Gathering Data for the CEM

Transcription

1 Gathering Data for the CEM Introduction NCCCQI s Cost Estimation Model (CEM) is a Web-based tool that can help users project quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) costs. Based on a tool designed by Anne Mitchell of the Alliance for Early Childhood Finance, CEM allows users to generate multiple reports that compare the cost of a pilot, phased-in approach, or fully implemented QRIS. The model requires users to enter assumptions (e.g., projected participation rates, number of QRIS levels, provider incentives), and can illustrate how different elements impact cost. As you proceed through the CEM, you will be asked to make many decisions regarding your QRIS and enter state-specific data. It may be helpful to have a list of these data and decisions prior to creating a master report. This document walks you through each screen of the CEM and can be used as a workbook to record your information prior to entering it into the actual web-based tool. The model makes some assumptions based on common data captured from States previous experience with QRIS. Since it is built on flexibility, the user has the option of changing the assumptions to reflect his/her State context more accurately. Those items that have built-in assumptions are noted in the corresponding tables. Please note that this model is meant to be a guide for broadly estimating annual costs for implementation of a QRIS at varying stages. This is distinct from a multi-year budget estimate that would include more detailed projections for implementation based on state- specific data and priorities. Throughout this document, there are several references to a companion tool, the Quality Rating and Improvement System Resource Guide. This guide is a Web-based tool for States and communities to explore key issues and decision points during the planning and implementation of QRIS. The guide is divided into eight sections, which cover topics ranging from the initial design process to evaluation. Each section includes a set of questions for users to consider and discuss when planning, implementing, or revising a QRIS, as well as State examples to illustrate strategies used to develop and implement QRIS. The guide also includes selected resources and an interactive map that links users to information about the status of each State s QRIS or other large-scale quality improvement initiative. The guide can be found at 1

2 1. Settings A QRIS can include all kinds of early and school age care and education programs centers, homes, and schools of all types. Including more types of programs can make more complete quality information available to consumers and contribute to a coordinated early education system. (Information about participation is available in Section 2: Initial Design Process in the QRIS Resource Guide.) First, consider which types of programs will be included in your QRIS and check those respective boxes. The CEM organizes programs into two main categories centers and home-based. It is important to note that terminology for different categories of care varies from State to State. The most important thing to consider when entering the number of different categories of care is to avoid duplication between categories. For example, the same center should not be counted both as a regulated nursery school and a school-based prekindergarten site, even if both of those titles apply. It is important to make a decision about how to categorize these programs in your state and to be consistent in this approach throughout the use of this tool Next, determine how many of each type of program are in your State (or other defined geographic area) and enter the total unduplicated number of each type of program. These numbers are used in many later calculations. Given what you know about your State, estimate the percentage of each type of program that is likely to participate in your QRIS at a given point in time. The percentage of participation will likely be lower at the beginning and increase in later years. (Information about mapping of the workforce is available in Section 2: Initial Design Process in the QRIS Resource Guide.) To get costs per year over time, you can enter your QRIS features and then change the participation rates to represent different years as the QRIS is phased in. You can save and label these reports accordingly. More About Participation Rates In this model, you will enter two types of participation rates: by program type and by level. Overall participation rates vary among QRIS, unless the QRIS is mandatory as in North Carolina and Tennessee, where it is 100 percent by definition. If the starting level of the QRIS is any regulated program, then close to 100 percent participation is achievable with strong technical assistance (TA) and professional development supports, generous financial incentives, and effective promotion. Enter what you think is a desirable and achievable rate for each type of program. This model can be used to estimate the cost per year of phasing in or piloting a QRIS. (Information about the phased-in approach is available in Section 3: Approaches to Implementation in the QRIS Resource Guide.) By gradually increasing program participation rates and participation by levels, you can estimate the cost of a phasedin implementation. You can enter low participation rates, save the resulting report, and then increase the rates, save that result, etc. 2

