working together for improved services...
by Renee Liss, Contributing Editor, Accountability
As the Coalition Performance Review team ends the triennial monitoring cycle, we have compiled the most commonly seen compliance trends across coalitions. Each quarter in CONNECTIONS, the team will highlight two trends to help coalitions avoid similar findings in their review.
One common issue encountered in educational service delivery is difficulty in ensuring child care providers use developmentally appropriate curricula and character development programs. Section 411.01(5)(c)2a and b, F.S., requires early learning coalitions to implement a comprehensive program of School Readiness services that enhance the cognitive, social, and physical development of children. These programs must contain curricula designed to enhance the age-appropriate progress of children in attaining performance standards and a character development program to develop basic skills.
Each coalition identifies in its plan how it will ensure School Readiness child care providers select and use curricula and programs. The most important tool the Agency review teams use to evaluate coalition performance for this standard is the coalition plan. Common findings in this area are:
- Need to create or implement a developmentally appropriate curricula list as stated in the coalition plan.
- Need to enforce the signed provider agreement requiring the implementation of the developmentally appropriate curriculum and character development program.
- Need to monitor child care providers or limit monitoring to just a few, such as those participating in a Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) program.
