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 will include:

 Document reviews. The study will collect and conduct 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 will confirm and 

clarify the information obtained from documents and gather 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 will occur in September to October 2014. Document 

reviews and interviews will be conducted in fall 2014 to 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 not identify any individual respondents interviewed, and all 

interview data will be used for research purposes only.