3 TABLE 1 What Programs will be included in your Quality Rating & Improvement System? Give the unduplicated number for each and the estimated percentage of each type of program that you expect to participate Center Based Programs Total Number % Participating Licensed Centers Regulated Nursery Schools School Based Pre-K Military Centers Tribal Centers Legally Exempt Centers Head Start Early Head Start Home Based Programs Total Number % Participating Regulated Family Child Care [FCC] Regulated Group Family Child Care Legally Exempt FCC Homes 3

4 Assumptions to Simplify the CEM Based on common sizes of centers and homes in the United States, the CEM assumes an average center has 4 classrooms with 16 children on average (across age ranges, infants through school-age children) per class, or 64 children per center. Each classroom is estimated to have 1 teacher and 1.5 assistants (to account for breaks, shift changes, opening and closing times, etc.), and each center has 1 director, for a total of 11 staff. If you believe that the data assumptions for some participating programs are significantly different for another type of program, e.g., the number of classrooms, children and staff in school-age programs and prekindergarten programs is much less than a child care center, you may wish to create separate report for different categories of care. For FCC homes, the CEM assumes 1 provider in a small FCC home and 1 provider and 1 assistant in a large (group) FCC home. The CEM calculates the average number of children in a home from the numbers of small and large (group) FCC homes you enter; the default assumptions are 6 children per small FCC home and 12 children per large FCC home. If you have data for your State that differs from these common assumptions, you can change the defaults by clicking view/change assumptions. Table 2 gives you a worksheet to enter assumptions specific to your State, in the event that they are different from the CEM s default assumption. Program and Provider Data-- Assumptions Category TABLE 2 CEM Default Assumptions Average Number of Staff per Center 11 Average Number of Children per Center 64 Average Number of Providers per FCC Home 1 Average Number of Assistants per Large FCC 1 Home Number of Children in Small FCC Home 6 Number of Children in Large FCC Home 12 Number of Classrooms per Center 4 Assumptions for your State 4

5 2. Levels QRIS are based on a graduated progressive set of standards, commonly with 3, 4, or 5 levels. (Information about rating levels is included in Section 4: Standards and Criteria in the QRIS Resource Guide.) Select how many levels your QRIS will have. Some States define a pre-entry level. If you want to do that, add that level to the total number of levels in your QRIS. So, if your QRIS will have 4 levels and you want a pre-entry level, enter 5. Given what you know from data and/or intuition about the current status of program quality in your State, make an educated assumption (best guess) about what percentage of programs will fall into each of the levels of your QRIS. Participation by levels will change over time. In the initial years, more programs likely will be on the lower levels, and in later years more will be on the higher levels. QRIS Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 TABLE 3 Percentage of participating programs expected to be at each level What Quality Rating Elements will you be including in your QRIS? QRIS are a set of inter-related, interactive elements. All QRIS have five common elements: (1) standards, (2) accountability measures, (3) program and practitioner outreach and support, (4) financial incentives, and (5) parent/consumer education efforts. These elements function effectively together as a quality rating and improvement system in the early and afterschool care and education market. The CEM includes these elements along with several others that States differentiate. Some States have found that a fund for facility improvements is also helpful, as is a data system and ongoing QRIS evaluation. The CEM lets you choose what elements to include in your QRIS. You might choose to omit an element(s) because there is already sufficient capacity and funding for that element. Or you might choose to include only one element because you are using the CEM to determine the cost of adding that specific element to your QRIS. At this point in the CEM tool, you will check off which elements you will be including in your calculation. You will record more information about the elements you include in your QRIS in a later section of this workbook. 3. Current Investments To produce an accurate estimate of the cost of implementing a QRIS, current investments in quality improvement activities must be considered. (Information about accessing other funding resources is in Section 8: Cost Projections and Financing in the QRIS Resource Guide.) In this section, you will enter the annual amount being spent on initiatives that are reasonably related to and can be realigned to support the QRIS. Do not include amounts for unrelated activities, e.g., if your State funds an initiative for family, friend, and neighbor caregivers and 5

