QualityWhatitIsandWhyitMattersinEarlyChildhood.pdfVIP

September 2012 Quality: What it Is and Why it Matters in Early Childhood Education qual?i?ty Merriam Webster’s Definition: 2a : degree of excellence 2b : superiority in kind Synonyms: caliber, class, grade, rate Executive Summary The Quality Issue What does the term “quality” mean to you? Is it the The National Institute of Child Health and Devel- difference between a one-star and a five-star hotel? opment (NICHD) conducted a review from 1991–2007 A positive product review in Consumer Reports? Or that followed more than a thousand children from durability that will last a lifetime? Experts in the field infancy through ninth grade, evaluating the impact of early care and education1 talk about program qual- that child care had on their development.5 The study ity—but what does that look like? And why does it also looked at family features, such as income and matter? education level, with the understanding that all of This policy brief explains why quality matters, these aspects affect a child’s development. demonstrates what quality looks like, and details According to the study, about half of U.S. children how it should be measured. Finally, it posits this were found to receive moderate or highly positive care, recommendation: while the other half did not. Children from poor fami- New York State should invest in increased access to lies (who often had the highest need) tended to receive high-quality early care and education programs. lower-quality care, except when they attended subsi- dized centers with better educated and t