Delaware’s revised Quality Improvement System (QIS) includes three Quality Indicators that represent broad content areas. Each Quality Indicator includes a set of Key Practices that help to define the Quality Indicator. Quality Indicators and Key Practices for both early childhood center-based programs and family child care programs can be viewed below.

Quality Indicator: Creating Conditions for Quality

Programs implement policies, procedures, and systems that support children, families, and early childhood professionals in the provision of early care and education.

Key Practices

1. Develops and implements a vision, mission, and program goals with meaningful input from families and the community.
2. Implements an effective financial management system​.
3. Implements a comprehensive risk management plan.
4. Implements practices to recruit and maintain highly quality educators, consultants, and contractors.
5. Implements procedures to orient staff.
6. Promotes professional growth and personal well-being for all educators and staff​.
7. Provides effective and meaningful supervision on teaching practice.
8. Creates an effective and positive organizational climate.

Quality Indicator: Positive Climate and High-Quality Interactions

Programs create culturally responsive, playful learning environments, using intentional and responsive interactions to promote relationships between educators and children and build a sense of community, while using developmentally-appropriate approaches to support each child’s learning and development.

Key Practices

1. Incorporates a whole child approach, intentionally supporting children through positive interactions.
2. Uses culturally responsive and identity affirming practices to build meaningful connections and foster a sense of community in the classroom.
3. Implements a comprehensive and research-based developmental screening process that is linked to follow-up.
4. Implements a research-based, comprehensive curriculum individualized through use of curriculum-based developmental assessment.
5. Implements inclusive practices and provides environments that are responsive to the developmental needs of all children enrolled in the program.
6. Provides accessible indoor and outdoor learning environments that promote curiosity and playful exploration.

Quality Indicator: Family Engagement and Community Services

Programs promote families in their roles as their child’s first teacher and engage in collaborative relationships with community organizations to holistically support children and their families.

Key Practices

1. Implements policies and practices that encourage families to be involved and connected with their children’s development and learning.
2. Uses culturally responsive and anti-bias strategies to intentionally engage with and respond to the needs of both the children and families enrolled in the program.
3. Engages with community organizations to support and promote child and family well-being.
4. Supports children and families with transitions to and from new learning environments.

Quality Indicator: Creating Conditions for Quality

Programs implement policies, procedures, and systems that support children, families, and early childhood professionals in the provision of early care and education.

Key Practices

1. Develops and implements a vision, mission, and program goals with meaningful input from families and the community.
2. Implements an effective financial management system​.
3. Implements a comprehensive risk management plan.
4. Promotes professional growth and personal well-being for self and LFCC staff.
5. Promotes positive relationships with other adults within the child care program and home.
6. Implements practices to recruit, maintain, and orient high quality educators, substitutes, consultants, and contractors (as needed).
7. (LFCC) Provides effective and meaningful supervision on teaching practice.

Quality Indicator: Positive Climate and High-Quality Interactions

Programs create culturally responsive, playful learning environments, using intentional and responsive interactions to promote relationships between educators and children and build a sense of community, while using developmentally-appropriate approaches to support each child’s learning and development.

Key Practices

1. Incorporates a whole child approach, intentionally supporting children through positive interactions
2. Uses culturally responsive and identity affirming practices to build meaningful connections and foster a sense of community in the program.
3. Implements a comprehensive and research-based developmental screening process that is linked to follow-up.
4. Implements a research-based, comprehensive curriculum individualized through use of curriculum-based developmental assessment.
5. Implements inclusive practices and provides environments that are responsive to the developmental needs of all children enrolled in the program.
6. Provides accessible indoor and outdoor learning environments that promote curiosity and playful exploration.

Quality Indicator: Family Engagement and Community Services

Programs promote families in their roles as their child’s first teacher and engage in collaborative relationships with community organizations to holistically support children and their families.

Key Practices

1. Implements policies and practices that encourage families to be involved and connected with their children’s development and learning.
2. Uses culturally responsive and anti-bias strategies to intentionally engage with and respond to the needs of both the children and families enrolled in the program.
3. Engages with community organizations to support and promote child and family well-being.
4. Supports children and families with transitions to and from new learning environments.

Why the Revision?

Like your program, Delaware Stars is in a continuous quality improvement cycle. We use what we’ve learned to improve the system to support you in providing quality care and education.

To formally evaluate the Delaware Stars system, Delaware contracted with the RAND Corporation from 2013-2016 to conduct an independent evaluation. Additionally, we looked at other states’ QIS to gain insights on Delaware Stars.

Here are some of the key learnings:

• Program quality increased modestly as star levels increased.
• FCCs tended to have higher quality scores.
• Children’s executive functioning skills were modestly higher in star level 5 programs
• Management & Administration and Qualifications & Professional Development domains moderately (positively) related to children’s cognitive skills.
• We need to pay more attention to workforce issues.
• Program and classroom quality measurement needs improvement.
• We may be leaving out important quality variables such as– children’s engagement, continuity, stability, etc.

Revision Reference Materials (for previously-named QRIS):

• QRIS Revision Introduction
  OEL presentation to introduce the revision process and share collected data with stakeholders.
• Revision Report 1
  A summary of initial stakeholder feedback on Delaware’s current QRIS.
• Research Synthesis
  Overview of QRIS and recommendations for Delaware’s QRIS revision.
• Structural Recommendation Information Sessions
  OEL presentation to share and gather feedback on the proposed structural changes to the QRIS model.
• Revision Report 2
  Summary of feedback on the initial draft proposal for structural changes gathered during information sessions.
• Delaware Theory of Change
  This is the Theory of Change for the Delaware Early Childhood Education Systems with a specific focus on the Stars revision process.

Past QRIS Updates:

• June 2021 (pt. 2)
• June 2021 (pt. 1)
• May 2020
• April 2020
• March 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019

• Ratings are closely aligned to factors proven to improve and sustain child, family, workforce, and program outcomes.
• The Stars system incorporates multiple indicators of program quality.
• Each level of Stars incorporates a cycle of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI).
• Equity and inclusion are demonstrated throughout the Stars system.
• The financial incentive and provider support structures are revised to better meet the needs of all programs and support CQI.
• Further align early childhood systems and create/improve data linkages.

The Office of Early Learning (OEL) within the Early Childhood Excellence Team at the Department of Education recognizes the importance of receiving suggestions and questions from the Early Care and Education community.

To best meet the needs of children, families, professionals, and programs and to improve how OEL sets standards/policies, provides supports, and collects data, they are providing an opportunity for programs to make suggestions and ask questions about Delaware’s FY26 Quality Improvement System.

FY26 QIS Feedback and Questions Form – This form is anonymous, and it will be available throughout FY26. Responses to the form will be reviewed weekly by the OEL team.

Based on feedback and questions received via the form, the OEL team will maintain the FY26 Quality Improvement System Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Suggestions document, which will be updated at least two times per month.