1 Board of Early Education and Care March 13, 2007.

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Board of Early Education and CareMarch 13, 2007

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EEC Guiding Principles

Put children and families first Be flexible and accountable Balance access, affordability, quality, and

coordination/continuity of care Prioritize the needs of low-income families Build on strengths of current system; minimize

weaknesses; maximize resources Seek input from staff and stakeholders Keep interested parties informed of progress Provide timely and comprehensive information to

Board for decision-making

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Agenda Regulation Reform Update

Phil Baimas, Acting Associate Commissioner for Program Quality and Advancement

Universal Pre-K Pilot Quality Grant Awards

FY08 Grant Rounds Planning

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Regulation Reform Update

Phil Baimas, Acting Associate Commissioner for Program Quality and Advancement

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Early Education and Care “Tri-lemma”

EEC system must balance all three points of triangle, and make coordination and continuity of care a priority.

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An Opportunity To Improve ECC Regulations by

Reflecting EEC’s guiding principles; Aligning important safety regulations

that are good for kids across different program types; and

Updating our regulations to keep pace with changing times and knowledge.

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You May Ask Yourself– Why Change?

Our current regulations are among the best in the nation, but we can do even better!

Positive changes could:

Reduce repetition and condense two sets of regulations into one.

Allow decisions about children to be based on their developmental needs and not just their chronological age.

Reflect current industry standards and best practices. Make regulations more “user friendly” for providers, parents,

and others!

Make it easier to meet the needs of children and families….

Standards And RegulationsExample: Center-based Pre-K Provider

Standards and regulations should be aligned to build quality.

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EEC Licensing Regulations + EEC Pre-K Program Standards (Blue Book)

+ + + + + +

Head Start/PRISM + + + + + +NAEYC Accreditation + + + + + +EEC Pre-K Curriculum Guidelines (Green Book)

+ + m m m m

= required m =not addressed + = required, in detail

. . . requirements touch on similar areas, but with varying degrees of detail.

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Building On A Foundation Of Quality

• Prior to EEC, a team worked on a draft of the Group Child Care and School Age Child Care regulations that aligned with the Early Childhood Program Standards;

• Many great ideas carried over to this current draft;

• There was still work to do – such as getting rid of inconsistencies and redundancy across program types.

Internal/External Feedback Loop

Building From The Work Of Our Legacy Agencies

Early Childhood Program

Standards

Current EEC Regulations

EEC Draft Regulations

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Family Child Care

Group & School Age Child Care

Pre-K Standards

Current Regulations Promulgated 10/12/2003

Current Regulations have beenIn place since 1997

Standards implemented 2003for Public Schools & Community Partnership Programs

Building From The Work Of Our Legacy Agencies- OCCS and ELS

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Regulations Committee Members

Phil Baimas Fran Barrett Donna Marie Bolden Claire Brady Ann Cosgrove Erin Craft Katie DeVita Mimi Gordon Denise Karlin Annette Lamana Jennifer Louis

Elizabeth Lovece David McGrath Anita Moeller Rick Mucci Judy Pasko Gail Perry Diana Phillips Sandy Putnam-Franklin Carolyn Simoncini Karen Tewhey Lisa Van Thiel Lynda Womack

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Our Approach

Children and families first! Keep the Tri-lemma in balance; Take the best from our current regulations and

standards; Align regulations across program type when possible ; Research regulations and standards from other states,

NAEYC, Head Start, NIOST, NAFCC, and the military care system.

Make regulations consistent with those of other state agencies where needed;

Carefully consider the effect of all changes on providers or programs,

Maintain or increase quality.

Push and Pull

Every change recommended by the committee was based on weighing its impact on each leg of the Tri-lemma.

Quality, Affordability and Access

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Working Towards Consensus – Regulations Group & Internal Quality

Regulation review was a collaborative process involving many individuals across EEC from Licensing, Family Support, Head Start, Systems, Legal, Research, Workforce Development and Investigations.

This diverse group brought different opinions, backgrounds, perspectives, talents, and experiences to the process.

The committee worked very hard to reach consensus on all substantive issues. There was a great deal of discussion and deliberation throughout the process.

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The Core Regulations

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What Is a CORE Regulation ?

A CORE regulation: Works for children in all types of settings. Is flexible enough to be developmentally

appropriate for a wide age range of children. Assures that children in Family Child Care,

Group Child Care, and School-Age Child Care get the same good education and care.

Aligns similar requirements across different care types.

Creating a Whole New System With One Set of Core Regulations

Family Child Care

Group Child Care

School Age Child Care

Setting

Awareness of locationof child in program

See and hear child at all times

See or hear child, provider use good judgment

Current Supervision Reg.

