The District 158 Early Childhood Center has achieved the Gold Circle of Quality in ExceleRate Illinois, the state’s quality recognition and improvement system for early learning and development programs. ExceleRate unifies all of the state’s early learning programs under a common set of standards across multiple settings to provide families with important information about quality early learning programs in their community.
ExceleRate Illinois is anchored by a set of standards that focus on early learning and development and places a high priority on instructional excellence, family services, staff qualifications, professional development, and program administration. Central to its design is the recognition of multiple forms of evidence to meet the universal standards.
For Preschool for All programs, evidence is obtained through the monitoring visits conducted through National Louis University’s contract with the Illinois State Board of Education. During these monitoring visits, assessors collect evidence using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Third Edition (ECERS-3) and the ISBE Compliance Checklist. Each Preschool for All program site is awarded an ExceleRate Circle of Quality based on its Compliance and ECERS-3 scores.
To learn more about ExceleRate Illinois, including the specific requirements for each Circle of Quality, visit www.excelerateillinoisproviders.com. A website that provides parents and families with information to assist them in making early care and education decisions can be found at www.excelerateillinois.com.
