General

ExceleRate Support & Technical Assistance

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies have at least one Quality Specialist (QS) and an Infant Toddler Child Care Specialist (ITCCS) available to provide technical assistance and consultation to help your program prepare for application to ExceleRate, as well as help your program maintain a Circle of Quality once achieved. Specialists can provide support to programs including:

• Meeting with staff to discuss ExceleRate requirements, standards, expectations, preparation, and how teacher involvement in the process is crucial and beneficial to their classroom.
• Working with staff on classroom self-assessment and how to make improvements for better learning environment arrangement and structure, and better use of materials and interactions in children's play.
• Assisting the director/family child care provider in program self-assessment and enhancing program policy and procedures.
• Guidance in the development of a Continuous Quality Improvement Plan (CQIP) to help guide the program's short and long term goals.
• Information on CCR&R Quality Improvement Funds to help your program purchase needed materials to improve program quality as you work towards achieving/maintaining a Circle of Quality.
• Environment Rating Scale (ERS) training to learn the basics of using the ERS within the program.
• Guidance towards locating other trainings required within ExceleRate standards.
• Assistance with developing a system of organization for your ExceleRate documentation portfolio needed for on-site assessment.

While working with a QS or ITCCS is a requirement of the Silver Circle of Quality, it is strongly encouraged that programs working towards the Gold Circle of Quality also reach out for assistance.

Find your CCR&R

All Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Preschool for All (PFA), and Preschool for All Expansion (PFAE) programs participate in ExceleRate Illinois. A state approved assessor conducts on-site classroom assessments and monitoring using the ECERS-3/CLASS and the PFA/PFAE Compliance Checklist prescribed by ISBE in accordance with the ISBE monitoring schedule. Assignment of an ExceleRate Circle of Quality occurs by designated ISBE staff for school-based sites.

Any technical assistance &/ or training needs for PFA/PFAE programs should be coordinated with ISBE and their contracted Partners including Early Childhood Professional Learning, STAR NET, and Early Choices.

• Early Childhood Professional Learning (ECPL)
• Star Net
• Early Choices

PFA or PFAE programs that have one or more licensed classrooms must apply via the Licensed Child Care Center Path.

 ExceleRate Illinois offers distinctive benefits for early learning and development programs, including:

• It details a process for making quality an ongoing priority.
• It keeps providers focused on whole child development.
• It clearly defines a consistent set of standards for quality improvement.
• It enables providers to focus on the individual quality issues that are most relevant to their practices.
• It recognizes and rewards a wide variety of quality improvement achievements.
• It helps providers access and stay current with emerging research, best practices, and information and training resources.
• It connects providers with expert consultants and assessment professionals.

Ultimately, Illinois children will reap the rewards from a statewide system that stresses quality in early learning and development programs and prepares them for success in school and life.