本研究旨在探討運用幼兒學習環境評量表-修訂版(ECERS-R)及幼兒園品質改善計畫(Program quality improvement plan)是否可作為一有效工具幫助幼兒園及幼兒教師提升幼兒園品質，並分析幼兒園的品質現況及提升幼兒園品質的歷程，最後綜合研究結果，提出研究結論。 本研究為「準實驗設計」，由研究者親自使用ECERS-R入園觀察與評分，並編製幼兒園品質改善計畫(Program quality improvement plan)作為幼兒園提升品質的執行藍圖。本研究以台北市及新北市共十所私立幼兒園作為研究對象，並將研究對象分為實驗組與對照組，實驗組則在前後與後測之間安排研究介入，用以驗證ECERS-R是否可作為一有效工具幫助幼兒園及幼兒教師提升幼兒園品質，幼兒園品質分數以統計軟體SPSS17.0for Windows進行處理，採用描述性統計及訪談整理等方法進行分析。 本研究之結論如下: 一、實驗組的幼兒園品質提升幅度大於對照組 二、透過ECERS-R及幼兒園品質改善計畫的介入，有效協助園所提升幼兒園品質 三、教師最常採取提升幼兒園品質的方法為提供多樣化的素材及安全衛生的環境 四、受限於空間、課程及其它因素影響，導致園所短期內無法擬定部分題項之改 善計畫 最後，研究者根據結論，對幼兒園實務面及未來研究提出具提建議，以期對未來幼教發展有所貢獻。 關鍵字: ECERS-R、幼兒園品質、提升幼兒園品質 / The purpose of this study are to explore the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales-Revised (ECERS-R) and “Program quality improvement plan” could be an effective tool to help kindergartens and ECE teachers improve Kindergarten Quality ,and to analyze the status of quality and the process of quality improvement. Last, summarize the result of the study. The major method of this study is Quasi-experimental design , researcher used the ECERS-R to Observe and rating, also develops “Program quality improvement plan” as an blue point for kindergarten to improve quality . The subjects are ten kindergartens in Taipei City and New Taipei City and subjects were divided into experimental and control groups, experimental groups using pretest - intervention – posttest mode to demonstrate if ECERS-R could be an effective tool to help kindergartens and ECE teachers improve Kindergarten Quality. The scores of ECERS-R were analyzed by the statistical software SPSS17.0 for Windows using descriptive statistics, interview draft analysis. According to the case, the conclusions are as follows: 1. Enhance the quality of the experimental group was larger than the control group. 2. Kindergarten through the ECERS-R and“Program quality improvement plan”, to effectively assist kindergartens improve the quality of centers. 3. ECE teachers to improve the quality of the most common method to provide a variety of materials and environmental health and safety. 4. Limited space, curriculum, and other factors, led to the short term can not develop improvement plans. Finally, based on the conclusions of study, the researcher proposes some suggestions for practice in kindergarten and future research , hoping to contribute to the development of future early childhood education. Key words: ECERS-R, kindergarten quality, improve the quality of kindergartens

Forskningsansatsen i denna studie var mixed method där ett strukturerat observationsmaterial, ECERS-R, användes tillsammans med kompletterande kvalitativa intervjuer. Metodansatsen var multipel fallstudie där fem förskoleklasser observerandes. Syftet var att undersöka kvaliteten i lärmiljön, såväl den fysiska miljön som den pedagogiska och sociala. Data har analyserats med en komparativ analysmetod. I den kvantitativa delen har skattningarna från observationsmaterialet jämförts inom varje delområde och i den kvalitativa delen låg fokus på att hitta mönster och teman. Resultaten visade att alla förskoleklasser hade god kvalitet och ett totalt medelvärde som endast skiljde ett par tiondelar. Diskussion fördes om att förskoleklasserna var mer lika än olika, något som skiljde sig från tidigare forskning. Högst kvalitet hade förskoleklasserna gällande språk och samspel medan utbud och variation av böcker var sämre och läshörnorna lämnade mer att önska. För att höja kvaliteten diskuterades vikten av medvetenhet hos pedagogerna gällande bristen på spontan bokläsning hos eleverna. Samspelet mellan vuxna och barn var mycket bra i klasserna medan pedagogerna fick arbeta olika mycket för att samspelet barnen emellan skulle fungera. Lägst kvalitet hittades inom området leka och lära, där material relaterat till sand- och vattenlek, rollek och förståelse för olikhet drog ner medelvärdet. Även här diskuterades medvetenheten hos pedagogerna som en faktor till ökad kvalitet. Alla förskoleklasser gjorde anpassningar gällande barn i behov av stöd och ECERS-R-mätningen visade god till mycket god kvalitet. Vilket specialpedagogiskt stöd som skolorna fick varierade dock och det fanns en förhoppning om utökat stöd i och med att förskoleklassen blivit obligatorisk. Vikten av tidigt specialpedagogiskt stöd diskuterades. Utmaningarna enligt pedagogerna var framförallt tiden: för planering, för barn i behov av särskilt stöd och till barn som behöver extra utmaningar. Barngruppsstorlek, att de bara har barngruppen under ett år, otillräckligt anpassade lokaler och för lite material sågs som ytterligare utmaningar.

