Quarterly Notification to ELPs

This notification is intended to be used to remind the currently certified providers of the upcoming annual monitoring visit. This notification will be distributed quarterly to a selected group. 

 Dear Texas Rising Star Certified Early Learning Program, 

We are excited to be able to continue to support you with your program’s quality improvement journey through Texas Rising Star as the new Workforce Solutions – Early Education Quality Services provider for the 13 county Gulf Coast region. 

This notification is to remind you that your program might be up for a Texas Rising Star annual monitoring visit. 

The unannounced annual monitoring visit is a required observation visit conducted each year to ensure your program continues the quality of care at which it is certified and to ascertain if there are areas in which the aid of a mentor is needed to maintain or improve quality. 

Typically, the annual monitoring visit will take place prior to the yearly certification date, but not earlier than three months from that date (e.g., effective date of certification is 6/01/2023; the annual monitoring visit will take place during the month of March, April or May of 2024, for the first year and March, April or May of 2025, for the second year; the third year is a recertification year). 

Please find below important information to assist you in preparing for the upcoming annual monitoring visit: 

·        A Texas Rising Star staff may contact you ahead of their visit to request classroom schedules. This information will help determine how many classrooms will be observed during the assessment. 

·        Assessors will arrive at your program no earlier than 8:00 am. Visits can take place during the morning and/or afternoon, depending on the size of your program. The Assessor may visit your program on several days and one or more additional Assessors could be assigned to assist. 

·        Prior to arriving, the Assessor will complete the applicable screening, by reviewing your program’s most recent 12-month history with Child Care Regulations. You will be notified upon arrival if an impact to your program's certification is applicable. 

·        The Assessor will conduct an entrance meeting upon arrival with the director or owner, or with the person in charge, in their absence (the Director or owner does not need to be present for the Assessor to begin conducting the visit). This brief meeting explains the visit's purpose and helps determine which classrooms will be observed. 

Unannounced annual monitoring visit – Information applicable to Non-Accredited Centers: 

·        Assessors will observe at least fifty percent of the classrooms to include at least one from each age group for Category 2: Teacher-Child Interactions and Category 4: Indoor and Outdoor Environment, as applicable. If the early learning program (ELP) has only one classroom for an age group, then the Assessor will complete the classroom assessment on that classroom. For ELPs that have more than one classroom for an age group, priority is given to new classrooms, classrooms that have teacher turnover, and/or classrooms that have not previously been assessed either during the most recent full site assessment or during the most recent monitoring visit (for example, there was no enrollment at the most recent on-site visit and a new classroom opened since then). Dependent on the total number of classrooms and age groups served by an ELP, this may put the total classrooms observed over fifty percent. 

·        The Assessor will review all staff training files (to include any new staff files to review training plans, orientations, and education). 

·        The Assessor will assess the facility measures in Category 1: Staff Qualifications and Training and Category 3: Program Administration, to determine whether any changes have been made since the most recent assessment. It is recommended to have available the parent handbook, staff handbook, training plans and orientation checklists for all staff. The purpose of this process is to help remain in compliance with all Texas Rising Star categories during the three-year Texas Rising Star certification cycle. 

·        The selected classrooms will be observed for a minimum of one hour, not to exceed 1 ½ hours. 

Unannounced annual monitoring visit – Information applicable to Registered or Licensed Homes: 

·        For mixed-age group homes, Assessors will conduct the classroom observation for Category 2: Teacher-Child Interactions and Category 4: Indoor and Outdoor Environment. 

·        The observation will last at least one hour, with the option of thirty additional minutes. If the home has more than one grouping of children, the Assessor will observe each group for one hour, with the option of thirty additional minutes. 

·        The Assessor will also review all staff training files (to include any new staff files, for training plans, orientations, and education) and applicable facility measures in Categories 1: Staff Qualifications and Training and Category 3: Program Administration, to determine whether any changes have been made since the most recent assessment. It is recommended to have available the parent handbook, staff handbook, training plans and orientation checklists for all staff. This is to help the ELP remain in compliance with all Texas Rising Star categories during the three-year Texas Rising Star certification cycle. 

   Unannounced annual monitoring visit – Information applicable to Nationally Accredited Programs: 

·        For nationally accredited facilities, the Assessor will observe at least one hour with the option of thirty additional minutes, with fifty percent of the classrooms to include at least one classroom for each age group for Category. 

  2: Teacher-Child Interactions and Category 4: Indoor & Outdoor Environments only. If the ELP only has one classroom for an age group, then the Assessor will complete the classroom assessment on that classroom. For those programs that have more than one classroom for an age group, priority is given to new classrooms, classrooms that have experienced teacher turnover, and/or classrooms that have not previously been assessed either during the most recent full site assessment or during the most recent monitoring visit (e.g., there was no enrollment at the most recent on-site visit and new classrooms opened since then). Depending on the total number of classrooms and age groups served by a program, this may put the total classrooms observed over fifty percent. 

·        It is recommended to have available a copy of the current Nationally Accreditation Certificate for the Assessor to review. 

  After the assessment observation: 

  ·        The scores calculated from the visit will not affect the ELPs star level rating. It will be used to generate a technical assistance plan and to observe any significant improvements in the quality of care of your program, with potential request for a Star Level Evaluation (this request is made through your program’s Mentor). 

·        Assessors will email the report after the scores are calculated. The director will be asked to sign and send back within two business days. 

·        If your program scored lower than during the previous Texas Rising Star assessment, a mandatory Service Improvement Agreement (SIA) will go into effect for a six-month period. The non-compliance must be corrected no later than six-months from the effective date. You will receive technical assistance from your assigned Texas Rising Star Mentor if an SIA is required. 

·        A follow up assessment will be conducted within 30-days after the end date of the six-month SIA time frame, an assessment of the categories originally observed as deficient is conducted for all classrooms and staff, as applicable to the category. 

·        If the categories score at the originally assessed star level, the SIA ends, and the ELP remains at the verified star level. 

·        If, based on the observations at the end of the SIA assessment, the ELP scores at a lower calculated star level, this new star level will be verified and effective the first day of the month following the day of the assessment. 

 Should you have any questions regarding your upcoming annual unannounced monitoring visit, please contact your Texas Rising Star Mentor. 

We look forward to your continued participation in the Texas Rising Star Certification Program!