Quality

What is Delaware Stars for Early Success?

Delaware Stars for Early Success is a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).  This voluntary program is used to measure, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education and school-age settings. Participating programs are awarded up to 5 Stars.

What do the number of Stars mean?

Ratings for Delaware Stars are based on successful verification that the program meets high-quality standards in four areas:

• Family and Community Partnerships,
• Qualifications and Professional Development,
• Management and Administration,
• Learning Environment and Curriculum (this includes a formal assessment of classrooms in each age group using the Environment Rating Scales or ERS. The ERS is an internationally recognized valid and reliable observational tool used in research and evaluation).

The chart below compares the basic requirements of each Star Level.

Alternative Pathways

• Programs accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) are designated Star Level 5 once accepted into Delaware Stars due to the difficulty of obtaining and maintaining this accreditation.
• Head Start programs and state-funded Early Childhood Assistance Programs (ECAP) are designated Star Level 4 once accepted into Delaware Stars due to monitoring of federal and state performance standards. In order to advance to a Star Level 5, these programs must score a minimum of 5.4 on each ERS classroom assessment.

Tiered Reimbursement Program

Tiered Reimbursement Program is a separate payment made monthly by the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) to Delaware Stars providers with a level of 3, 4 or 5 who accept POC.  The reimbursement rate is determined by the type of program, county, children’s age, and the Delaware Star level.

Accreditation is another way a child care provider communicates the quality of their program. In order to become accredited by an agency child care providers are evaluated according to the agency’s set of rules. Some child care providers in Delaware are accredited by the following agencies. Visit their websites for more information on the rules and process for becoming accredited.

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
• National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)
• American Montessori Society (AMS)
• Association of Christian Schools International
• Council on Accreditation (COA)