6 they will not be included in any way in the QRIS. You can enter an amount for each category for which funds are currently expended. TABLE 4 How much of the money that we are currently spending for quality improvement can we redirect or align to support the cost of the QRIS? Category Amount Currently Being Spent T.E.A.C.H. or Other Scholarship Programs Practitioner Compensation Programs (e.g., WAGE$) Training and Other Professional Development Technical Assistance Subsidy Bonuses Based on Quality (e.g., tiered reimbursement) Loans for Facility Improvement Other Improvement Initiatives 4. QRIS Elements Quality Assessment, Monitoring, and Administration Quality Assessment, Monitoring, and Administration includes the costs for (1) conducting onsite assessment (assessors) and (2) reviewing applications and accompanying documentation to designate the rating level of a program (application reviewers). (Information about documenting compliance, determining the rating level, and monitoring the rating is available in Section 5: Accountability and Monitoring in the QRIS Resource Guide.) In addition, these staff have supervisors. The supervisors also develop policies, coordinate QRIS operations, process appeals, and analyze and report data, among other administrative tasks. The compensation of assessors, application reviewers, and the supervisors and the overhead costs for these positions are included in the calculation. For on-site assessment, the CEM includes assumptions for ERS and CLASS. (For information about assessment tools, see Section 4: Standards and Criteria in the QRIS Resource Guide.) You can also choose to use other assessments and enter your own data for those (see below). The ERS is a set of four program quality assessment tools developed at the Frank Porter Graham Center at the University of North Carolina: Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Revised (ITERS-R), Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R), School-age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS), and Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale Revised (FCCERS-R). The CEM assumes the appropriate tool is used in each setting. CLASS is a set of tools for observing and assessing the quality of interactions among teachers and students in classrooms. It measures instructional and social interactions proven to contribute to students academic achievements and social competencies. There are prekindergarten, elementary, and secondary versions of CLASS. The CEM assumes use of the prekindergarten version of CLASS, which is designed for classrooms of 3- and 4-yearold children in centers and schools. There are several considerations in choosing assessment tools: look for valid, reliable, research-based tools; be sure the tool measures an aspect of practice that is clearly associated with quality and backed by research; weigh 6

7 the response burden for programs against the added value of a particular assessment; and think about the cost to administer the assessment. The CEM assumes that programs at all levels of the QRIS will submit applications that need to be reviewed. However, you choose which levels of your QRIS will have ERS assessments or CLASS assessments done (in preschool classrooms in center-based programs). Some States do on-site assessment at all levels; some assess only at higher levels. You choose how often assessment will be done (annually or less often) and how many classrooms will be assessed by entering a percentage of classrooms in center-based programs. Many States assess 50 percent, taking a random selection with at least one classroom in each age group. Homes are automatically 100 percent since homes only have one assessment (the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale). The CEM assumes that, on average, across all types of schools and centers, 50 percent of classrooms are preschool classrooms. TABLE 5 Which assessments will you be using? Environment Rating Scales (ERS) Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) Other Assessment Tool How often will you be assessing each level in Centers? Level How Often Do You Plan On Assessing? Level 1 Centers Level 2 Centers Level 3 Centers Level 4 Centers Level 5 Centers How often will you be assessing each level in Homes? Level How Often Do You Plan On Assessing? Level 1 Homes Level 2 Homes Level 3 Homes Level 4 Homes Level 5 Homes Calculating the cost of an assessment other than ERS or CLASS If you choose to use a different assessment tool, there are two ways to do so: 1. Under the question, Which assessments will you be using?, enter the estimated total cost under "Other assessment tool." In estimating the cost, consider factors such as how much time is required to observe and report on each program or classroom, the time needed for scheduling and travel to sites, the time needed to maintain reliability among observers, the proportion of supervisors to observers and the cost for materials and training to conduct the assessment. 7

