The Star Gazette - Great Start to Quality

October 2021

The Star Gazette

In this Edition:

Professional Development Qualification Change - Reminder
GSQ and CLASS Introductory Overview
Program Quality Indicator Guidance Documents - New Links and Translated Versions
Ideas for Programs and Providers
Get to Know the Validators and Assessors

Professional Development Qualification Change Reminder

Reminder: On May 1, 2021, the way programs and providers earn credit for Professional Development and Qualification Indicators was changed temporarily to better support providers facing challenges related to hiring and retaining staff due to the pandemic and MiRegistry membership processing timelines.

Credit will be earned for the appropriate professional development indicators, when:

The program indicates they meet the indicator on the Self-Assessment Survey.
All staff members are connected to the Organization Profile and have correct position titles.
All staff have an individual MiRegistry membership or are in the membership approval process. Membership Statuses of Applied, Materials Received, Awaiting Print, Current, or Expired will meet the intent of a valid membership status.
If an employee was hired in the last 90 days, they are exempt from having a valid membership status.

This adjustment will continue through December 31, 2021. Beginning January 1, 2022, programs must meet the indicators as laid out in the Program Quality Indicator Guidance Documents.

GSQ and CLASS Introductory Overview

As Great Start to Quality continues to plan for CLASS implementation for on-site observations, we offered some introductory training to provide an overview on how CLASS will be used in Great Start to Quality and to address some frequently asked questions. Our first two introductory overview trainings on GSQ and CLASS were conducted in August and September 2021. If you missed those opportunities, you can review the recording on our CLASS Will Replace PQA page, without training credit.

Program Quality Indicator Guidance Documents New Links and Translated Versions

Program Quality Indicator Guidance Documents that are translated have been moved from a separate page to the Self-Assessment Survey page on the GSQ Website. You will now see four options of documents on the bottom of the page.

Four new documents that have been translated and added to the webpage are as follows:

Spanish translated documents

Child Care Centers
Out-of-School Time Centers 5 to 12

Arabic translated documents

Child Care Centers
Out-of-School Time Centers 5 to 12

All documents have been updated as of September 2021. There were no other changes made to the documents.

Ideas for Programs and Providers

As the Great Start to Quality Assessment Team visits providers across the state, we see amazing and creative ideas that we want to pass on to all of you to share with your programs.

Do your toddlers struggle with stairs in your home or center? Are you worried they might fall because the handrail is higher than they can reach?

A provider that we visited this month has a solution that we’d love to share with you!

Install a second handrail at toddler height, below the regular handrail, to keep younger children safe on the stairs.

Get to Know the Validators and Assessors

Over the next few issues, we will introduce you to one team member from both the Validation and Assessment Teams.

Nicole Kretzschmer, Validator

Nicole Kretzschmer is a Validator for Great Start to Quality and previously served as the Assessment Manager. In the Validator role, she focuses on the integrity of the Great Start to Quality rating system by reviewing the evidence submitted as a part of the Self-Assessment Survey.

Ms. Kretzschmer worked as a contracted Assessment Specialist beginning in 2013 and joined Great Start to Quality in 2015 as a Validator. Ms. Kretzschmer has worked with children and families in settings including family child care, child care centers, faith-based centers, summer camps, and Head Start.

Ms. Kretzschmer received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Great Lakes Christian College.

Amber Vanderzalm, Assessor

Amber Vanderzalm joined the Great Start to Quality team as an Assessor in June 2013. Her current work is focused on conducting on-site observations based on the Program Quality Assessment (PQA) tools for the Great Start to Quality rating system.

Ms. Vanderzalm has worked in the Early Childhood field for over twenty years in a variety of roles. Through her work, she has gained experience in best practices in teaching, assessment of programs and staff, and providing resources and support to children, families, and providers.

Ms. Vanderzalm received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education specializing in Early Childhood from Western Michigan University. Ms. Vanderzalm is certified as a reliable assessor by HighSope.

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If you are thinking about how to maintain or continue making quality improvements, or if you’re ready to learn more and need help, contact your local Great Start to Quality Resource Center by calling 1-877-614-7328 or visit www.greatstarttoquality.org.

Funding from the Office of Great Start within the Michigan Department of Education supports the implementation of Great Start.