Genuine and sustained quality improvement is the result of collaborative effort

ACECQA has today published findings from a Quality improvement research project, undertaken during 2019.

The research was commissioned by ACECQA and conducted by Macquarie University, in partnership with Queensland University of Technology and Edith Cowan University.

It focused on the characteristics of long day care services that had improved their overall quality rating at reassessment, with a particular focus on improvement in Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice and Quality Area 7 – Governance and leadership of the National Quality Standard (NQS).

The study found genuine and sustained quality improvement is a shared responsibility, with approved providers, service leaders, educational leaders, teachers and educators all playing a vital role. It identified five priority areas to support and sustain quality improvement:

1. The role of the approved provider and organisational support
2. Service leadership
3. The role of the educational leader
4. The involvement of individual educators
5. NQS assessment and rating.

ACECQA CEO Gabrielle Sinclair said, “the research provides valuable insights into key areas that services can look at, as they seek to improve the provision of quality early childhood education to children and families.”

“Everyone involved in a service, from the approved provider to the individual teachers and educators, has a role to play in leading quality improvement. Genuine and sustained continuous quality improvement is a shared responsibility,” said Ms Sinclair.

The full report is available on our Research and reports page.

An information sheet based on the findings has also been developed to support providers, service leaders, educational leaders, teachers and educators in all service types.