Introduction to ECERS-R

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Introduction to ECERS-R
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There are 4 Environmental Rating Scales
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ECERS-Revised The Early Childhood Environment
Rating Scale-Revised

• a thorough revision of the ECERS
• designed to assess group programs for preschool
  to kindergarten aged children from 2 through 5
  years of age.
• Total scale consists of 43 items

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ITERS The Infant/Toddler Environment Rating
Scale

• Designed to assess group programs for children
  from birth to 2 1/2 years of age.
• Total scale consists of 35 items. Soon to be
  revised.

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FDCRS The Family Day Care Rating Scale

• Designed to assess family child care programs
  conducted in a providers home.
• Total scale consists of 40 items, including 8
  supplementary items for programs enrolling
  children with disabilities.

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SACERS The School Age Care Environmental Rating
Scale

• Designed to assess before and after school group
  care programs for school age children, 5-12 years
  of age.
• The total scale consists of 49 items, including 6
  supplementary items for programs enrolling
  children with disabilities.

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Each one of the scales has items to evaluate

• Physical Environment
• Basic Care
• Curriculum
• Interaction
• Schedule and Program Structure
• Parent and Staff Education

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The scales are suitable for use in evaluating

• Inclusive programs
• Culturally diverse programs

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The environmental rating scales are designed to
assess PROCESS QUALITY in early childhood or
school age group care.
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PROCESS QUALITY consists of

• Various interactions that go on in a classroom
  between staff and children
• Interactions between staff, parents, and other
  adults
• Interactions among children themselves
• Interactions children have with the many
  materials in the environment
• Features such as space, schedule, and materials
  that support those interactions

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PROCESS QUALITY is assessed primarily through
observation
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Process quality has been found to be more
predictive of child outcomes than than structural
indicators such as

• staff to child ratios
• group size
• cost of care
• type of care (child care center or family child
  care home

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Three Basic Needs All Children Have

• protection of their health and safety
• building positive relationships
• opportunities for stimulation and learning from
  experience

It takes all three to create QUALITY CARE!
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Scoring the ECERS-R

• The 43 items are divided into 6 subscales dealing
  with the childrens program
• The seventh subscale covers the needs of the key
  adults the parents and staff

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The ECERS is based on a broad definition of
environment including

• Organization of space
• Interaction
• Activities
• Schedule
• Provisions for staff and parents

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The ECERS-R has established interrater
reliability and validity

• Reliability scores will be consistent between
  raters
• Validity indicates the instrument measures what
  it purports to measure

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There are 4 levels of quality described

• 1 Inadequate indicates a negative situation that
  needs correction
• 3 Minimal
• 5 Good
• 7 Excellent

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Scoring Instructions

• When scoring an item always start reading from 1
  (inadequate) and progress upward until the
  correct score is reached

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Ratings are to be assigned in the following way

• A rating of 1 must be given if any indicator
  under 1 is scored YES
• A rating of 2 is given when all indicators under
  1 are scored NO and at least half of the
  indicators under 3 are scored YES
• A rating of 3 is given when all indicators under
  1 are scored NO and all indicators under 3 are
  scored YES

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• A rating of 4 is given when all indicators under
  3 are met and at least half the indicators under
  5 are scored YES
• A rating of 5 is given when all indicators under
  5 are scored YES
• A rating of 6 is given when all indicators under
  5 are met and at least half of the indicators
  under 7 are scored YES
• A rating of 7 is given when all indicators under
  5 are met and all indicators under 7 are scored
  YES

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• A rating of NA (Not applicable) may only be given
  for indicators or for entire items when NA
  permitted is shown on the scale and on the Score
  Sheet.
• Indicators that are scored NA are not counted
  when determining the rating for an item.

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Explanation of Terms

• Accessible means children can reach and use
  materials, furnishings, equipment and so forth.
• This does not mean that every child has to have
  access at all times.
• Access may be limited to a certain number of
  children in an area or limited to certain times
  of the day.

