Ready or Not, Here it Comes

Why  should we continue to care about QRIS? It's voluntary, right? It's only for public schools, right? It's only about schools that want government funding, right?

Wrong on all counts! What it is, ultimately, is about the definition and assessment of "high quality."
As Montessori educators, we know all about "high quality" in our classrooms and our schools. Certainly there are differences, but we hope we can all agree on certain basic essential standards. The problem is that these are not the standards being considered in the world of early childhood education these days.

If you take a good look at almost every QRIS in the country, you will find certain basic essential standards in the measurement of "high quality."

• Standard 1: Classrooms with the right numbers and kinds of toys, classrooms with the right numbers and kinds of dramatic play and dress up opportunities, classrooms with teachers who interact with their young students in clearly defined ways, classrooms that meet a low teacher: child ratio and maximum group size, and particular furnishings with appropriate labels. Curriculum must align with state set early learning standards.
• Standard 2: "Staff qualifications" which are awarded points for defined levels of education. To be ranked above the level equal to a high school graduate with a Child Development Associate credential (and this is considered lower than an Associate's degree), certain criteria must be met. Professional development approved and/or required by the state Office of Early Childhood Learning and Care. 
• Standard 3: Program criteria which include standards for working with families, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds, standards for inclusion of special needs children, assessment of defined health and safety standards, including materials which can be used by children and in some cases, even the use of floor beds.
• Standard 4: Each program will be required to participate in an improvement plan to be monitored by the QRIS.
• Standard 5: Each program and school will have its level, or star rating, shared with the public- including parents new to the world of ECE who are trying to make the best choice they can for their child. A 5 star rating looks much better than a 2 star rating and if you didn't know anything about Montessori, what program would you choose to look at?

We all want the highest quality early childhood education that can be offered to our children. It's in the definition, the assessment tools, and the implementation of quality that we Montessorians find ourselves in a bind. So let's look at a few facts.

• In many states, especially those with RTT-ELC grants, QRIS is not voluntary. It is, or will be, required of every early childhood program in the state. This means private, public, funds or no funds.
• In many states, the Montessori Early Childhood credential, or diploma, is often ranked at the level of the above mentioned CDA- unless a particular Montessori teacher also has a college degree in early childhood education.
• Most states are using an environment and program rating tool that often results in a low score for a high quality Montessori program (see Our Stories under the Resources tab). We are gathering more and more information from around the country on how Montessori programs are being rated.
• In many states, there are financial incentives for programs with a high star rating. These funds can be used for professional development and a variety of other program needs.

QRIS is only one initiative which is seeking to define and measure quality. The newly proposed Strong Start for America's Children bill, takes QRIS components to a new level. The proposal for universal pre-K relies on very similar standards and measures of high quality. Like it or not, the compliance with standards is not going away any time soon.

If we want to protect an education which know is so beneficial for children and their families, we don't really have a choice but to be a part of conversation. Even in states which have had QRIS for years, these systems are being reassessed, new standards are being included, even national accreditation of programs is being reevaluated.

This website is one attempt to provide you with the information you need to support high quality Montessori education. These QRIS are not set in stone and many state agencies are wanting to hear from the Montessori community. We can have a voice in the decisions which are being made. But we have to speak up.

Let us know at Montessori Forward what you need, ask questions, share your challenges. And look for the successes that your fellow Montessorians are having in their states. We must work together for the sake of our children.