foundational step in developing a comprehensive, culturally-responsive, learning environment. Through measurement and frequent feedback, the unified system will identify and intervene where needed, dedicating targeted culturally-responsive supports, intervention, and state resources to support improvement in programs and classrooms where it is most critical. Improvement resources will be targeted toward programs with fewer resources, including a focus on child care and family day homes.

 

Guidance Document(s) for this Comment Forum

Document ID	Document Title	Document in Effect	Proposed Document
7061	Guidelines for Practice Year 1 of the Early Childhood Unified Measurement and Improvement System	n/a	Proposed Document	Posted with Revised Changes on 12/14/2023

 

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