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Terms (continued)

• A substantial portion of the day means at least
  one third of the time the children are in
  attendance.
• Some and Many are further defined and
  differentiated in the Notes for Clarification
  for the items
• Staff generally refers to the adults who are
  directly involved with the children.

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Administration of the Scale

• The scale is designed to be used with one room or
  group at a time
• A block of at least 2 hours should be set aside
  for observation and rating.
• Before you begin your observation complete as
  much as possible of the identifying information
  on the top of the first page of the Score Sheet

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Administration of the Scale

• Take a few minutes at the beginning of the
  session to orient yourself to the classroom
• You may want to start with the items 1-6 in Space
  and Furnishings because they are easy to observe

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Administration of the Scale

• Some items require observation of events and
  activities that occur only at specific times of
  the day.

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Administration of the Scale

• Score items that assess interactions only after
  you have observed for a sufficient time to get a
  representative picture

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Administration of the Scale

• Items 19-28 In Activities will require both
  inspection of materials and observation of use of
  materials

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Administration of the Scale

• Be careful not to disrupt the ongoing activities
  while you are observing
• Maintain a pleasant but neutral facial expression
  
• Do not interact with children unless you see
  something dangerous that must be handled
  immediately
• Do not talk to or interrupt the staff

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Administration of the Scale

• Arrange a time with the teacher to ask questions
  about indicators you were not able to observe.
• The teacher should be free of responsibility for
  children when he or she is answering questions.
• Approximately 20 minutes will be required for
  questions.

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In order to make best use of the time set aside
for asking Questions

• Use the sample questions provided whenever
  possible
• If you have to ask questions about time for which
  no sample questions have been provided, jot your
  questions down on the Score Sheet or another
  price of paper before talking with the teacher

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Asking Questions

• Ask only those questions needed to decide whether
  a higher score is possible
• Ask questions on only one item at a time and take
  notes or decided on a score before you move on to
  the next item

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Asking Questions

• Ask questions in an organized, calm, and
  pleasant manner, putting as little pressure as
  possible on the person answering.
• Try not to ask leading questions or indicate a
  preferred answer.

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Scrambled Item

• Item 22 Blocks
• (a) 7
• (b) 3
• (c) 1
• (d) 5

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Rationale

• Good block play requires a sufficient number of
  blocks (d5) and adding a variety makes the area
  more stimulating (a7).
• Having a place to play where block structures are
  protected from being knocked down is necessary
  for a good setting (5), and labeled shelves (7)
  add to the childs ability to be independent.
• In addition to a block area indoors, some block
  play outdoors is required for a 7.

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Scrambled Item

• Item 18 Informal use of language
• (a) 5
• (b) 3
• (c) 7
• (d) 1

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Rationale

• For a basic good environment, staff must have
  many conversations with children and use language
  primarily to exchange information with children
  and for social interaction (a5), not primarily
  for control (d1).
• Observing conversations with many individual
  children ensures that the rich language promoting
  environment described in (a) is available for
  most of the children (c7)

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• For a good situation staff must also add to what
  children say (5) so that children can learn more
  than they already are able to produce verbally.
• More complex questions (7) can be added, once the
  language model is there from which the children
  can learn (5).

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Sample Situations for Scoring Practice

• Answer Sample Situation 1. Item 2.
• Score 4
• Reason for Score
• None of 1 is true, all of 3 is true
• 5.2 is true
• 5.3 is NA
• Half or more of 5 is true

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Sample Situations for Scoring Practice

• Sample Situation 2. Item 28.
• Score 7
• Reason for Score
• None of 1 is true
• Everything is true under 3, 5, 7

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Sample Situations for Scoring Practice

• Sample Situation 3. Item 18.
• Score 1
• Reason for Score
• Even though 3.1 is true, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 are
  true.
• If any indicator under 1 is true, the item must
  be given a 1.