Roanoke is one of 10 localities across the state selected to pilot Virginias Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) to improve the quality of early childhood education.
Four Roanoke child-care centers are participating in the QRIS pilot and are slated to receive a star rating in coming weeks: Downtown Learning Center, a private, nonprofit center; Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church Preschool, a private, faith-based center; Jefferson Street Child Development Center, a TAP Head Start facility; and Noah’s Landing Preschool, a private, faith-based center.
Mama Marlees, a home-based program participating as part of the local initiative, is a private, for-profit site owned and operated by Marlene Campbell of Roanoke City. Although no formal star rating will be received, the site participated in quality assessments and improvements similar to those of the other early childhood programs.
Dr. Susan Jakob, a local early childhood expert, was trained by the state as part of the QRIS pilot and served as the rater for the sites. Jakob completed an initial visit with the sites in December 2008. The findings from the QRIS observation visit are being used by Smart Beginnings of Greater Roanoke as a guide to provide follow up support services to these sites.
Smart Beginnings, housed at United Way of Roanoke Valley, one of the many community partners in the collaboration, is the program lead for the QRIS locally. Financial support for the program has been provided by a grant awarded by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) and local matching funds.
Dr. Jakob is completing follow up evaluations this month to document quality improvements that resulted from the additional support services. Children in the sites are being assessed using Brigance developmental screenings and PALS-PreK assessments. Teachers in the sites are learning how to use these assessments to improve their work, if evaluation methods are already not in place.
Smart Beginnings is also forming a network of support for early educators and parents of young children such as:
•Free monthly workshops for preschool teachers and childcare providers to meet their training needs. Topics are aligned with Virginia’s Milestones of Child Development and Core Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals.
•A community literacy program that provides a set of books to start a library for classrooms as well as traveling book bags that children can take turns bringing home to read with their parents.
•A series of parent education classes to help support the growth and development of children. This parallel track helps to reinforce the topics covered with childcare providers but with the parents in mind.
by Debra W. Brauch, United Way of Roanoke Valley
