If you've ever wanted—or been required—to evaluate the quality of your early childhood program, you owe yourself an introduction to ITERS* and ECERS, the field's most widely-used rating scales.
Developed by the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, ITERS and ECERS utilize a broad range of research-based, developmentally appropriate criteria to guide practice. The scales are used throughout the US for self-assessment by staff, to prepare for accreditation, or as part of voluntary improvement efforts by licensing agencies and other bodies.The scales are also used in US military childcare centers worldwide, and in other countries including Portugal, Spain, England, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
As their names indicate, both scales measure the quality of the overall care and learning “environment” created by a particular early childhood program. Specific criteria are used to determine the quality for key aspects of a program’s space & furnishings, personal care routine, language and reasoning, activities, interaction, program structure, and provision for parents and staff.
If you use ITERS/ECERS and wish to purchase items that meet the criteria, note that we've just made the selection process easier for you:
On the web each product that meets the system’s requirements has a blue (ITERS) or gold (ECERS) button. Clicking on the button will bring up the corresponding “item.” The “indicator” number follows in bold.
In our catalog next to each product that meets the system’s two highest quality levels, we’ve added a blue (ITERS) or gold (ECERS) tab. The text on the tab indicates the corresponding “item;” the bold numbers that follow represent the “indicator.”
To purchase either ITERS/ECERS scale booklet, or to download free self-scoring sheets in English and Spanish, visit www.teacherscollegepress.com.
*ITERS—Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale
ECERS—Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale
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