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1
Oregons RTT ELCG Application Round 2: Validation Study
Study 1: Psychometric Properties of QRIS Standards and Tiers
Description. Study 1 includes two major components: a) examining the psychometric
properties of the QRIS and b) validating to program-level outcomes. The two components of this
study will be conducted simultaneously.
a) Psychometric Properties: This phase of the validation will focus on making sure
that the indicators and standards measure what they are intended to measure, correlate
with one another appropriately, and work as overall tiers. This will also include
examining dimensions of quality within the tiers for use in subsequent steps of the
validation. The goal is to make changes that reduce e measurement error within the
ratings so that they best predict the intended outcomes. Study 1 findings will be used
to make recommendations for revising standards and/or tiers to enhance psychometric
properties.
b) Validation to program-level outcomes (teacher-child interaction). In this phase of
the validation the research team will examine the extent to which Oregons TQRIS is
successful in differentiating levels of observed quality of educator-child interaction.
Research shows that the quality of educator-child interaction is the most direct and
consistent predictor of childrens development and learning (e.g. Mashburn et al.,
2008). Oregons TQRIS builds on the research that shows that the standards
measured in the tiers promote higher quality educator-child interactions, which in turn
supports childrens learning, development, and school readiness. Measurement of the
extent to which these research-based standards link to levels of observed quality is
essential to building a TQRIS in which tiers predict observed variation in child
outcomes across tiers.
Research Questions
1.1 To what extent do the overall tiered ratings differentiate observed quality of educator-
child interactions?
a. Are there changes that could be made to the TQRIS standards/indicators to
increase the ability to differentiate the quality of educator-child interactions?
(consider the standards/indicators included, dimensions of quality,
points/weighting, and cut-offs)
b. How effective are the structural indicators of quality (compared with the tiered
ratings and/or their components) in differentiating observed quality?
1.2 How much does variability between teachers/classrooms within programs (e.g. in
professional development of individual educators) affect the validation results?
1.3 Are more or fewer tiers needed to ensure confidence that the quality ratings differentiate
quality of educator-child interactions?
1.4 Do the quality ratings differentiate quality equally well for center-based programs and
family child care? If not, what revisions are necessary so that they do?
Study 2: Validation to Child-Level Outcomes
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2
Description. The purpose of study 2 is to assess the extent to which the tiers in Oregons TQRIS
are associated with independent measures of childrens language, social-emotional, and cognitive
development, and with statewide school readiness assessments, and to inform continued
refinement of the TQRIS so that it most effectively differentiates these outcomes.
Research Questions.
2.1 To what extent are higher quality ratings associated with more progress in childrens learning
and development?
2.2 To what extent do higher quality ratings help to narrow the school readiness gap between
children with high needs and their peers?
2.3 What revisions to Oregons TQRIS would increase associations between the tiered ratings
and childrens learning and development? Areas to consider:
2.3.1 Dimensions within the tiered ratings, weighting, points/blocks/hybrid systems -what type
of system best differentiates child outcomes without creating bottlenecks in which
programs get stuck?
2.3.2 Does variability between teachers/classrooms within programs (e.g. in professional
development of individual educators) affect the validation results?
2.3.3 Are more or fewer tiers needed?
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