8 2. If you are not using the ERS assessment tool, you can revise those default assumptions for a different tool. In the Quality Assessment element, under the question, Which assessments will you be using?, check the ERS and answer the other questions on that screen based on the assessment you have selected. Then click on View/Change QRIS CEM Assumptions at the top of the screen and revise the default values for the ERS to reflect the other assessment tool you have chosen. For example, the ERS assumption "Cost of the Branagh ERS Data System annual license per tablet" would not apply to another tool, and the default value could be revised to instead reflect the materials cost of assessment forms. In the Final Report, the cost will be shown as either an ERS or CLASS assessment. You should include in your report notes the name of the assessment tool you are using. Salary, Benefit and Overhead Information To calculate Salary, Benefit and Overhead Information you need to enter estimated salaries to calculate the overall cost of the assessors, the application reviewers and the supervisors. Estimate the average salaries paid in your State for staff who would be qualified to fill the roles described above under Quality Assessment. In addition to salaries, there are benefits and overhead costs, such as office space, materials and supplies, and telephone and travel expenses for these employees. The model adds 50 percent in addition to these salaries to cover these costs. TABLE 6 Position Program Assessor Application Reviewer Supervisor of Assessors and Application Reviewers State Average Salary The CEM asks you to estimate the percentage of staff that will need ERS training. Initially this may be 100%, but should decrease over time. Training Type ERS Training CLASS Training TABLE 7 Percentage of Staff Who Will Need Training 8

9 Assumptions to Simplify the CEM: ERS Assessors The CEM assumes that a trained observer/assessor can complete 3.5 ERS assessments per week. This is based on several sources of data. The Branagh Information Group (the company that has the exclusive license from the ERS publisher, Teachers College Press, to do electronic scoring of ERS) reports that a trained observer working full time can complete 2.2 assessments (1 assessment is 1 classroom or 1 home) per week. Pennsylvania reports its Keystone STARS assessors do 3 per week. The ERS authors report an observer can do up to 4 per week. A safe average is 3.5 per week. This includes vacation, sick time, weather delays, travel time, scheduling and rescheduling, etc. The costs for using the electronic version of the ERS (the ERS Data System from the Branagh Information Group) are assumed. The Branagh system for ERS is an interactive data storage and management system that allows for calculating scores (overall and subscales), inter-rater reliability overall, and reliability on specific questions and subscales, and can be customized to include other tools. The current cost of a tablet PC with the Branagh system installed is $2,000. The current annual license fee is $6,480 per PC. The CEM assumes that each assessor will use a single tablet PC and that training is included in the annual license fee. Training is required to use the ERS. The CEM assumes training costs based on assessors and supervisors going to the University of North Carolina for training. The cost is $1,225 for the 5-day training and $1,695 for travel and lodging. CLASS Assessors The CEM assumes that a trained observer/assessor can complete 5 CLASS assessments per week. This is based on the experience of two State QRIS pilots and information from the CLASS authors. This assumption includes vacation, sick time, weather delays, travel time, scheduling and rescheduling, etc. Training, which is offered throughout the United States, is required to use CLASS. Assessors need to complete CLASS Observer Training ($670 per person) and maintain reliability (annual reliability check is $100 per assessor). Supervisors are encouraged to complete the more extensive 3-day Certified CLASS Trainer program ($2,100 per person), which, if they achieve certified status, permits them to train CLASS observers. The Observer Training is $978, and the Certified Trainer program is $1,217. Travel per person is estimated at the same rate as for ERS (mentioned previously). Application Reviewers The CEM assumes that an application reviewer can process and act on 8 applications per week, with delays, follow up, etc. Supervisors The CEM assumes supervisors are needed for both the assessors and the application reviewers. Supervisors of assessors need time to monitor reliability of the assessors among other management tasks, such as data analysis and reporting. Supervisors of application reviewers need time to write policies, evaluate the program, process appeals, and promote the QRIS, among other tasks. The CEM assumes 1 supervisor for every 5 assessors and reviewers. If you feel your QRIS will need more management and administrative resources, reduce this default number (set at 5) in the assumptions. If you feel your QRIS will need less administration time, increase the default number. If you have data from your State that differs from these common assumptions, you can change the defaults by clicking view/change assumptions. 9

