Equity is Quality and Quality is Equity: Operationalizing Equity in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

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Equity is Quality and Quality is Equity: Operationalizing Equity in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems

2021

Authors: Dr. Shantel Meek, Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka, Dr. Xigrid Soto-Boykin, Dr. Darielle Blevins, Dr. Brittany Alexander, Mario Cardona and Dr. Dina Castro

A robust research base indicates the importance of high quality early care and education in relation to a host of long term health, education, and employment outcomes. The concept of “quality” in these programs has been the focus of much attention and resources, particularly over the last decade. Most states have established definitions of quality through quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) and have allocated accompanying resources to support early care and education providers to progress toward higher levels of quality. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, definitions of “quality” have been sorely lacking attention to equity and to the unique experiences that disproportionately affect children from historically marginalized communities. This report addresses a fundamental content flaw in QRISs by operationalizing equity indicators. These indicators are grounded and organized by the CEP’s 14 priorities to advance equity in early care and education systems, published in a 2020 report, in partnership with 8 national organizations. States can use these indicators to inform QRIS redesign efforts to advance equity and improve transparency for families.

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Suggested citation:

Meek, S.E., Iruka, I.U., Soto-Boykin, X., Blevins, D., Alexander, B.L., Cardona, M., Castro, D. (2021). Equity is Quality and Quality is Equity: Operationalizing Equity in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. The Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University. Retrieved from: https://cep.asu.edu/resources/Equity-is-Quality-and-Quality-is-Equity

What Are Quality Rating and Improvement Systems?

Quality Rating and Improvement Systems, commonly called QRIS, are state systems designed to define, assess, communicate, and improve quality across early care and education programs.

QRIS frameworks often consider factors such as educator qualifications, teacher-child ratios, group size, learning environments, and teacher-child interactions. They can also influence how quality improvement resources, professional development, coaching, and other supports are distributed to early childhood providers.

Equity is Quality and Quality is Equity examines how these systems can more fully account for differences in children's access to high-quality care and their experiences within early learning environments.

Expanding the Definition of Quality in Early Childhood Education

The report argues that traditional definitions of early childhood program quality can overlook important dimensions of children's experiences.

CEP proposes that a high-quality early learning program should be:

1. Equitably accessible
2. Able to provide positive and fair experiences for all children
3. Actively working to identify and address disparities in child outcomes where they exist 

This framework expands the concept of quality to consider issues such as culturally responsive learning environments, discipline, disability inclusion, multilingual learning, family engagement, and equitable access to program resources.

11 Areas for Building Equity Into QRIS

The report applies 11 early childhood equity priorities to Quality Rating and Improvement Systems:

1. Equitable funding
2. Holistic, strengths-based, and authentic integration
3. Workforce equity
4. Equity in workforce preparation and development
5. High-quality curriculum and pedagogy
6. Global classroom quality measurement
7. Harsh discipline
8. Equity for children with disabilities
9. Linguistic equity for dual language learners and speakers of different varieties of English
10. Family leadership and engagement
11. Data-driven continuous equitable quality improvement 

For each area, the report provides examples of equity indicators as well as state-level responsibilities that can support early childhood providers as they participate in quality improvement systems.

Using QRIS as a Tool for Continuous Improvement

The report encourages states to look beyond ratings alone and use QRIS as a tool for continuous quality improvement.

CEP recommends examining who has access to highly rated programs, whether providers have equitable access to resources and technical assistance, and whether children from different backgrounds experience comparable levels of quality within the same programs.

The report also emphasizes transparency for families and the importance of including equity throughout every level of a QRIS rather than treating it as an optional feature available only at the highest quality tiers.