National quality rating systems show divergent operationalisations across countries, and links between ratings and child development are often shielded from scrutiny¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Approaches to measuring ECEC quality differ markedly across countries (e.g. QRIS in the USA, EYFS/Ofsted in the UK, Australia's mandatory national system), and the extent to which national quality ratings align with child development is often not publicly reported. → Steven J. Howard 2024

Evidence¶

Steven J. Howard 2024¶

Steven J. Howard, Kate L. Lewis, Emma Walter, Irina Verenikina, & Lisa K. Kervin. (2024). Measuring the Quality of Adult–Child Interactions in the Context of ECEC: a Systematic Review on the Relationship with Developmental and Educational Outcomes. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09832-3

q2 · i? · quant-synthesis · r2

Narrative review of international measurement approaches: the OECD notes ECEC has greater variation in quality measurement approaches than other educational contexts; the review observes that "national quality ratings align with child development is often shielded from public scrutiny", e.g. Australian NQS ratings are public but outcome-linked data are not.

"Also problematic, the extent to which these national quality ratings align with child development is often shielded from public scrutiny."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Test-based Quality Rating and Improvement Systems have been costly, inefficient, and subject to manipulation, while collaborative quality-improvement approaches are emerging — related
• California's ECE programs are held to very different quality standards, which can mean unequal learning opportunities for similar children — related
• Prior meta-analyses report few or weak associations between ECEC quality indices and child progress, with process quality more predictive than structural quality — related
• Quality measures vary widely in foci, observation approach and index derivation, obscuring which specific characteristics drive stronger child outcomes — related