10 TABLE 8 Assessments-- Assumptions Category CEM Default Assumptions Average Number of ERS Assessments 4 Completed Weekly Average Number of CLASS Assessments 5 Completed Weekly Number of Program Applications Reviewed 8 Weekly Number of Assessors/Reviewers Assigned to 5 Each Supervisor Cost of ERS Training per Attendee $1,225 ERS Travel To and Lodging In North Carolina $1,695 Percentage of Classrooms in Centers that are 50 Preschool Classrooms Cost of CLASS Training (Observer/Assessor) $670 Cost of CLASS Training (Master $2,100 Observer/Trainer) Cost of CLASS Materials per Classroom $3 Cost of CLASS Traveling (Average for 2 & 3 $1,100 days, hotel and flight) Annual Reliability Check (done by video) per $100 Assessor/Observer Cost of the Branagh ERS Data System Annual $6,480 License per Tablet (with initial training) Cost of Tablet PC $2,000 Number of Persons Using Each Tablet PC 1 Assumptions for your State 10

11 Professional Development Professional development is represented in the CEM in two ways. First, it is represented as the cost of providing scholarships over several years to a percentage of practitioners in participating programs, both centers and homes. Scholarships is a broad term meaning financial assistance to people for acquiring training and credentials and taking college courses leading to degrees. You can choose the annual amount of scholarship per person, and the percent of practitioners who you expect will need scholarships to complete the needed professional development to advance in your QRIS. Base your selections on what you know about the current qualifications of the average member of the early childhood workforce in your State, and the qualification goals set in your QRIS standards. When choosing a scholarship amount, you can average the cost across different qualification levels, e.g., Child Development Associate preparation is likely less expensive than several courses at university tuition rates. The second kind of professional development is training about the QRIS itself, e.g., training on the ERS and/or CLASS, or introduction to the QRIS standards. This training is usually offered statewide. You can enter a lump sum for the amount you expect to allocate for this statewide training. (Information about providing program and practitioner outreach and support is available in Section 6: Provider Incentives and Support in the QRIS Resource Guide.) The cost of managing the professional development infrastructure including a scholarship and statewide training program should be entered under the Data Systems and Other Administration element. TABLE 9 Professional development for practitioners in participating centers Average Amount of Scholarship Each Practitioner in a Participating Center Will Need Level of Practitioner Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Professional Development for practitioners in participating homes Average Amount of Scholarship Each Practitioner in a Participating Center Will Need Level of Practitioner Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Statewide Training to Support QRIS How much will be allocated towards Statewide training? % of Providers in Level That Will Need Scholarships % of Providers in Level That Will Need Scholarships 11

12 Technical Assistance Technical assistance is the cost of consultation to help programs, both centers and homes, improve. Assistance may need to be provided intensively to programs as they enter the QRIS and less intensively as they advance their quality over time. Some programs will require intensive work in the first year and then may not need any further help; others may need modest help over several years. TABLE 10 Technical Assistance for Program Improvements for Centers Level of Programs % of Programs in Level Who Will Need Technical Assistance Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Technical Assistance for Program Improvement for Homes Level of Programs % of Programs in Level Who Will Need Technical Assistance Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Assumptions to Simplify the CEM: Technical Assistance The calculation for the cost of Technical Assistance is based on an average per program cost and the percentage of programs participating in the QRIS that you expect will need assistance. You can either use the default amount of $2,500 per program (for both centers and homes), which is based on the average cost of quality improvement TA initiatives in several States, or you can enter an amount based on data from initiatives in your own State. To change the default, click view/change assumptions. Technical Assistance-- Assumptions Category Average Cost of Technical Assistance per Program TABLE 11 CEM Default Assumptions $2,500 Assumptions for your State 12

