Why Program Quality Matters for Early Childhood Inclusion: Recommendations for Professional Development

Only a handful of states address children with disabilities in their early child care quality rating systems. As a result, few states are evaluating the quality of inclusive programs and services. This problem is compounded by a lack of consensus on dimensions that define high quality inclusion and a need for additional measures of quality inclusive practices. This National Professional Development Center on Inclusion paper advocates for the need to link early childhood program quality and professional development, with a particular focus on how this topic relates to early childhood inclusion. Appended are: (1) Resources; (2) Key Features of States' QRIS [Quality Rating and Improvement System]; and (3) Measures of Program Quality. (Contains 7 footnotes.)