Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge: Descriptive Study of

Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement Systems in Nine Round 1 States

The Issue: 

Characteristics 

of TQRIS and 

How Ratings Are 

Related to Child 

Outcomes

The Race to the Top—Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant program is a joint 

effort of the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services 

(HHS) to strengthen the quality of early learning and development programs; increase 

access to high quality early learning programs for all children; and help ensure that 

children enter kindergarten with the skills, knowledge, and approaches toward learning 

they need to succeed. Since 2011, RTT-ELC has committed more than $1 billion to 

fund reforms in five key areas: (1) integrating state early care and education systems; 

(2) increasing access to high quality, accountable programs; (3) promoting early 

learning and development outcomes through statewide standards and comprehensive 

assessment systems; (4) developing and supporting the early childhood workforce; and 

(5) building early learning data systems to measure child outcomes and progress. The 

second area focuses on the design and implementation of Tiered Quality Rating and 

Improvement Systems (TQRIS) that can provide parents and other stakeholders with 

information on the quality of early learning programs. To better understand the TQRIS 

that RTT-ELC grantees are developing, ED’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has 

launched a descriptive study of the TQRIS funded under RTT-ELC. This study will 

collect information from Round 1 RTT-ELC grantee states to examine the structure 

and characteristics of TQRIS. The study will also explore the feasibility of examining 

the relationship between characteristics of center-based early care and education

programs, as captured in TQRIS ratings, and child outcome measures at kindergarten 

entry.
Research 

Questions and 

Objectives

The study’s primary research questions are: 

 How are TQRIS ratings defined, collected, and generated in the nine Round 1 

RTT-ELC states and how might the structure and implementation of the rating 

system influence the reliability and validity of the ratings?

 Is it feasible to examine the relationship between TQRIS ratings and children’s 

kindergarten readiness outcomes in selected RTT-ELC states?

 What is the relationship between TQRIS ratings and kindergarten readiness 

outcomes for programs that serve preschool-age children in selected RTT-ELC 

states?

Study 

Participants and 

Activities

The study will involve collecting and analyzing data from the nine Round 1 RTT-ELC 

states. Study activities include:

 Document reviews. The study collected and conducted a targeted review of 

publicly available documents, TQRIS websites, and documents shared by the 

RTT-ELC states (such as program guides, TQRIS standards, and descriptions 

of TQRIS data systems). 

 Interviews with state representatives. During telephone interviews with 

representatives from each RTT-ELC state who have in-depth knowledge about 

the TQRIS and kindergarten entry assessments, the study confirmed and 

clarified the information obtained from documents and gathered information 

that could not be obtained from the document reviews.

 Administrative records data. Data on TQRIS ratings and kindergarten entry 

assessment test scores will be gathered electronically from states and/or 

districts within selected Round 1 RTT-ELC grantee states. 

Study Timeline Initial conversations with states occurred in September to October 2014. Document 

reviews and interviews were conducted in winter 2015. Administrative data will be 

collected as kindergarten entry assessment scores become available beginning in fall 

2015.

The Study Team IES selected Mathematica Policy Research to conduct this study. Mathematica, a 

nonpartisan policy research firm, conducts research and surveys for federal and state 

governments, foundations, and private-sector clients. Mathematica’s studies of 

education initiatives and other programs have been used to inform national 

policymakers for 45 years. 

To Find Out 

More

Contact Mathematica’s study director, Irma Perez-Johnson, at (609) 275-2339 or 

iperez-johnson@mathematica-mpr.com.

Confidentiality The study team will follow the confidentiality and data protection requirements of IES 

(The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). 

Information obtained through this data collection will be used only for research 

purposes. The reports prepared for the study will summarize state-level findings and 

will not associate findings with a specific district, program, or individual student. We 

will not provide information that identifies respondents to anyone outside the study 

team, except as permitted by law.
Time and 

Obligation to 

Participate

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to 

respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB 

control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 

xxxx-xxxx. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to 

average 8 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing 

data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information 

collection. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have 

comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, 

application or survey, please contact directly: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. 

Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20208.