Author: Sheila Smith

Young Children at Risk: National and State Prevalence of Risk Factors

Post author Taylor Robbins, Shannon Stagman, Sheila Smith
Project Early Childhood Two-Generation State Policy Profiles;
Publication Type Fact Sheet
Post date October 1, 2012

Learn about our Improving the Odds for Young Children project. Introduction Across the U.S., large numbers of young children are affected by one or more risk factors that have been linked to academic failure and poor health. Chief among them is family economic hardship, which is consistently associated with negative outcomes in these two domains. […]

Practices for Promoting Young Children’s Learning in QRIS Standards

Post author Sheila Smith, Taylor Robbins, Shannon Stagman, J. Lee Kreader
Project Expanding Opportunities for Family Engagement;
Publication Type Report
Post date September 1, 2012

Learn about our Expanding Opportunities for Parent Engagement project. This is an excerpt from the full brief. Introduction Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS) have emerged as a central strategy in states’ efforts to improve the quality of early care and education programs and the capacity of these programs to promote positive outcomes for children. Currently, […]

Coaching and Quality Assistance in Quality Rating Improvement Systems: Approaches Used by TA Providers to Improve Quality in Early Care and Education Programs and Home-based Settings

Post author Sheila Smith, Taylor Robbins, William Schneider, J. Lee Kreader, Christine Ong
Project
Publication Type Report
Post date January 1, 2012

This is an excerpt from the full report. Introduction Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRISs) commonly offer on-site technical assistance (TA) and coaching to help early care and education settings achieve quality improvements and a higher QRIS rating. In surveys of administrators overseeing statewide QRISs, almost all states reported the use of on-site TA and coaching […]

Building Strong Systems of Support for Young Children’s Mental Health: Key Strategies for States and a Planning Tool

Post author Sheila Smith, Shannon Stagman, Susan Blank, Christine Ong, Kendra McDow
Project Supporting Young Children's Mental Health;
Publication Type Report
Post date June 1, 2011

Learn about our Supporting Young Children’s Mental Health project. What’s Inside… This report describes key strategies for creating a comprehensive system of supports for young children’s mental health and provides examples from states using these strategies. It also includes a tool that state planners can use to assess progress and plan steps toward building […]

Quality Stars NY: Field Test Evaluation Report

Post author Sam Stephens, J. Lee Kreader, Sheila Smith, Lisa A. McCabe
Project
Publication Type Report
Post date April 1, 2011

Background QUALITYstarsNY is New York State’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). The current QUALITYstarsNY standards were developed to apply to programs and providers under the regulation of one of New York’s public agencies – the State Office of Children and Family Services, the State Department of Education, or the New York City Department of […]

Features of Professional Development and On-site Assistance in Child Care Quality Rating Improvement Systems: A Survey of State-wide Systems

Post author Sheila Smith, William Schneider, J. Lee Kreader
Project
Publication Type Report
Post date October 1, 2010

This is an excerpt from the full report. Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS) are now operating state-wide in 18 states. An additional 13 states are implementing QRIS in selected regions or as pilot initiatives. While highly varied in their specific features, these systems all use a set of interrelated strategies that aim to raise the […]

Improving Supports for Parents of Young Children: State-level Initiatives

Post author Louisa Higgins, Shannon Stagman, Sheila Smith
Project Project Thrive;
Publication Type Report
Post date September 1, 2010

Learn about our Project Thrive project. This is an excerpt from the full report. Introduction Most states are working to strengthen supports for young children’s health and development across the different systems that affect family and child wellbeing. Increasingly, efforts to support parenting are an important focus of this work. While states’ strategies are varied, […]

Promoting the Social-emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs: Promising Strategies in Four Communities

Post author Taniesha A. Woods, Sheila Smith, Janice L. Cooper
Project
Publication Type Report
Post date June 1, 2010

This is an excerpt from the full report. Project Overview This brief presents promising approaches to support the social-emotional wellbeing of infants and toddlers through the Part C Program. The strategies discussed in this brief were identified through case studies carried out in four communities: Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles County, California; Doña Ana County, New […]

Promoting Young Children’s Health and Development: Taking Stock of State Policies

Post author William Schneider, Sheila Smith, Dionna Walters, Janice L. Cooper
Project Early Childhood Two-Generation State Policy Profiles;
Publication Type Report
Post date May 1, 2010

Learn about our Improving the Odds for Young Children project. Young children’s health is essential to their overall development, well-being, and school readiness. Untreated health problems and a lack of preventive care contribute to higher rates of serious illness, absenteeism in preschool, physical and emotional distress, and even long-term disability. At a historic moment when […]