Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Statewide Child Care Quality Initiatives

Discussion Paper

Background

For Fiscal Year 2018 (FY'18), §98.53 of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations requires states to spend at least 8 percent of the total CCDF expenditures on activities to improve quality child care services and increase parental options for, and access to, high-quality child care.

The Texas Workforce Commission's (TWC) three-member Commission (Commission) directs 2 percent of the Local Workforce Development Boards (Boards) total child care allocation for quality improvement activities. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spends CCDF funds on quality improvement activities designed to improve the health and safety of children in child care facilities and improve the monitoring of those child care facilities. Additionally, TWC funds statewide initiatives designed to improve the quality of child care services in the state.

Summarized below are three initiatives for improving child care quality for Commission consideration in FY'18-'19:

Initiative / FY'18Budget / FY'19 Budget / Total
1. Strengthening Texas Rising Star (TRS) Implementation / $1,150,000 / 1,100,000 / $2,250,000
2. Planning for Individualized Instruction / $750,000 / $750,000 / $1,500,000
3. Budget Adjustment for TRS Mentor and Assessor Staff* / $84,137 / $84,137 / $168,274
Total / $1,984,137 / $1,934,137 / $3,918,274

*An adjustment of $84,137 to the approved Legislative Appropriation Request (LAR) of $3,584,137 for each Board Contract Year 2018 (BCY’18) and for BCY’19.

Initiative 1: Strengthening TRS Implementation

Total Budget: $2,250,000

Available for 24 Months

One goal of the changes made to the TRS program as a result of House Bill (HB) 376,passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session (2013),is to ensure that the program is implemented consistently statewide.

In support of the goal, the Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) proposes three broad initiatives for the TRS program. The initiatives are designed to strengthen implementation of TRS, ensure equitable distribution of quality ratings and reimbursements, and provide accurate assessments of quality for families and other stakeholders:

  • Analyze the validity and reliability of the TRS assessment instrument;
  • Develop and implement a certification program for TRS assessors and mentors, with a competency-based micro-credential for TRS assessors and mentors
  • Provide specialized technical assistance for providers to help them improve their star rating

Decision Point 1

Staff seeks direction on Commission approvalof the CLI proposal for strengthening TRS implementation to include analyzing the assessment instrument, developing and implementing a TRS assessor and mentor certification with micro-credential, providing ongoing monitoring of reliability, and delivering specialized technical assistance to child care providers.

Initiative2: Planning for Individualized Instruction

Total Budget: $1,500,000

Available for 24 Months

A 2011 survey conducted by the National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement found that of the 24 states that have standards forchild assessments in the state's Quality Rating and Improvement System, 12 states address child assessments by including accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children in theirstandards, while the other 12 states have other methods and tools for child assessments. Additionally, 17 of the states specifically use child assessments to develop individualize curriculum to meet the individual needs of children and to target program improvement.

During public meetings held by the TRS Workgroup, several comments were made on the importance of conducting child assessments to helpteachers develop the strategies needed to improve results.

On October 10, 2013, the Commissionapproved $1,000,000 in CCDFfunding to give caregivers the tools to provideindividualized instruction andassessment.

The intention was to improve the quality of individualized childcare instruction andpromote child development and school readiness,with the following goals:

  • Give child care providers standard instructional materials that align withthe developmental areas addressed by the TRSprogram and the Early Learning Guidelines
  • Allow observable, valid, and reliable assessments of each child’s developmental progress
  • Help teachers develop individual and group classroom activities
  • Help teachers meet the individual needs of children with disabilities

TWC awarded contracts to Kaplan Early Learning Company and the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children to conduct individualized assessments for children from birth to five years of age.

As of April 2017:

  • 1,790 caregivers and administrators have received 12 hours of training on the use of standardized tools to help develop individualized classroom instruction;
  • 201 sites have received instruction assessment tools; and
  • 12,490 children,statewide, have beentaught and assessed using the tools.

Decision Point 2

Staff seeks direction onproviding $1,500,000 in Child Care Development Funds—$750,000 in FY’18 and in FY’19—to provide developmentally appropriate assessment tools in early child care classrooms to helpcaregivers plan individualized instruction.

Project activities may include:

  • recruitingprovider staff and caregivers;
  • providinginstructional tools for children ages birth through five years of age;
  • providinginstructional tools forschool-aged children;
  • trainingteachers, directors, and owners of child care centers to use assessment software; and
  • developing strategies for individualized and group instruction, based on assessment results.

Initiative3: TRS Mentor and Assessor Staffing

Total Budget Adjusted by: $168,274

Available for 24 Months

Section 2308.315 of the Texas Government Coderequires TWC to make CCDFfunds available to Boards to hire TRS assessors and mentors. Beginning in Board Contract Year 2015, the Commission has approved a total distribution of $3,584,137 each year for that purpose.

In the LAR for FY'18–19, the Commission approved $3,500,000 for TRS assessors and mentors, which is $84,137 less than the previous year’s distribution.

Decision Point 3

Staff seeks guidance on adjusting the approved LAR by $84,137for a total of $3,584,137for BCY'18 and for BCY'19.

DP–FY'18-19 CC Quality Initiatives(7 1817)–Notebook1