Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is taking another step in its support of early learning programs with its Paths to Quality certifications.
The national program is used in Indiana as a rating system for the quality of child care, preschool and school-age programs. One important purpose is to provide families with easy-to-understand rating, which helps them make choices about their children’s care and education.
That’s a consumer benefit, as parents want to know their children are receiving good care and a good education.
Under the system, schools are rated on a scale of 1 to 4, and the information is placed on a searchable database on childcareindiana.org. According to the ratings:
- Level 1 programs meet all health and safety standards.
- Level 2 programs offer environments that support children’s growth, development and learning.
- Level 3 programs have planned curriculums to guide child development and prepare children for kindergarten.
- Level 4 represents national accreditation.
The rating system would become even more valuable if the state legislature ever funds expanded prekindergarten offerings.
Bartholomew Consolidated’s decision to use Paths to Quality is a good idea. Not only will it benefit parents in their decisions about the care and education of their children, it likely will motivate the school district’s various programs and schools to want to achieve the best rating.
That’s a win-win for parents and the school district, and a benefit the young children starting on their educational paths.