New Core Regulation

… all licensees and practitioners must exercise appropriate supervision of the children in their care to ensure their health and safety at all times. Such supervision must include, but not be limited to, indoor and outdoor activities, mealtimes, naptime, transportation, field trips, and transitions between activities.

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What Is a Program Specific Regulation?

• A Program Specific regulation recognizes that there are differences in Family Child Care, Group Child Care, and School-Age Child Care programs.

• A Program Specific regulation addresses a unique feature of one type of care.

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Example of a Program Specific Regulation

Written Administrative Plan

(A written plan showing how the program is administered.)

The draft regulations: Do not require a plan for Family Child Care.Do require a plan for Group Child Care if

the program is administered by more than one person.

Do require a plan for School-Age Child Care if it is a multi-site program.

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DRAFT REGULATIONS

606 CMR 7.00: STANDARDS FOR THE LICENSURE OR APPROVAL OF FAMILY CHILD CARE SMALL NON-RESIDENCE AND LARGE GROUP CHILD CARE PROGRAMS

Section 7.01 Introduction 7.02 Definitions 7.03 Licensure and Approval 7.04 Administration 7.05 Interactions Among Practitioners and

Children 7.06 Curriculum and Progress Reports 7.07 Physical Facility Requirements 7.08 Family Involvement 7.09 Practitioner Qualifications and

Development 7.10 Group Sizes and Practitioner Ratios 7.11 Health and Safety 7.12 Nutrition and Food Service 7.13 Transportation 7.14 Applicability and Effective Date

Current GROUP DAY CARE and SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE PROGRAMS Regulations

7.01: Introduction 7.02: Definitions 7.03: Licensure and Approval 7.04: Parent Information, Rights and Responsibilities 7.05: Required Policies 7.06: Administration and Management of the Program 7.07: Notifications to the Office 7.08: Staff Requirements, Records, and Training 7.09: Enrollment 7.10: Care of Children 7.11: Food and Food Preparation 7.12: Transportation 7.20: Administration of the Group Day Care Centers 7.21: Staff Qualifications in Group Day Care Centers 7.22: Staff/Child Ratios and Supervision in Group Day Care Centers 7.23: Curriculum, Activities, and Equipment in Group Day Care Centers 7.24: Care of Children in Group Day Care Centers 7.25: Physical Facility Requirements in Group Day Care Centers 7.26: Physical Access 7.30: Licensure and Approvals of School Age Programs 7.31: Administration of the School Age Child Care 7.32: Staff Qualifications in School Age Programs 7.33: Staff/Child Ratios and Supervision in School Age Programs 7.34: Curriculum, Activities, and Equipment 7.35: Physical Facility of School Age Programs 7.36: Effective Date

Side By Side Comparison New vs. Old

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DRAFT REGULATIONS

606 CMR 7.00: STANDARDS FOR THE LICENSURE OR APPROVAL OF FAMILY CHILD CARE SMALL NON-RESIDENCE AND LARGE GROUP CHILD CARE PROGRAMS

Section 7.01 Introduction 7.02 Definitions 7.03 Licensure and Approval 7.04 Administration 7.05 Interactions Among Practitioners and

Children 7.06 Curriculum and Progress Reports 7.07 Physical Facility Requirements 7.08 Family Involvement 7.09 Practitioner Qualifications and

Development 7.10 Group Sizes and Practitioner Ratios 7.11 Health and Safety 7.12 Nutrition and Food Service 7.13 Transportation 7.14 Applicability and Effective Date

Side By Side Comparison New vs. Old

Current Family Child Care Regulations Section 8.01: Introduction 8.02: Definitions 8.03: Licensure 8.04: Provider Qualifications and Responsibilities 8.05: Qualifications and Use of Assistants 8.06: Space 8.07: Physical Facility Safety 8.08: Fire Safety and Prevention 8.09: Emergency Preparedness 8.10: Supervision 8.11: Curriculum, Activities, and Equipment 8.12: Comfort and Welfare of Children 8.13: Children's Records 8.14: Parent Notifications and Protections 8.15: Provider's Record Keeping and Notification Responsibilities 8.20: Provider Qualifications and Responsibilities in a Family Child Care Home 8.21: Number of Children in Care in a Family Child Care Home 8.22: Space Requirements 8.30: Provider Qualifications and Responsibilities in a Large Family Child Care Home 8.31: Number of Children in Care in a Large Family Child Care Home 8.32: Space Requirements in Large Family Child Care Homes 8.33: Required Visits 8.34: Family Child Care Plus 8.40: Provider Qualifications and Responsibilities in a Family Child Care Plus Home 8.41: Number of Children in a Family Child Care Plus Home 8.42: Space Requirements in a Family Child Care Plus Home

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Practitioners’ Qualifications Stay the Same

Qualifications will not be changing at this time for group, school age, or family.

