CC Admin

Program Administration Scale (PAS)

What is the PAS?

PAS is used to gather information that measures the quality of administrative, management, and leadership practices of early childhood programs.

The PAS helps a program dig deeper into the following aspects of program administration: Using a 7-point rating scale (inadequate to excellent), this easy-to-use instrument assesses 25 items grouped into 9 categories:

● Human Resources Development ● Personnel Cost and Allocation ● Center Operations ● Child Assessment ● Fiscal Management ● Program Planning and Evaluation ● Family Partnerships ● Marketing and Public Relations ● Technology Staff Qualifications

The PAS can be used for self-assessment or utilized with a Quality Coach. PAS assessments may include a tour of the child care space, an interview with the provider, and a review of the documentation required to rate some PAS indicators.

Which program(s) could use PAS? PAS is appropriate for profit and non-profit center-based programs.

How does PAS support Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)? Use of the PAS offers program directors and administrators the opportunity to gain valuable information about a program’s administrative practices. The information gained from a PAS assessment can be used to create goals that enhance the quality of a program. I recommend you to buy the book.

Book Features:

● Measures whole leadership, recognizing the interdependent nature of administrative leadership, pedagogical leadership, and leadership essentials.

● Places a greater emphasis on administrative practices that support inclusion, equity, and cultural and linguistic diversity.

● Emphasizes leadership routines that provide opportunities for shared decision-making and distributed leadership among staff.

● Demonstrates a positive relationship between the quality of administrative practices and the quality of early childhood classroom environments.

● Responds to the workforce crisis with supports that promote teacher leadership, enhance career development, and protect time for reflection, planning, and peer learning.

Assignment Overview: Evaluation Tools for Child Care Administration

Objective: The goal of this assignment is to familiarize yourself with various tools used to assess the quality of administrative practices in childcare operations. You will develop a comprehensive understanding of at least two evaluation tools, including the Program Administration Scale (PAS), and apply them to analyze the systems, procedures, and policies of a childcare center.

Assignment Details:

1. Review Diverse Tools for Assessment: ○ Research and identify various tools available for assessing childcare administration. Consider tools

such as the PAS Scale, the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), or the Program Quality Assessment (PQA).

○ Summarize key features, strengths, and limitations of each tool. This will provide you with a foundation to choose which tools you want to focus on for your assignment.

2. Develop a Three-Page Analysis on the PAS Scale: ○ Select Five Items: From the PAS Scale, choose five specific Items that you will evaluate. For

example, these could include (to complete the evaluation is optional,this assignment focuses more in getting familiar with PAS scale and others tools):

■ Staff Development ■ Screening and Identification of Special Needs ■ Program Evaluation ■ Family Communication ■ Community Outreach

○ Structure of the Analysis: ■ Introduction (approximately ½ page): Briefly introduce the PAS Scale and its

significance in evaluating child care administration. ■ Body (approximately 2 pages): For each of the five topics:

■ Description: Explain what each item entails and why it is important for effective child care administration.

■ Application: Discuss how you would utilize the PAS Scale to assess the childcare center's practices in relation to each topic. Include specific examples or hypothetical scenarios.

■ Conclusion (approximately ½ page): Summarize the importance of using the PAS Scale in evaluating the quality of childcare operations and reflect on how these evaluations can lead to improved practices.

3. One Additional Evaluation Tool: ○ Select Another Tool: Choose a different evaluation tool that you researched in your initial review

(e.g., ECERS, BAS). ○ Develop One Page: Provide an overview of this tool, including:

■ Description: What is the tool, and what does it measure? ■ Relevance: How does it complement the PAS Scale in assessing child care

administration? ■ Application: Briefly discuss how you would use this tool to evaluate specific aspects of

the childcare center’s operations.

Formatting and Submission Guidelines:

● Length: The total length of your assignment should be approximately four pages (three pages on the PAS Scale and one page on the additional evaluation tool).

● Format: Use Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, with standard 1-inch margins. ● Citations: Be sure to cite any sources you reference in APA 7th edition format.

Evaluation Criteria:

Your assignment will be evaluated based on:

● Depth of analysis and understanding of the selected evaluation tools. ● Clarity and organization of writing. ● Relevance and application of the selected topics from the PAS Scale. ● Proper formatting and adherence to submission guidelines.

Additional Tips:

● Use examples from real-world childcare centers where applicable to illustrate your points. ● Consider discussing challenges that centers may face in relation to the topics you choose from the PAS

Scale. ● Proofread your work for clarity, coherence, and grammatical accuracy before submission.