Understanding the Child Care Star Assessment Tool: A Guide for Quality Early Learning Programs

For child care and early learning programs aiming for excellence, the child care star assessment tool is an indispensable resource. This tool is central to the Texas Rising Star program, designed to elevate the quality of care and early childhood education across Texas. Whether you are seeking initial certification, recertification, or striving for continuous improvement, understanding and utilizing this assessment tool is key to your program’s success.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Texas Rising Star assessment tools, offering direct access to essential documents for your certification journey and quality enhancement efforts.

Navigating Certification and Recertification with Ease

The Texas Rising Star program utilizes a structured approach to certification and recertification. To initiate this process, certain documents are mandatory. These ensure that your program meets the fundamental criteria and is ready for a comprehensive assessment.

Key Documents for Certification Request

When your program is prepared to apply for initial certification or recertification, you will need to submit the following documents:

• Texas Rising Star Certification Request Form: This digital form is the starting point of your application. It officially signals your program’s readiness to undergo the certification process.

  • Texas Rising Star Certification Request Form

• Applicable Screening Form: The screening form is crucial for determining your program’s eligibility based on its type and current Texas Rising Star status. It ensures that your program aligns with the program’s requirements before proceeding further. Choose the form that corresponds to your program type and certification status:

  Screening Forms (Select your program type and applicable Texas Rising Star status)

  Initial Certification Request:

  • TRS Screening Form – Licensed Centers
  • TRS Screening Form – Home Based Providers
  • TRS Screening Form – After School Programs

  Recertification Request:

  • TRS Screening Form – Licensed Centers
  • TRS Screening Form – Home Based Providers
  • TRS Screening Form – After School Programs

• Completed Facility Assessment Record Form (Self-Assessment): This self-assessment form is a critical component of the initial application. It requires programs to evaluate their facilities against Texas Rising Star standards, fostering self-reflection and identifying areas for improvement even before the formal assessment. Select the Facility Assessment Record Form relevant to your program type:

  Texas Rising Star Assessment Record Forms

  Select your program type or All Facilities:

  • Facility Assessment Record Form-Centers
  • Facility Assessment Record Form-Homes
  • Facility Assessment Record Form-School Age/Single Skill After School
  • Facility Assessment Form-All
  • Facility Assessment Record Form-Non-Traditional Care Only

  Select All Ages or each classroom’s age group: For a more granular classroom-level assessment, utilize these forms:

  • All Ages Classroom Assessment Record Form
  • Infant Classroom Assessment Record Form
  • Toddler, Preschool, or School Age Classroom Assessment Record Form
  • All Ages Specialty Classroom Assessment Record Form

Supporting Your Journey to Quality Care

Beyond certification, the Texas Rising Star program offers a wealth of supporting documents. These resources are designed to guide programs through the intricacies of maintaining high standards and continuously improving their services. These documents act as valuable guides, offering insights into best practices, regulatory compliance, and strategies for program enhancement.

Essential Guidance Documents

• Texas Rising Star Guidelines: For a thorough understanding of the rules and regulations governing the Texas Rising Star program, this document is essential. It outlines the framework within which programs operate and are evaluated.

  • Texas Rising Star Guidelines

• Research Addendum: Delve into the research foundation that underpins the Texas Rising Star program. This document provides insights into the evidence-based practices and principles that drive the program’s effectiveness.

  • Research Addendum

• Revenue Calculator: Explore the potential financial benefits of participating in Texas Rising Star. This tool helps programs understand the enhanced rates and financial incentives associated with achieving and maintaining star status.

  • Revenue Calculator

• Digital Resource Collection: Access a curated collection of digital resources designed to assist in creating robust program policies and procedures. This collection serves as a valuable toolkit for strengthening program management and operational efficiency.

  • Digital Resource Collection

• Category Measures: Gain clarity on the specific measures within each category of the Texas Rising Star assessment. These documents break down the criteria and expectations for each category, enabling programs to target their improvement efforts effectively.

  • Category 1 Training Plans and Staff Qualifications
  • Category 2 Key Behaviors
  • Category 3 Family Education
  • Category 3 Program Management
  • Category 4 Indoor Environments
  • Category 4 Outdoor Environments
  • Category 4 Real, Multicultural, Non-stereotypical

• Self-Developed CQIP Desk Aid: Guidance on creating a Self-Developed Continuous Quality Improvement Plan (CQIP) is provided in this desk aid. CQIPs are vital for programs committed to ongoing growth and development.

  • Self-Developed CQIP Desk Aid

• Texas Rising Star Certification Checklist: Ensure you have all necessary documents in order before submitting your certification application using this checklist. It serves as a final verification tool to streamline the submission process.

  • Texas Rising Star Certification Checklist

Seeking Further Assistance

For any inquiries regarding the Centralized Assessment Entity (CAE) transition or any other questions, please reach out through the designated support channels. Your journey to providing high-quality child care is supported every step of the way.

This guide is designed to equip child care and early learning programs with the necessary resources to navigate the Texas Rising Star program effectively, utilizing the child care star assessment tool and related documents to achieve and maintain excellence in early childhood education. By leveraging these tools and resources, programs can demonstrably enhance the quality of care they provide, benefiting children, families, and the community.