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The Alliance for Early Childhood Finance focuses on QRIS as a tool for system reform. The Alliance has supported states through facilitating planning and designing of standards, assessments, monitoring procedures, financial incentives and outreach. They have also provided comparative information and cost estimations.
Child Trends has supported states in selecting quality measures, creating data collection procedures and evaluating system effectiveness.
Computer Aid, Inc. has built AQUARIUS, a web-based system that collects data to track child care quality characteristics, including ERS data, professional credentials, classroom ratios, parent involvement data and child developmental screening records. AQUARIUS takes all of this information and generates a one to five star rating based on a weighted formula. The system also enables users to apply for mini-grants, perform elaborate cost analysis and to create reports on how money is being allocated and if there are improvements in the center's quality. There is also a calendar included in AQUARIUS that allows users to schedule site visits. This information that comes out of AQUARIUS is used, for example, to allocate professional support and financial incentives and researchers and thought-leaders are able to access information to study child care quality.
Early Childhood Policy Research has supported states through facilitating planning and designing of standards, assessments, monitoring procedures, financial incentives and outreach. They have also provided comparative information and cost estimations.
FPG has worked with states on pilot testing QRIS, designing and/or implementing a QRIS evaluation, and have provided consultation on the selection of quality measures.
Karen Ponder has worked with states on integrating QRIS into comprehensive systems, understanding the politics of developing a QRIS within particular state contexts, and has helped states develop communication materials and communication processes with stakeholders.
The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership has provided both training and technical assistance to states on improving the quality of early childhood program administration (leadership and management) through QRIS and professional development systems.
NAFCC has supported states in their designing of QRIS for use in family child care homes.
NARA provides technical assistance, training and consultation to states in all matters related to licensing of child care facilities. The quality of a QRIS system is directly impacted by the quality of a state’s regulatory system: its rules, monitoring and enforcement. NARA has assisted states with reviewing and developing policy related to the relationship and linkages of licensing to QRIS systems and their ongoing communication.
NAEYC has provided technical assistance to a variety of stakeholders in various stages of QRIS development. They have developed resources and materials to describe and advocate for linkages between NAEYC Accreditation and QRIS. They have also developed resources and tools for embedding concepts of cultural competence within QRIS criteria, as well as for programs participating in QRIS to assess and improve their levels of cultural competence.
NACCRRA supports CCR&R state networks and local agencies in their collaborations with states’ development and implement of quality rating and improvement systems and works with State Child Care Administrators upon request.
The content of the direct technical assistance NCCIC provides to States and Territories touches on each of the areas regarding the planning and implementation of QRIS. The NCCIC central office also has a full time researcher/writer dedicated to QRIS as a content area who answers requests from states and policy makers.
NITCCI has developed a QRIS Learning Community with 8 states to provide a forum for discussion, technical assistance, and development of resources specific to infant and toddler quality issues. They have worked with states on the planning of an Infant Toddler Specialist Network to assist the statewide implementation of QRIS by building collaborative technical assistance models to incorporate the quality specialist, child care health consultants and the infant toddler specialists for statewide QRIS implementation.
The NC Division of Child Development has conducted peer-to-peer technical assistance on the following topics: the structure of North Carolina
Quality Assist has worked with states on designing state-level technical assistance systems that include assessment of need and capacity; workforce development; accountability; optimizing resources; and system management. They have designed, developed and formalized a credentialing system for TA consultants based on knowledge and demonstrated competency and have developed a 50-hour course for technical assistance consultants and have developed training for mentors and coaches. Quality Assist has also conducted large scale evaluations of program quality.
The Smart Start NTAC has worked with states on integrating QRIS into comprehensive systems, understanding the politics of developing a QRIS within particular state contexts, and has helped states develop communication materials and communication processes with stakeholders.
The BUILD Initiative has supported states in outlining system goals, infrastructure needs, state-local roles and responsibilities and have supported states in developing provider outreach strategies, choosing quality measures, creating data quality assurances, developing evaluation strategies and creating culturally competent systems.
The Finance Project supports state and local leaders in developing strategic financing and sustainability plans. This technical assistance and related tools and materials can be used to support the financing of a QRIS, and includes fiscal mapping, costing out infrastructure and services, and utilizing a range of financing strategies.
The Afterschool Investments Project has developed resources and information on designing a QRIS to include school age providers. AIP has facilitated audio-conferences, focus groups and state planning efforts to develop quality standards specific to school-age care that are aligned with QRIS standards and that support school-age program participation.
The RAND Corporation has work with a state on selection, development, and refinement of measures of quality, QRIS design and development of evaluations and data collection procedures.