Independent Evaluation of California's Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Quality Rating and Improvement System

The purpose of the Independent Evaluation of California's Race to the Top–Early Learning Challenge (RTT–ELC) Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) is to inform California stakeholders about the ability of the QRIS to accurately measure program quality, differentiate programs with better learning outcomes for children, and provide quality improvement (QI) supports that meet program improvement needs. Findings from the two-year study conducted by American Institutes for Research (AIR), the RAND Corporation, and other partners are presented in the Cumulative Technical Report and summarized in this executive summary. These findings can be used to make revisions to improve the QRIS as a measure of program quality and to identify promising ways to support QI efforts among early childhood programs.