This study sought to determine whether phase 1 early childhood classrooms receiving classroom resources and technical assistance for early childhood teachers through the Allies for Quality Care project would have greater improvements in process quality than phase 2 classrooms receiving only technical assistance. Process quality refers to what children experience in the early childhood classroom that directly impacts their development and was assessed through the Environment Rating Scales (ERS). Classroom resources were provided to improve the quality of the environment that children experience. The technical assistance was one-on-one to help early childhood teachers understand developmentally appropriate practices. The study examined whether the following variables impacted quality: accessibility of materials; field technical assistant; total number of early childhood teachers, total at pre-assessment, total at post-assessment, and same teacher at pre- to post-assessment; classroom and teacher technical assistance hours; teacher turnover; early childhood teachers’ level of education, child development credentials, position, years of experience, and race; number of children present at post-assessment; and days between pre- and post-assessment. To determine if the variables were correlated with the ERS post-assessment scores bivariate correlations were generated. While level of education, child development credentials, years of experience, race, and total number of early childhood teachers at pre-assessment had strong correlations with the post-assessment scores, further analyses of accessibility of materials, or missed accessibility, was the only extraneous variable to remain strongly associated with the dependent variable in ITERS-R classrooms. A Factorial Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to study the differences between the phases of early childhood classrooms. When findings revealed differences between the groups, another ANCOVA was used to evaluate group differences for each scale (ITERS-R for infant and toddler classrooms and ECERS-R for preschool classrooms) separately. Both phase and scale impacted the ERS post-assessment scores for the overall sample. For differences between the phases for the individual scales, no significant differences were found. However, infant and toddler classrooms that missed accessibility of materials had significantly lower ERS post-assessment scores than classrooms that did not miss accessibility.

The early childhood administrator is tasked with overseeing all operations within the early childhood program. Operational functions include functions traditionally associated with education including the design and implementation of curriculum, creating and maintaining the learning environment, and ensuring the health and safety of children enrolled in the program. The administrator of the early childhood program is also tasked with other functions including human resource functions, budgeting, as well as income and cost management. Additionally, the administrator should be an advocate within public policy concerning early childhood education. Research has acknowledged the functions associated with the early childhood administrator role. In 1992, Paula Jorde-Bloom named the early childhood administrator as the “Gatekeeper of Quality”. Since then, research has supported that establishing and maintaining quality is yet another responsibility of the early childhood administrator. The current study examined the role of the administrator, particularly the preparation that the administrator receives, in an effort to determine the impact that the administrator has on the quality of the program. A sample (n = 224) was pulled from early childhood administrators in Mississippi. The preparation received by these administrators, including formal education and additional training, was measured and regression analysis with Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised (ECERS-R) scores measuring quality of the early childhood program regressed with an aggregated early childhood administration preparation variable to determine if administration preparation could predict overall quality within the early childhood program. As the literature indicated that fiscal management practices also fall under the scope of responsibilities of the administrator, fiscal management preparation was isolated and regression analysis with ECERS-R scores was conducted to determine if fiscal management preparation could predict overall quality within the early childhood program as well. The study found that administration preparation was a significant predictor of quality. However, preparation specific to fiscal management knowledge was not found to be a predictor of overall quality. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are addressed.

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