Accreditation and Credentialing Consultation

Accreditation and Credentialing Consultation

Bringing a fresh perspective to your work with young children

Quality...

Children's growth and development is best nurtured in high-quality early education and care settings. But what constitutes "high quality"? According to a 2011 brief by the PEW Center on the States, high-quality early education programs have

• Well-prepared teachers
• Small classes and low child:adult ratios
• Developmentally appropriate curricula that foster cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills
• Meaningful parent engagement

National organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), and the Council for Professional Recognition have developed research-based standards and professional accreditations that provide guidance and benchmarks for assuring quality in early education and care.

In addition, many states -- including Massachusetts -- have developed a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality for early education and care settings.

...and the Conundrum

While standards and professional credentials are necessary and valuable tools for establishing program and educator quality, in reality, few programs have the administrative infrastructure or resources needed to conduct in-depth program evaluations or implement necessary changes to meet these standards at a high level.

The Collaborative's Early Childhood team can assist in the accreditation, credentialing, and QRIS process. Through ongoing monthly or bimonthly consultations, we work with program staff to identify necessary changes and support implementation plans, as well as help programs stay informed of ongoing changes in standards and the compliance process.

As independent consultants, our staff provides objective insights necessary to help programs and program staff to recognize their strengths and ensure that any changes we recommend on the road to achieving accreditation are integrated with the qualities and aspects that make those programs unique.

Our consultations include:

• An introductory meeting with all staff to introduce the consultant and to outline the process for achieving accreditation or credentials
• Regularly scheduled classroom observations (2-3 hours in length), using criteria or assessment tools required
• Regularly scheduled feedback meetings (1-2 hours in length) on the day of classroom observation with the teaching team being observed
• Meetings with the director or person overseeing the program to provide support and information about the process and progress
• Consultant meetings with educators, program director, or principal, scheduled according to individual needs and preferences

Funding for consulting, coaching, and mentoring services may be covered by the Department of Early Education and Care Educator and Provider Support grant. Programs may also use QRIS and UPK funding for this service. Alternatively, programs may contract directly with the Collaborative. We are flexible and willing to set up a process that works for you.

For more information, please contact:

Barbara Finlayson, Director of Early Childhood Programs
413-586-4998 ext. 101 or 800-519-1882 ext. 101
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