Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

• How is quality assessed?

  Highly trained assessors record the daily activities and interactions observed in a child care setting using the items found in one of the following four rating scales:

  • Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Third Edition) - For children birth to 3 years old
  • Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (Third Edition) - For children 3 years through 5 years old
  • Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (Third Edition) - Multi-age care for children birth through 12 years old, located in a Family Child Care Home or Center Located in a Residence
  • School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (Updated edition) - For children 5 years through 12 years old

• Are all items on each of the Environment Rating Scales scored?

  For NC's assessment process, items that directly reflect children's daily experiences are scored. The ECERS-3, ITERS-3, and FCCERS-3 are entirely observation-based, so all items will be scored. There are some items and subscales that are not scored for the SACERS-U and these are items 12, 14, 39-41, and 43-47.

• How many children need to be present for an assessment to be completed?

  More than half of the children enrolled must be present for more than half of the observation time, for an assessment to be considered valid. If less than half of the children are present, the assessor will ask the teacher and/or director whether more children are expected to arrive. If the observation reaches the halfway point, based on the scheduled nap time) and too few children are present, the assessment will need to be completed on another day. In most circumstances the next assessment attempt will occur within the program’s scheduling window; NCRLAP schedulers will contact the program if their window needs to be extended for some reason. 

  • For example, 10 children are enrolled so 6 must be present for more than 90 minutes of the ITERS-3, ECERS-3, or FCCERS-3 observation time. Or if 9 children are enrolled, then 5 must be present for more than half of the observation time.
  • The smallest number of children that can be assessed is two and if only two children are enrolled, then both must be present during the assessment. If only one child is enrolled, an assessment will not occur.

• How is it decided whether the ECERS-3 or ITERS-3 will be used in a classroom that has both 2 and 3 year olds?

  The ECERS-3 is used in classrooms where the majority of children are 3 years old and older. The ITERS-3 is used when the majority of children are 2 years and younger. If a classroom enrollment is exactly half and half (e.g., 3 of 6 children are 32 months or younger and 3 children are 36 months and older) then the ITERS-3 will be used.
  
  On the morning of the assessment, the assessor will double check children’s birth dates to insure that the correct rating scale is used that day, based on children’s ages. Programs may be concerned that a classroom will suddenly change one scale to another because of one child’s birth date. It is important to remember that as two-year-olds mature, additional materials, activities, and language interactions are developmentally appropriate, and necessary to maintain and stimulate children's interest. Therefore, when a classroom includes materials, activities, and a schedule that is developmentally appropriate, the requirements for the specific materials found in the ECERS-3 should not be surprising for a group of children that includes older two-year-olds. There should not be a sudden need to overhaul a classroom because one or even a few children are now 3 years old.

• Which Environment Rating Scale is used to assess a Center Located in a Residence?

  In North Carolina, the FCCERS-3 is used to assess programs with a FCCH license and also those classified as centers located in a residence (e.g., small centers in a residence).

• How is it decided whether a SACERS-U assessment will be needed for an after school program in a child care center?

  School age children need to be in care for at least two hours each afternoon before a SACERS-U assessment can be completed. Beyond that consider the following:

  • When a teacher is assigned to a classroom where only school-age children are enrolled, a SACERS-U assessment will be completed when a program’s Rated License Assessment occurs. At least two children must be enrolled for the assessment to occur.
  • When school-age children are combined with preschool children in the afternoons, the ages of the majority of children enrolled will determine if a SACERS-U is needed. If the majority of children are school-age, a SACERS-U assessment will be completed, even if there are some younger children enrolled.

• My program has NC Pre-K and Head Start classrooms, and some private-pay classrooms. Are the operating hours different for each classroom or the same?

  The ECERS-3 and ITERS-3 include a 3 hour observation and do not address the overall operating hours of the program. However, it is important for teachers and administrators to be aware of what the children experience at other times of the day, if they are in different locations with other staff. This helps insure that children have appropriate experiences, indoors and outdoors, with much time for child-selected learning and consistent expectations throughout their entire time at the program.