COA - Council On Accreditation

	Early Childhood Education

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

Service Narrative (ECE):

Part 1: Program Information

Organizations may complete one template for all programs, or a separate template that addresses each program being reviewed under this section. Provide responses in each box provided.

Organizations being accredited for the first time: Please provide information for the last year.

Organizations being reaccredited: Please provide information for the period since the last accreditation review.

1. Describe any significant changes, challenges, awards received, changes in funding, or obstacles faced by the organization.

2. Provide an overview of the different program(s) being accredited under this section. The overview should describe:

the programs' service philosophy and approach to delivering services;
eligibility criteria;
any unique programs or special services provided to specific populations;
major funding streams; and
any additional information referenced in the Table of Evidence.

3. If service components are provided to persons and families through contract in cooperation with other organizations or through a formal, coordinated service delivery system provide a list that identifies the providers and the services for which they are responsible. Do not include services provided by referral.

4. Provide any other information your organization would like the peer review team to know about these programs.

Attachments

A list of all program sites, including the following information for each program site: a) name of program/site director; b) address; c) phone number; d) hours of operation; e) number of FTEs; f) average monthly number of clients served; and g)directions or a map to each program site from the main organization office
A demographic profile of persons and families served by the program(s) being reviewed under this service section with percentages representing the following: a) racial and ethnic characteristics; b) gender; c) age; d) major religious groups; and e) major language groups. Include an explanation of how the program ensures that it is providing culturally competent services
As applicable, a list of groups or classes including, for each group or class: a) the type of activity/group; b) whether the activity/group is short-term or ongoing; c) how often the activity/group is offered; d) the average number of participants per session of the activity/group, in the last month; and e) the total number of participants in the activity/group, in the last month
A list of any programs that were opened, merged with other programs or services, or closed
Two quarterly reports from the case record review process conducted for this service, with any related corrective action plans (See PQI 4.02/4.03)
Two quarterly reports of accidents, incidents, and grievances related to this service (See RPM 2.02)
All COA-approved NA Requests
A list of all NAs applicable to your organization provided within the standards

Part 2: Program Outputs and Outcomes

Provide a response in each box describing how the program is making progress toward achieving its aims, and achieving better results for participants.

1. A summary of where the organization is in the development of its program for measuring program quality and outcomes, specific to the service.

2. A list or description of program outputs and desired outcomes and any outputs and outcomes being measured including measurement tools used.

Note: Program outputs may include consumer satisfaction, number of clients served, number of visits, timeliness of assessments, etc.

3. An overview of the organization's process for analyzing data.

4. Examples of program improvements made based on the outcomes data.

Attachments

Outcomes measurement/data collection procedures
Outcomes results reported for the previous two quarters
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Data Sheet


	Self-Study Documents	On-Site Documents	On-Site Activities
ECE 1 Philosophy of Care	Include Philosophy of Care in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information		Interview: Program director Teaching staff
ECE 2 Enrollment	Enrollment procedures	Parent handbook and other informational materials provided upon enrollment Resource and referral list	Interview: Relevant staff Parents
ECE 3 Parental Involvement and Support	Include description of the opportunities for parent involvement in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information	Informational material provided to parents Copies of classroom information available to parents Community resource and referral list	Interview: Program director Teaching staff Parents Review child files Observe facility Observe parent/teacher interactions
ECE 4 Health and Safety	Cleaning and sanitation procedures Diaper changing procedures Hand washing procedures Bottle handling procedures Infant sleep procedures to reduce risk of SIDS Child abuse and neglect reporting procedures Procedures for reporting, responding to and recording health problems and accidents	Health policy/procedures provided to parents Sample menus for meals and snacks Agreement with a health facility or qualified medical professional Documentation of professional installation, maintenance, and annual inspection of playground equipment Documentation of monthly playground maintenance inspections Copies of manufactures instructions for all playground equipment Smoking policy	Interview: Program director Relevant staff Review teaching staff files for: documentation of health screening CPR and First Aid certification Review children's health records Observe facility
ECE 5 Classroom Environment	Include description of how toys and other materials are chosen for the classroom in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information.	Policy governing the use of infant cribs, walkers, jumpers, and swings.	Interview: Program director Teaching staff Parents Observe facility
ECE 6 Promoting Quality Relationships with Teaching Staff and Peers	Include description of the primary caregiver role in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information Include description of how children contribute to the classroom and group in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information Behavior management policy and procedures	Relevant portions of curriculum related to social and emotional development	Interview: Program director Teaching staff Parents Observe interactions: Teacher/child Peer/peer Teacher/teacher Group Observe facility Review child files for behavior management plans
ECE 7 Developmental and Educational Activities	Curriculum or developmental plan for each age group Sample daily activity plans for each age group Assessment procedures Include description of how results of assessments inform daily activities and classroom materials in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information	Progress notes or group activity log Policy and procedures for the use of technology in the classroom Assessment tools and/or criteria	Interview: Program director Teachers Assistant Teachers Review child files Observe interactions Teacher/child Peer/peer Group Observe facility
ECE 8 Caring for Children with Special Needs	Include description of services for children with special needs in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information	Documentation of training and qualifications for teaching staff who are responsible for children with special needs Resource and referral list for specialized services and supports	Interview: Program director Teaching staff Relevant personnel Parents of children with special needs Review child files
ECE 9 Child Supervision	Procedures for child pick-up Procedures for covering staff breaks and other situations that require a teaching staff person to leave the classroom for 5 minutes or more Policy and procedures governing mixing age groups	Log or other materials documenting the off-site whereabouts of children Documentation of group size and ratios for the past month Staffing chart for the past month	Interview: Program director Teaching staff Parents Observe facility Observe arrival and pick-up times
ECE 10 Transition	Procedures for transitioning to another classroom or age group Procedures for transitioning to another school or program	Policy for removing a child from care provided to parents upon enrollment Community resource and referral list	Interview: Program director Teaching staff Parents Review child files
ECE 11 Personnel	Program staffing chart that includes lines of supervision List of program personnel that includes: name title degree held and/or other credential FTE or volunteer length of service at the organization time in current position Table of contents of training curricula Include description of supervision and support provided to teaching staff in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information	Job descriptions Documentation of training Data describing staff turnover Documentation of quarterly professional development opportunities and resources	Interview: Supervisors Teaching staff Review personnel files
ECE 12 Oversight of Family Child Care Homes	Include description of supports offered to family child care homes in Service Narrative Part 1: Program Information Screening criteria for family child care homes Matching procedures for family child care homes	Documentation of licensure for family child care homes Documentation of caregiver credentials for family child care providers Curricula of any training offered to family child care personnel Group sizes and ratios for family child-care homes.	Interview: Program director Family Child Care Coordinator Review personnel record for Family Child Care Coordinator

