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QCC’s Children’s School First in State to Earn MA Department of Early Education and Care’s Highest Quality Rating

Contact: Cherie Ronayne
Office of Institutional Communications
508.854.2849
cronayne [at] qcc.mass.edu

Release Date: 
12/5/2014

Worcester, MA – December 5, 2014 – Quinsigamond Community College is proud to announce its Children's School has earned the highest quality rating from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.  The Department of Early Education and Care’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) is similar to the well-known star system for hotels, except that QRIS applies state-wide for child care programs by levels one through four; four being the highest level of quality. QCC’s Children’s School is the first in the state of Massachusetts to earn the Level 4 designation.

MA QRIS includes evaluating five categories within children’s school’s programming and implementation:

  1. Curriculum and learning,
  2. Safe, healthy indoor and outdoor environments
  3. Workforce qualification and professional development
  4. Family and community engagement
  5. Leadership, management and administration

Several tools are used for the evaluation process including the Program Administration Scale (PAS), Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) and Strengthening Families. These tools are industry standard in evaluating systems employed in Early Childhood schools. 

QCC Faculty and staff have been actively engaged in raising this level over the past several years. The process is team-oriented and QCC professionals campus-wide have assisted with this achievement. President Gail Carberry said, “This is an enormous honor and testament to the great work being done here. QCC is a community, not just a community college, and obviously operates best as a community. We are extremely proud of the high quality programs we offer here, our talented faculty and staff and the well-prepared, highly sought-after graduates we turn out. ” QCC’s Director of the Children’s School, Nancy Knight added, “I am very proud of my staff and their hard work. I am also thankful for the help we’ve received along the way to earn this level of quality.”

QCC’s ECE program has been in existence for 43 years at the 670 West Boylston Street location. Currently, the program offers two Associate Degree options and four certificate options in Early Childhood Education. The  Children’s School is an on campus program for preschoolers and also operates as  the laboratory school for the Early Childhood Education Department.  The students studying early childhood education participate in lab and field placements under the supervision of ECE faculty.  Graduating ECE students are lead teacher qualified and are quickly hired due to their education and practical experience.  For more information, visit www.QCC.edu/ early-childhood-education.

Quinsigamond Community College is the most affordable higher education in Worcester County. As a regional leader in education and workforce development, QCC serves the diverse educational needs of Central Massachusetts by providing affordable, accessible, and high quality programming leading to transfer, career, and lifelong learning.