Today was our annual Paths to Quality (PTQ) inspection. Each year, our program goes through an annual inspection in which our rater spends the day moving through our program observing instruction, student/teacher interactions, classroom environments and validating documentation of program standards and procedures. This is the fifth year of Giving Tree receiving a level 3 rating. We are looking into pursuing level 4, which is national accreditation, in the near future.
What is Paths to Quality?
Indiana’s Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System
Paths to QUALITY™ gives families an easy to recognize tool for selecting a child care program. Families can look for the Paths to QUALITY™ logo to determine what level their provider has achieved. Each level builds on the foundation of the previous one, resulting in significant quality improvements at each stage and in national accreditation at the highest level. The system validates child care programs for ongoing efforts to achieve higher standards of quality and provides incentives and awards for success. The four levels address:
- Level One: Health and safety needs of children met
- Level Two: Environment supports children’s learning
- Level Three: Planned curriculum guides child development and school readiness
- Level Four: National accreditation (the highest indicator of quality) is achieved (www.in.gov/fssa/pathstoquality/#:~:text=Paths%20to%20QUALITY%E2%84%A2%20gives,level%20their%20provider%20has%20achieved, 2023)
All programs participating in Paths to QUALITY:
- Have made a voluntary commitment to improve the quality of child care and early education they provide
- Meet standards designed to support your child’s healthy growth and development
- Are visited annually to verify the level of care and education they are providing
- Receive coaching and incentives as they advance through the levels of Quality (brighterfuturesindiana.org/parents/paths-to-quality, 2023)
Level 1
- Focus on the health and safety.
Level 2
- Provide an environment that is welcoming, nurturing, and safe for the physical, emotional, and social well-being of all children
- Provide a variety of learning materials that reflect the age, interests, and abilities of each child
- Provide for children’s language and literacy skill development
- Provide pertinent program information to families
- Promote staff development and training
Level 3
- Implement a planned curriculum that addresses the stages of child
development
- Demonstrate professional growth of Director and staff
- Facilitate family and staff input into the program
- Establish a strategic plan
- May be working towards accreditation
Although these are generalized requirements, that I have shared. Each requirement has many very specific guidelines. Below I will share some of the things that the rater checked during her visit.
Program Philosophy
The rater checked for our program philosophy.
Giving Tree Program Philosophy
Our program philosophy is rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach centering around our image of the child, classroom environments and collaboration between child, parent and staff. We believe that every child has a right to high quality education and that each child is a unique individual capable of forming their own knowledge. As facilitators of learning, it is our job to provide invitations and provocations to support your child's natural abilities to learn and discover. We incorporate the Indiana Early Learning Foundation standards and developmentally appropriate practice into our Reggio inspired instruction. We believe that children succeed when given the opportunity to formulate their own answers through play and dialogue with their peers, family and educators. Our approach to education partners real-world experiences with aesthetics, intention and self expression to support your child's growth in mind, body and soul.
Environment as the Third Teacher
We believe that there are three teachers in a child’s life-
1. the parent, 2. the child and 3. the environment. The environment serves as a source of inspiration for the child. We strive to provide children with real world interactions that include nature, realia (real world objects), and appropriate risk taking. Our classroom and play environments reflect this commitment to providing hands-on learning experiences for our children. Attention to color, aesthetics and function resonate in each space to create invitations to play and provocation of learning. Each environment features elements of light, color, nature, loose parts (open-ended play materials) and the 10 learning centers as outlined by Paths to QUALITY; Reading/Literacy, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Sensory, Music, Blocks, Manipulatives, Dramatic Play and Art.
Education Levels and Professional Development
The rater checked the education levels of our staff to ensure they meet the requirements.
Additionally, the rater reviewed the professional development that each staff member has completed this year.
Each staff member is required to complete 20 hours of professional development. Many of our teachers have completed many more hours than the required 20.
Parent Communication
The rater asked about the ways that we communicate with parents.
We shared information about our blogs, newsletters, emails, and annual parent teacher conferences.
Written Policies
The rater reviewed both our parent handbook and staff handbook.
Interactions
The rater observed teacher child interactions.
She was observing to ensure that classroom environments are welcoming, nurturing, and safe for children to have interactions and experiences that promote their physical, social and emotional well being.
These are some examples of possible observations the rater was making.
1. Are the children allowed to make choices in their play throughout the day?
2. Are the children heard and listened to?
3. Are the children's needs being met by a caring and attentive adult?
4. Are the children's interests being reflected and supported in the learning process?
5. Are the child's individual needs being met by the caregiver?
6. Are the children being respected and spoken to at their eye level?
7. Are the teachers helping children to problem solve, self regulate and resolve conflicts?
8. Are the teachers supporting the child's social- emotional development?
9. Are the children being supported in developing self-help skills?
10. Is the teacher taking advantage of the many natural learning experiences associated with daily life and makes those "teachable moments" opportunities of learning?
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| Each classroom must have their schedule displayed. The daily schedule must include a large portion of the day as child directed (free play). |
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| Each classroom must have a picture schedule |
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| Outdoor play is a required component of the daily schedule. |
Classroom Environment
The classroom environment is an important part of PTQ. Our rater checked the classroom environment to see that it met the following expectations.
The classroom is arranged and utilizes enough materials and activities to provide a variety of age and developmentally appropriate interest centers
that invite children’s exploration. Each interest center must contain at least
three different items.
Each classroom must include the ten learning centers.
Music
Science
Math
Writing
Dramatic Play
The PTQ rater observed that children are read to daily and encouraged to explore books and other print materials.
Curriculum
The curriculum was reviewed by the PTQ rater.
A written curriculum reflects the program philosophy and goals, is based on
child development and appropriate practice and provides for the various ages,
ability levels, and developmental stages of the children.
Curriculum: A Child-Directed Approach
The HHAI Early Childhood program is deeply inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education. Following WWII, the town of Reggio Emilia was war-torn and hurting. In order to heal, the town believed that the future lies with the children. Thus the Reggio Emilia philosophy was born with the guidance of Loris Malaguzzi. This philosophy believes that children have undeniable rights, including the right to construct their own knowledge.
With this inspiration, the EC teachers seek to help facilitate the exploration of the interests of the students through the Hundred Languages of Children. Malaguzzi describes the Hundred Languages of Children as the "infinite ways that children can express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and imaginings.” Each day, teachers provide Invitations to Play and Provocations as a way to ignite new discoveries that blend the Hundred Languages with developmentally appropriate practices.
We pair the Indiana Early Learning Foundation Standards with hands-on, child-directed learning opportunities to support the development of the whole child. We utilize the Handwriting Without Tears program and incorporate Math Their Way concepts into our mathematical explorations to support the academic rigors needed for success in Kindergarten and beyond.
Additionally, each classroom's lesson plans was reviewed.
The rater inquired about and reviewed our system for student assessment, anecdotal notes, and portfolios.
The PTQ rater observed that children’s physical, cognitive, language, literacy, math, and creative development was supported.
Also, that the children were actively engaged throughout the day in making choices about activities and materials.
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| Materials have been added to classroom to expand on the children's current interest in bugs and airplanes. |
I have shared specifics on some of the requirements for receiving a PTQ level 3 rating. My focus was on the expectations for a preschool classroom. Although, there are many similarities for the toddler classrooms, there are also some different requirements.
The teachers at Giving Tree take our role as educator to your child very seriously. Our goal is to provide them with the best care and opportunity to learn and grow each day! Thank you for trusting us with your child!
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