Fundamental Practice Standards:


Essential Life and Safety	Health and Welfare	Client Rights
ECE 4.01, ECE 4.10, ECE 4.11, ECE 4.14, ECE 4.16, ECE 4.19, ECE 5.05, ECE 9.01, ECE 9.02	ECE 4.02, ECE 4.03, ECE 4.04, ECE 4.05, ECE 4.06, ECE 4.07, ECE 4.08, ECE 4.13, ECE 4.15, ECE 4.18, ECE 6.08, ECE 9.03, ECE 9.05, ECE 9.06, ECE 11.05, ECE 12.04	ECE 3.03, ECE 8.01, ECE 11.06

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	PARENTS Parents can include: birth, foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Please see service standards for more specific information about use of this term.


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	SAMPLE A portion or representative percentage of a greater whole.


	CERTIFICATION Assurance from a state or professional association that a person or organization possesses certain attributes, knowledge, or skills.


	CAREGIVER The provider of physical, emotional, and social needs to another person, often dependent and unable to provide for his or her own needs. Caregiver is the generic term used for the direct service providers in Community Care and Support Services (CCS).


	ASSESSMENT An evaluation, which utilizes professional expertise and skills in the collection and analysis of data to understand and describe the nature of service needs of an individual, family, or group. Assessment, as in needs assessment, is also used to determine priorities of program planning and service development for the organization as a whole. See also DIAGNOSIS.


	CRITERIA Systematically developed, objective, and quantifiable statements used to assess the appropriateness of specific decisions, services, and outcomes.


	SPECIAL NEEDS A designation used in reference to conditions or characteristics of a person that reflect a need for special care, services, or treatment. When the term is used in the context of adoption services, special needs refers to conditions that make a child harder to place for adoption. This includes children who are members of sibling groups, older children, children with disabilities, children of certain racial /ethnic backgrounds, etc. When the term is used in the context of foster care it refers to the need for a higher degree of specialized case services and attention due to mental and physical disabilities. When the term is used in the context of out-of-school time services, a child or youth may have special physical, behavioral, medical, emotional, or cognitive needs that should be addressed or accommodated. The term is also used in other contexts. See also DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.


	INFANT A child aged one year and under.


	MANAGEMENT See ADMINISTRATION


	TRAINING Instruction so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient in a skill or body of knowledge.


	SUPERVISION Assumption of responsibility for directly overseeing and evaluating the work or work products of personnel within an organization. Also includes inspecting the act or process of accomplishing a function or activity.


	PERSONNEL The body of employees and/or volunteers that carries out the organization's tasks under the organization's administration and/or supervision. This definition does not include foster parents who are specifically referenced in relevant standards


	PROGRAM PERSONNEL All direct service and administrators or supervisors of direct services that are involved in the operation of the organization's social service programs. "Program personnel" does not include MIS, accounting, facilities, clerical, or other staff that are not involved in the provision or oversight of direct services.


	VOLUNTEER An individual who performs services for an organization for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services rendered. Such service must be offered freely and without pressure or coercion, direct or implied, from an employer. If the individual is otherwise employed by the same employer for which s/he volunteers, the individual cannot volunteer to perform the same type of services that s/he is paid to perform as an employee.


	JOB DESCRIPTION Explicit obligations and specific tasks required of personnel as a condition of employment. Such descriptions are in writing and may include educational, experiential, and skill requirements associated with the job.


	FAMILY Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialization, income support, long-term care, and other caregiving are among the functions of family life. The definition of "family" will rest with an individual's indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, fictive kin, or significant others. Organizations that believe family is the central constellation in a child's life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of "family."