Brandon Twp.- Parents who choose any of the district’s preschools will be putting their children in a program that has received a 5-star rating from Great Start to Quality.
‘We have two of only 12 schools in Oakland County with this rating now,? said Diane Zedan, director of preschool programs for the Brandon School District. ‘I’m really excited, I didn’t know how few districts in the county and the state have this rating.?
Great Start to Quality is a Michigan Department of Education quality rating and improvement system with implementation by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, a non-profit.
According to greatstarttoquality.org, the quality of child care and preschool settings are measured using more than 40 different program quality indicators, including staff qualifications and professional development; family and community partnerships; administration and management; environment; and curriculum and instruction.
All child care and preschool programs licensed by the State of Michigan are rated from one to five stars on greatstarttoquality.org based on the number of program quality indicators achieved.
Sheila Johnson, quality improvement consultant for Great Start to Quality, said Brandon’s five-star rating means the district has a very high quality program. The district has multiple programs for preschoolers at Oakwood and Harvey Swanson elementaries, including the Great Start Readiness Program, Head Start, and a tuition-based academy. All have achieved the 5-star rating.
‘I think it’s excellent and everyone that does early childhood work knows it is quite an achievement,? said Johnson. ‘We just know that children and families are well taken care of in programs like this– in the assessment is community, parent involvement, how adults are interacting with the kids. To do well on it means you are doing well in a wholistic way for the child and the family.?
The rigorous process to attain the rating included submission of transcripts of both teachers and assistants, professional development paperwork, and an onsite, daylong assessment.
To maintain the rating, the assessments will continue every spring and fall and every two years, paperwork will have be resubmitted, but Zedan plans to keep that five-star rating.
‘I want everyone to know we have best program in the area,? she said. ‘And why would you not want your child to go to the best preschool to get the best educational start in life??