Workforce Building: Mandatory registration; Enhanced training; Enhanced orientations.

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An Opportunity For Providers And Families

These new regulations will:

Give providers more flexibility without losing quality and accountability;

Help all providers grow as the field of early education and care evolves;

Standardize care for children across all settings and developmental stages;

Give providers more ways to improve access and continuity for children and families.

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What Is The Impact For Children & Families?

These new regulations will balance: Quality Access and; Affordability

And …Set the stage for

a quality rating scale

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Regulation Review ProcessTimeline

Board provides input on alignment approach December 2005

EEC develops draft regulations January 2006-April 2007 Intensive informal external review process May -June 2007 Board vote to send out for public comment Fall 2007 Implementation preparation Fall 2007 Board vote on final regulations after revisions Winter 2007 Technical assistance/training Spring/Summer 2008 New regulations take effect Fall 2008*

* Some regulations may be phased in over time

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FY07 Universal Pre-K Pilot

Overview Update Next Steps

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FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotOverview

Current System for Pre-school Aged Children has: Many strengths

Existing mixed and diverse delivery system Adequate accessibility for pre-school age children at

89%

Many challenges: Affordability/Payment to Providers: providers

accepting state subsidies face administrative burden and inequitable/inadequate reimbursement.

Quality: standards, policies and requirements not aligned to support continuous quality improvement.

Access to quality: differing eligibility criteria and inconsistent information lead to uneven access for families.

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Goals for FY07 UPK Pilot: Support and incentivize pre-k classroom quality Begin building a systematic statewide approach Improve educational outcomes for children Define measurable characteristics of quality in the

context of our current mixed system; Focus on defining and supporting quality before

expanding access; Provide adequate and consistent funding for existing

programs meeting quality criteria; and Establish data collection and technology systems to

support future decision-making at Board/policymaker level and accountability and flexibility at program level.

Provide technical assistance and funding to support programs in reaching UPK criteria for future years.

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Goals for FY08- and Beyond: Review and adjust UPK program criteria as needed Further refine assessment criteria by:

Working with assessment publishers to further align assessments with pre-k Standards and Guidelines;

Adding other tools that align with Standards and Guidelines and can be used electronically;

Developing statewide indicators that can be assessed with or without purchased assessment tools.

Continue working on cost/quality analysis to determine appropriate award amounts;

Provide technical assistance and funding to support all programs in reaching UPK criteria and improving school readiness;

Increase statewide access and affordability for all children.

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FY07 Funding Components-1. UPK Classroom Quality Grants:

On-goingAwarded to pre-k programs and family child care homes that meet all UPK Quality Criteria.

2. UPK Assessment Planning Grants: One-time

Awarded to pre-k programs and family child care homes meeting all UPK Quality Criteria except for assessment; funds awarded to purchase or further implement one of the four EEC-selected assessment tools.

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1. UPK Classroom Quality Grants:

Based on RFI data, comments from EEC Board and Transition Team members, size and distribution of awards should be:Large enough to be meaningful,Focused on most needy

communities/children, andDesigned to ensure a mixed delivery

system with regional representation.


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*Includes children receiving financial assistance through CPC funding, vouchers, contracts, and Head Start. EEC used a proxy for subsidy level for schools.

** Total UPK Classroom Grant is in addition to EEC basic rate. Amounts shown are based on a full-time, full-year program.

Total Classroom Enrollment

X

$500

(A)

+ Total Children Receiving Financial

Assistance*

X

$1500

(B)

+ First-Year Additional Funding

(one-time)

20% of (A+B)

= Total UPK Classroom

Grant**

UPK Classroom Quality Grants- Funding formula

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FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotOverviewUPK Classroom Quality Grants- Allowable funding uses

On-going funds: Increase teacher salaries; Enhance program ability to interpret and use assessment data effectively; Enhance developmentally appropriate practice; Support staff professional development opportunities; Incorporate ancillary services into the program (e.g. social workers,

speech therapists, etc.) Provide or facilitate access to wrap-around services for working families;

One-time start-up funds: Upgrade technology systems to enable electronic assessment data

collection and submission; Provide one-time training needs for staff/administrators in administering

one of the four assessments; Improve classroom materials or equipment or purchase program

supplies/equipment needed to support the delivery of UPK quality level services.

Recipients will need to verify the use of awarded funds.