13 Financial Incentives Financial incentives are designed to reflect and help defray the cost of meeting quality standards (for programs) and the price of tuition (for consumers). They can be delivered in a variety of ways: as tiered reimbursement, improvement grants, recognition awards, program bonuses, etc. Practitioner incentives can be delivered to the program, which is then accountable for using the funds for compensation, or paid directly to the individual. (For information about offering financial incentives, see Section 6: Provider Incentives and Support in the QRIS Resource Guide.) It is important to consider a range of incentives and not just those that would benefit a specific audience, e.g., child care centers accepting subsidy reimbursement. The CEM includes the cost of offering financial incentives as grants to programs, practitioners, or both. A few States offer incentives for consumers usually as tax credits; the CEM does not include those. Most States provide incentives to programs, with different amounts for programs depending on size and level of quality. You can enter amounts for programs at different levels in the QRIS. The financial incentives for practitioners are calculated per provider; you enter an average amount knowing that awards may vary based on qualifications, tenure, or other criteria you decide to use for eligibility. The cost of administering financial incentives should be entered under the Data Systems and Other Administration element. Financial Incentives for Programs Centers QRIS Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Financial Incentives for Programs Homes QRIS Level Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Financial Incentives for Practitioners Type of Provider FCC Home (per provider) Center (per staff person) TABLE 12 Amount of Annual Program Incentive Grant Amount of Annual Program Incentive Grant Amount Awarded on Average Tiered reimbursement is a common financial incentive, e.g., higher State child care reimbursement rates linked to the levels in the QRIS. Tiered reimbursement is designed to help increase access to higher quality child care for low-income families. Increases are often a percentage increase above the regular subsidy rate; the percentage increases as the QRIS level increases. The user can estimate the cost of tiered reimbursement. First, enter the total annual amount your State spends now on all child care subsidy payments. Then, calculate what the average percentage increase will be across your QRIS levels. For example, if the increase will be 5 percent for Level 1, 10 13

14 percent for Level 2, 15 percent for Level 3, and 20 percent for Level 4, then the average increase will be 12.5 percent. Finally, estimate the percentage of recipients who now receive child care subsidy payments that you expect will be enrolled in a program that participates in the QRIS. TABLE 13 Tiered Reimbursement What is the current total annual spending on child care subsidy payments? What will be the average percentage increase in subsidy rates across all QRIS levels? What percentage of current subsidy recipients will attend a program participating in the QRIS? Communication for Public Awareness Various kinds of communication can educate the public, and especially consumers, about the importance of early childhood education and choosing a rated program. Communication strategies can promote program participation in the QRIS. Based on other States experience, this is an opportunity to engage private sector partners, e.g., United Way, businesses, foundations. CCR&R agencies will likely list QRIS ratings and/or there will be a central Web site publicizing them. Communication can involve brochures, buttons, banners, citations, sample media releases, media coverage, etc. The CEM asks you to enter an estimated amount per year TABLE 14 Public Awareness How much will be allocated toward communication and publicity in your QRIS? (Enter the total amount you expect to spend per year) Facility Improvements Some programs facilities may need renovation to meet the requirements of the QRIS. Some States have a revolving loan fund for facility improvements for programs in the QRIS. (For information about offering financial incentives, see Section 6: Provider Incentives and Support in the QRIS Resource Guide). TABLE 15 Facility Improvements Will you have a loan fund for facilities improvements? 14

