Step Up to Quality is a Five Star tiered quality rating and improvement system created to recognize and promote early learning and development programs that meet the quality standards over and above the health and licensing requirements. 

The Star quality rating and improvement system is administered by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. 

Program Standards 

Step Up to Quality recognizes and promotes learning and development programs that meet quality program standards that exceed licensing health and safety regulations. The program standards are based on national research identifying standards which lead to improved outcomes for children. The Step Up To Quality Program Standards include four domains:

• Learning and Development
• Administrative and Leadership Practices
• Staff Qualifications and Professional Development
• Family and Community Partnerships.

MileStone Lane is proud to announce that with the staffs dedication to Continuous Improvement the State of Ohio has awarded our program a Three Star Rating for meeting the quality standards established by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and the Ohio Department of Education.

A Step Up To Quality Three-Star Rated program means that your child is in a program where:

Learning and Development

• The program implements a written, research based, comprehensive curriculum aligned with the Early Learning and Development Standards and demonstrates its alignment to the child assessment
• The Early Learning and Development Standards can be located at bjfs.ohio.gov/cdc/providers.stm
• Teachers use a written dated plan of activities for all hours of instructional time

Child Screening and Assessment

• The program ensures that all children (except school-age children) receive a comprehensive developmental screening that is valid and reliable within 60 days of entry into the program and annually thereafter. Necessary referrals are completed within 90 days of identification of need, and the results are formally communicated with families
• Staff is trained to administer, score and use the screening tools appropriately
• The program administers the state required assessment for all enrolled preschool aged children
• The program assesses all children enrolled using formal and informal methods on an ongoing basis to inform instruction
• Results are shared with families
• The program and parents work collaboratively to create two written developmental and educational goals within sixty days of enrollment for children, and updated annually

Interaction and Environment

• The program completes an annual classroom self-assessment tool(s) that addresses the quality of the environment and staff/child interactions that is developmentally appropriate to age groups served
• The lead teacher in each group identifies at least one an area for improvement and creates an action plan which includes a goal and at least one action step based on the results of the annual classroom self-assessment
• The program supports each child’s development by providing well-structured learning environments and positive interactions among staff and children

Staff Support

• A total of 5 days of paid leave(sick, vacation and/or personal)
• Discount on Child Care
• Tuition Reimbursement
• T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Ohio
• Paid Professional Development
• Paid Professional Membership
• Five Paid Holidays
• Life Insurance
• Paid Planning Time Weekly

Program Administration

• The program completes an annual program self-assessment using a standardized tool that is used to assess a program’s administrative policies, procedures and practices
• The program completes an annual continuous improvement plan using results from the current annual program self-assessment, which includes a minimum of two goals and at least two action steps towards completing the goals. Input from staff and families is also included in developing the continuous improvement plan

Staff Management

• Lead and assistant teachers have one formal observation annually
• Administrators, lead teachers and assistant teachers have annual professional development plans
• Results of the formal observations are used to inform individual professional development plans

Staff Qualifications and Professional Development

• The administrator has an associate’s degree (AA) in an approved related field or a Career Pathways Level (CPL) 3 or an Ohio's School-Age Administrator Professional Endorsement (Our Program Director has a BA of Arts in an approved related field and our Director of Education has a Master’s in Education)
• Fifty percent of lead teachers have an AA in an approved related field or a CPL 3 or an Ohio's School-Age Lead Teacher Professional Endorsement

Professional Development

• All administrators achieve and maintain the Step Up To Quality Professional Development Certificate in the current or previous biennium
• All lead teachers and assistant teachers achieve and maintain the Step Up To Quality Professional Development Certificate in the current or previous biennium
• Administrators, lead teachers and assistant teachers shall complete the required quality and child development courses

Family and Community Partnerships

• The program provides written information to families on transitioning children into, within, and out of the program
• The program provides age-appropriate activities for children to prepare them for the transition to a new classroom or educational setting
• The program transfers any child’s records to the new setting at the family’s request and with the family’s written consent
• The program meets with families to develop an individualized transition plan that supports a child’s transition to another classroom or educational setting

Communication and Engagement

• The program obtains information about the family structure and routines that is important to the child’s development
• The program provides information regarding a minimum of at least two resources and community services to families
• The program communicates with families using at least two different modes of communication; and at least one mode promotes two-way communication.
• The program provides families with combined or separate information on at least one health topic and one child development topic annually that are appropriate to all age groups served at the program
• The program offers at least one opportunity for all families to engage in activities annually
• The program offers at least one educational training, workshop or event to support families’ engagement in children’s learning and development annually for each age group served
• The program has written policies and procedures to ensure that children have received comprehensive health screenings or families have been provided information on the importance of health screenings
• The program has written policies and procedures for its referral process to community resources that support families and children.

The Owner, Directors and Teachers at MileStone Lane have established a continuous improvement plan designed to continually advance the quality of our programs in all four program standards with the goal of reaching the Highest Quality Star Rating.