QUALITYstarsNY uses Quality Standards to measure the quality of early childhood programs in the rating process and provide programs with a roadmap for quality improvement based on best practices in early childhood education.
The QUALITYstarsNY Standards were created by leading experts in the field of child development and early learning to provide New York State with a common framework for the elements of a high quality early childhood program.
There are four key areas of the QUALITYstarsNY Standards that are used to assess quality and program needs, since they are critical to forming a nurturing and exciting environment for children to play, learn and grow. These areas are:
- Learning environment
- Family engagement
- Staff qualifications and experience
- Management and leadership
QUALITYstarsNY sees quality as a journey rather than a single achievement. We understand that these areas look different for every program, and we work with programs to improve in each of these four areas based on their specific program structure and vision.