15 Assumptions to Simplify the CEM: Facility Improvements Rather than attempting to estimate the current status of facilities and their precise need for renovations, the CEM assumes a revolving loan fund could be set up. The CEM assumes an annual allocation will be made over a certain number of years to finance the asset pool of such a loan fund. The size of the loan fund needed for your State is based on the size and usage experience of loan funds in several States; the CEM assumes a fund that would provide an average of $1,400 per regulated program participating in the QRIS. The calculation adjusts the size of your loan fund based on the participation rates you expect in your QRIS. If you have data for your State that differs from these common assumptions, you can change the defaults by clicking view/change assumptions. The cost of administering a loan program should be entered under the Data Systems and Other Administration element. Facility Improvement-- Assumptions Category Estimated Average Loan Amount per Center TABLE 16 CEM Default Assumptions $1,400 Assumptions for your State System Evaluation An evaluation is usually conducted by a third party, i.e., not those agencies and organizations involved in implementing the QRIS. If completed annually, the evaluation usually concentrates first on the early implementation phase (process evaluation), can track the profile of program quality over time, and might focus on outcomes in later years. By evaluating early implementation and continuing to evaluate as the QRIS goes to scale, mid- course corrections can be made to ensure that the system is functioning effectively. Outcomes can be evaluated once the QRIS is functioning at optimum levels and after children have been able to experience a significant amount of time (years) in well- performing programs. (For information about program evaluation, see Section 7: Data Collection and Evaluation in the QRIS Resource Guide.) Based on the cost of evaluation of various types of programs and systems, a general rule for estimating evaluation costs is about 3 percent to 5 percent of total direct program costs. The CEM calculation is based on direct operational costs of the QRIS, which includes all elements of your QRIS except the costs of financial incentives and the Facilities Improvement Loan Fund. You enter the percentage for evaluation (1 percent to 10 percent). System Evaluation What percentage of direct cost do you feel is necessary for evaluation of your QRIS? TABLE 17 15

16 Data Systems and Other Administration Especially in larger States, implementing a QRIS is easier with an automated system to collect and report data. Some States have an existing data system(s) that can be adapted for this task; others have chosen to design a new data system. (For information about data collection, see Section 7: Data Collection and Evaluation in the QRIS Resource Guide.) TABLE 18 Default Data System Would you like to use the default data management system to capture all QRIS reports, applications and documentation? Many states are creating professional development registries as a way to verify QRIS criteria on staff qualifications and training. You are also asked to enter other administrative costs tied to the management of quality improvement initiatives. Some examples may include career counseling for teachers seeking scholarships, coordination of on-site technical assistance, and management of a grant or loan program. TABLE 19 Personnel Registry System Would you like to use the default registry system to capture personnel data? Other Administrative Costs How much will it cost to administer Professional Development, Technical Assistance, and Financial Incentives? 16

17 Assumptions to Simplify the CEM: Data System The CEM assumes that some initial data system development will be needed and that there are ongoing costs for data system use and maintenance. Ongoing costs are estimated at an amount per user. The CEM assumes all the assessors, application reviewers, and their supervisors will be users. The annual amount per user is set at $1,200; the cost for initial development is set at $75,000. These defaults are based on information from a few States and the costs of Web-based Early Learning System, which is being used in several QRIS. If you have data for your State that differs from these common assumptions, you can change the defaults by clicking view/change assumptions. Professional Development Registry Development costs for a practitioner registry are estimated at $125,000 regardless of the number of participants. A number of States are developing a more comprehensive system to include a practitioner registry, trainer/consultant registry, and training approval system that are linked to each other. This system allows registered trainers/training sponsors to enter the approved training into the online system, and participation is then entered into the practitioner registry. Creating a linked system reduces registry staff time. A more comprehensive system is estimated to cost $175,000 but could be less if linked to an existing data system. A system takes ongoing maintenance and improvements such as expanded data collection and reporting, as well as registry staff time to provide technical support to participants, promote the registry, generate reports, etc. Cost per practitioner may vary based on whether they enter and update their own data, registry staff time required to verify data, the components of the database, etc. The cost per practitioner is multiplied by the projected number of center and home-based practitioners participating in the QRIS at all levels (see Final Report for this breakdown). If you have data for your State that differs from these common assumptions, you can change the defaults by clicking view/change assumptions. TABLE 20 Data System and Professional Development Registry-- Assumptions Category CEM Default Assumptions Initial Cost of QRIS Data System $75,000 Yearly Ongoing License & Maintenance $1,200 Costs per User Registry Development Cost $125,000 Yearly Ongoing Maintenance Costs per $5 Practitioner Assumptions for your State 17