The use of the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) to improve early childhood education program quality is based in part on assumptions that the quality of programs can be measured and that quality ratings are associated with meaningful differences in learning outcomes for children. This report reviews all of the state QRIS validation…

The ECERS-R is a thorough revision of the widely used program quality assessment instrument, the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS). Designed for use in preschool, kindergarten, and child care classrooms serving children 2-and-a-half through 5 years of age, the ECERS-R can be used by program directors for supervision and program…

Studied usefulness of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) for cross-national comparisons of nursery school quality. Found that ratings can be made in two hours, and can provide comparisons on several important criteria, but because the scale is empirically, rather than theoretically based, its use can obscure cultural differences in…

A beginning strategy for achieving high quality in child care programs was derived from results of an examination of 21 Pennsylvania child care centers. These centers used the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS) to assess program quality. Implications for staff training are discussed. (BB)