Examining Ratings and Dimensions of Quality in an Early Childhood Education Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)

Documenting and improving early childhood program quality is a national priority, leading to a rapid expansion of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRISs). QRISs document and improve the quality of early childhood education programs and provide clear information to families about their childcare choices.

The current study described how early childhood programs were rated in Michigan’s QRIS and examined how alternative approaches to calculating ratings affected the number of programs rated at each quality level. Findings suggest that incremental changes to how QRIS ratings are calculated can alter inferences about program quality.