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FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotUpdate- UPK Classroom Quality Grants

Prioritization of Grant Awards to:

Fund programs with highest concentrations of

children receiving financial assistanceUpdate: 85% of children enrolled in eligible applicant programs are low-income, so prioritization based on this criterion was not necessary.

Ensure participation across all regions

Ensure participation across types of programs

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FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotUpdate- UPK Classroom Quality Grants

March 12, 2007 Electronic Selection Process to:

1. Ensure participation across all regions Update: Total funding allocated across regions based on pre-k population at or below 85% of State Median Income (SMI);

2. Ensure participation across program types: Update: Regional funding allocated by provider type to ensure grants are representative of mixed system.

3. Randomly select preliminary grant awardees based on regional and program type allocations.

4. Base awards on a maximum of two classrooms per grantee (median number of classrooms per applicant was two).

5. Establish a waiting list for unfunded applications.

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FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotUpdate

Eligible Applicants

Preliminary Awardees

Sites (all settings) 250 137

Classrooms 550 199

Children enrolled 8,600 2,700

Total Funding Required (annual)

$12.7M $4.6M

FY07 UPK Classroom Quality Grants

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Universal Pre-Kindergarten Pilot FY07-FY08 Appropriation Allocation

Use of Funds FY07 FY08

UPK Pilot Classroom Quality Grants to qualifying programs based on priority

$2.3M ongoing

Initial six month grant for 2007, January-June

+$0.5M one-time

$4.6M

For continuation grants to same programs for full 12 months, subject to appropriation

Qualifying programs not selected through FY07 RFR will be included in future requests for on-going funding.

Subject to appropriationAdditional demand of at least $8.1M based on FY07 applicants

UPK Pilot Assessment Planning Grants for programs qualifying but for assessment criteria

$1.2M Subject to appropriationAdditional demand of at least $1.3M based on FY07 applicants

UPK statewide system capacity

$0.6M Subject to appropriation

Total $4.6M $4.6M

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UPK Assessment Planning Grants- Allowable Fund Uses: Purchase assessment instruments including the assessment tool’s

electronic reporting system; Purchase hardware or software needed to implement the assessment

instrument and generate reports; Train staff to:

perform ongoing child assessments (e.g. training to improve observational skills and how to record results);

use assessment results to adapt program curriculum and improve child outcomes;

use the electronic reporting system; generate progress reports for parents, schools, and other

programs; support information needed at a child’s transition to another

program or site; Pay for substitutes to allow staff to participate in training related to

implementing or using assessment data; and/or Pay for other expenses identified by the applicant and approved by

EEC as necessary for successful implementation of assessment.


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FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotUpdate

FY07 Assessment Planning Grants: $2.5 million in applications received Nearly 400 applicants, including:

Center-based programs Family child care homes Public and private schools

$1.2 million available in one-time funding Prioritized selection to:

Fund applicants with high concentrations of low-income children

Ensure participation across all regions and program types Support applicants with assessment planning and

implementation already underway

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Classroom Quality Grants

Monday, March 12, 2007 Electronic Selection Process

March 14-April 5, 2007 Eligibility verification, collection ofbudget information from grantees,determination of final awardamounts

Friday, April 6, 2007 Notification of awards

FY07 Universal Pre-Kindergarten PilotNext Steps

Assessment Planning Grants

March 12 – 19, 2007 Review grants, verify applicant eligibility

March 30, 2007 Notify awardees

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EEC will administer 11 separate grant rounds, assuming continued legislative appropriations

Timeline does not assume changes in funding structure or appropriation amount, though some are likely as the budget process unfolds

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Continuation grants- assume FY08 level funding for all current grantees, awarded by July 1, 2007 (subject to legislative appropriation), with limited changes to grant requirements: UPK Classroom Quality Early Childhood Mental Health Community Partnership Councils-

• Planning and Administration• Direct Services

Family Education and Outreach-• Massachusetts Family Networks• Parent Child Home Program• Joint Family Support (FY07 expansion)

State Supplement for Head Start Programs Federal Special Education Funding (“262”)

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Grants with no funding available for FY08- assume grants end on June 30, 2007, unless additional funding is provided in FY08 budget: UPK Assessment Planning Behavioral Management Training

Grants with changes to award requirements anticipated for FY08- assume continuation grants through December 31, 2007, with new grants beginning January 1, 2008, subject to Board review and approval: Professional Development Accreditation Early Childhood Resource Centers

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Upcoming Board Meetings

Information Technology Strategic Plan Workforce Development Plan Draft Regulations for licensed group, school

age and family child care Provider Cost Study- follow up to Market Rate Overview of Re-procurement plan

1 Board of Early Education and Care March 13, 2007.

Documents

Transcript of 1 Board of Early Education and Care March 13, 2007.