Smart Beginnings Greater Roanoke is proud to be one of fifteen localities across the state implementing Virginia’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (VSQI)

• In 2009, four centers received the very first star ratings in Roanoke.
• In 2011, ten centers have received a star rating in Roanoke, and 6 more are scheduled to be rated in 2011-2012.
• VSQI programs are now impacting nearly 1000 children in the Roanoke Valley.
• Across the state of Virginia, over 390 programs have received a star rating.
• All programs that receive a star rating are going above and beyond basic licensing standards!
• New programs are being added all the time, please call 540-777-4211 to find out how your center can participate in the VSQI.

WHY DOES QUALITY MATTER?

Download PDF about  The Virginia Star Quality Initiative

Virginia’s Star Quality Initiative (VQSI), a product of the Alignment Project, is a voluntary quality rating and improvement system designed to assess and improve the quality of care and education children are receiving in early leaning environments across the state. It uses licensing as a foundation and sets a continuum of clearly defined Star levels of increasing quality. Virginia’s Star Quality Initiative provides programs a roadmap for continuous quality improvement, while participation also gives programs the positive community recognition they deserve for their continued dedication to achieving higher standards and improving quality.

LOOKING FOR QUALITY PROGRAMS?

• View an interactive MAP of star rated sites in the Roanoke Valley.
• Search for Star Rated Sites by city, zip code or type of program
• Download the 2011-2012 VSQI brochure: What to look for in quality childcare and preschool facilities

The four standards of the SQI—education, qualifications and training; interactions; staff to child ratio and group size; and learning environment and instructional practices —have indicators that must be achieved for each Star rating. These standards and indicators have been selected as a result of a thorough review of the research literature and best practices in other states. A strong body of research suggests that early care and education programs that focus on improving in ways aligned with these four standards yield positive outcomes for children.

 Cozy Reading area in a preschool classroom at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Preschool.

The VSQI program is available to any early learning environment working with children between the ages of zero and five and is currently open to the following types of early learning settings:

• School-based
• Faith-based
• Head Start
• For-profit
• Non-profit

Pre-K classroom interest areas at St. Johns Head Start. 

 Participating early learning sites are rated in the following areas:

• Education, qualifications and training of staff
• Interactions between children, teachers and peers
• Staff to child ratios and group size
• Environment and instructional practices

Science area in a preschool classroom at Small Steps Learning Academy