2008-09 Center Based STARS Performance Standards Changes Announced

Annually, OCDEL reviews the Keystone STARS Performance Standards for Centers, Group Homes, and Family Day Care Homes.  This recognizes progress made by the field, aligns standards with new or revised program initiatives, and encourages continuous quality improvement. 

The 2008-09 STARS Performance Standards for Centers have been updated using feedback from

  • STARS Advisory Committee
  • Early Childhood and School Age Community, and
  • Regional Keys.

During 2007-08, the STARS Advisory Committee, OCDEL staff, and the Regional Keys hosted regional Listening Tours to understand providers’ successes, challenges, and barriers to the implementation of the STARS Performance Standards.  The results of these meetings, along with other feedback from the STARS community and the Regional Keys resulted in 2008-09 revisions.

The revisions to the 2008-09 STARS Performance Standards for Centers are summarized below and are in effect as of July 1, 2008.  Please contact your STARS Manager for specific details regarding these changes.

  1. The Keystone STARS Core Professional Development Series has been changed from the individual STAR 2 Performance Standard to several standards interspersed from Start with STARS to STAR 3.  Please contact your STARS Manager for information regarding how your facility, as a current STARS participant, may meet these new standards currently.
  2. In the Director and Staff Qualifications, all practitioners now follow the Career Lattice to determine their qualifications.  
  3. Under the STAR 3 Director Development section, the PA Director’s Credential standard has been modified from “enrolled in” to “complete,” as announced in the 2007-08 footnote to the standard.
  4. In the Child Observation/Curriculum/Assessment section, the STAR 3 and STAR 4 observations will be done using the Work Sampling System’s Guidelines and Checklists for Child Outcomes Reporting.  This will be effective 7/1/2009.
  5. Under the Continuous Quality Improvement section, the standard stating, “Provider conducts annual evaluation/review of program using multiple sources and develops an annual improvement plan” has been modified to state, “Provider develops a Continuous Quality Improvement Plan using multiple sources.”  This was announced in the 2007-08 footnote to the standard and has now become the standard.

We are scheduling meetings throughout the region to share information about these revisions.  A list of June meeting dates will be distributed in the Key Connection newsletter.   At these meetings we will provide you with a STARS Information kit customized for your site.  Thank you for your interest in providing a quality program to children in Northeastern PA.

Sara George
Vice President, Development
Community Services for Children, Inc
1520 Hanover Ave
Allentown, PA 18109
610-437-6000, ext 2101
sgeorge@cscinc.org
www.cscinc.org