Assessing preschool education quality via the ECERS-R scales

Southern Federal University, 344006, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

^* Corresponding author: iekulikovskaya@sfedu.ru

Abstract

The article covers current trends in the worldwide experience of quality assessment in preschool education. The authors have analyzed the world's best practices in assessing the quality of preschool education. One of the tools recognized in the world community is the ECERS-R scale. The authors share understanding of the ways to apply these scales to quality assessment in accord with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard for preschool education and make it possible to assess the quality of conditions for development, moral instruction and education of preschool children. The ECERS-R scores make it possible to reveal the development vector of a preschool educational organization. When using ECERS-R scales for a comprehensive assessment of the quality of education in preschool educational organizations, the assessment becomes the key to the development of the preschool establishment. Identifying and bridging the gap between the norm of the standard and activities of the institution, i.e. the goal and the reality, shape the key directions in work. On the basis of this assessment, a program for development of a preschool organization should be defined. The authors conducted a research on introducing the ECERS-R scales into activities of the teaching staff to improve the quality of interaction between employees. The researchers worked out and implemented a plan for improving staff interaction and collaboration based on the ECERS-R scales. The work carried out showed a significant qualitative improvement in the interaction between employees, which consequently affects the education quality.