List of questions

Frequently Asked Questions
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What is the Environmental Rating Scale? (ERS)

There are four environment rating scales, each designed for a different segment of the early childhood field.

  • Each one of the scales has items to evaluate: Physical Environment; Basic Care; Curriculum; Interaction; Schedule and Program Structure; and Parent and Staff Education.

  • The scales are suitable for use in evaluating inclusive and culturally diverse programs.

  • The scales have proven reliability and validity.

Our scales are designed to assess process quality in an early childhood or school age care group. Process quality consists of the various interactions that go on in a classroom between staff and children, staff, parents, and other adults, among the children themselves, and the interactions children have with the many materials and activities in the environment, as well as those features, such as space, schedule and materials that support these interactions. Process quality is assessed primarily through observation and has been found to be more predictive of child outcomes than structural indicators such as staff to child ratio, group size, cost of care, and even type of care, for example child care center or family child care home (Whitebook, Howes & Phillips, 1995).

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What are ECERS, ITERS, SACERS?(click)

Pros and Cons of participating in PA KEYS?

Pennsylvania is leading the country to promote and create a quality delivery system of Early Care and Education. It is a noble undertaking and there are studies that show the high return on investment. However, the state is a bureaucracy and working with them can be a daunting Task.

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