Printer-FriendlySend to friend

RECAP - Promoting informed decisions for early childhood

RECAP has been instrumental in documenting and improving Rochester’s preschool programs, which are rated among the highest quality in the country.

RECAP is a community-wide assessment partnership that is dedicated to improving the quality of early education and care. Using our expertise in assessment and evaluation, Children’s Institute provides information on early childhood programs to promote informed decisions that improve policies, programs, practices, and outcomes for children.

Audience:

  • School districts and community-based organizations with early childhood education programs

Goals:

  • To increase the quality and quantity of information to improve early childhood education programs and document strong child outcomes
  • To increase skills and best practices of early childhood education teachers and administrators in observation skills, data collection, and data use
  • To increase data informed decision making in early childhood programs

Benefits:

  • Enriched learning experiences for the children
  • Increased staff and parent awareness of the components of high quality early childhood education
  • RECAP training and technical assistance build sustainability
  • Low-stakes evaluation
  • Measures and processes that are teacher informed and easy to use and understand
  • Provides reliable and valid feedback on issues ranging from curriculum and instruction to equipment and capital improvement needs
  • Children can be followed into elementary school
  • Parents may increase their involvement when they learn about RECAP and their school’s commitment to quality

How it Works:

  • Teachers and administrators are trained in three core assessment tools: two that focus on the child and one that focuses on the classroom environment
  • Teachers observe children and document their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development
  • Teachers summarize their observations on computer scan forms
  • Classroom teachers receive summaries on the children in their class
  • Local early childhood experts are highly trained to achieve “Master Observer” status
  • Master Observers observe and rate the classroom environment midway through the school year and report back to the teachers
  • Parents complete surveys regarding classroom and family practices and satisfaction
  • End of year summary reports allow classrooms and programs to benchmark anonymously with other RECAP programs
  • Other assessment tools may be added to meet additional needs

Awards and Recognition:

  • Ten years of reports from Rochester indicate that programs participating in RECAP result in enriched learning experiences for children and improved early childhood environments and school performance
  • Through RECAP, local policymakers have access to important information and use it to lobby for increased support and funding
  • Children’s Institute is known nationally for its work in early childhood education partnerships

Our experience has taught us that collaboration at all levels is critical for success. Inviting parents, teachers, and administrators to become part of the RECAP process is a key to success. Providers tell us that the training, the fair and unbiased assessments, and the willingness of Children’s Institute to acknowledge all points of view contribute to a positive and valuable experience that enriches all participants.

More About RECAP:

RECAP began in Rochester, New York in 1992 to address the growing need for understanding and improving the effectiveness of prekindergarten programs. Today, RECAP provides an integrated and thoughtful process for ensuring that those involved with early childhood programs have the information they need to make informed decisions that improve programs, practices and outcomes.

With the support of child care providers, parents, government, foundations and schools, RECAP has become responsible for the assessment of the majority of Rochester’s prekindergartens, including New York State’s Universal Prekindergarten. The RECAP process begins by training teachers and administrators to hone their child and environmental observation skills. Through observation and survey tools, the data gathered include:

Parent satisfaction and interests in:

  • Child development
  • Programs
  • Agencies
  • Support services

Classroom observations of:

  • Adult and child interaction
  • Environment

Child-specific information on:

  • Motor development
  • Speech and language development
  • School skills
  • Socio-emotional adjustment

The data and information obtained through the annual RECAP process is shared with school, government, health, and foundation policymakers to assist in crucial early childhood education decisions.

Contributing program partners include Action for a Better Community’s early education division, Annie’s Ark, Inc., Catholic Diocese of Rochester, Charles Settlement House, Early Childhood Education Quality Council centers, Family Resource Centers of Crestwood Children’s Center, Florence S. Brown pre-k classrooms, Monroe Community College Child Care Center, Rochester Childfirst Network Family Child Care Satellites of Greater Rochester, Rochester Preschool-Parent Program, Rochester City School District programs and other Universal Prekindergarten Centers.