Question 1

What are the Environment Rating Scales (ERS)?

Accepted Answer

There are four Environment Rating Scales (ERS):
	ECERS: Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale
	ITERS: Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale
	FCCERS: Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale
	SACERS: School Age Care Environment Rating Scale

Through observation, the ERS assess the quality of childhood education, which directly impacts child development and outcomes. The scales have proven reliability and validity.

If you integrate feedback from an ERS assessment, you will improve the quality of education because the scales address: inclusivity and diversity, building positive relationships, protecting children's health and safety, providing appropriate learning opportunities, and fostering social and emotional development for children, along with many other important developmental needs of children.

Join us for an ERSI training and see why we're the leading training organization for the ERS and why the Environment Rating Scales are the best tools for improving quality in early childhood settings, resulting in higher developmental outcomes for children. ERSI is the only author-authorized training organization for the ERS.

ERS® and Environment Rating Scale® are registered trademarks of Teachers College, Columbia University.

Question 2

What is ERSI?

Accepted Answer

The Environment Rating Scales Institute (ERSI) provides training, data collection, and review services related to use of the Environment Rating Scales (ERS). Trainings take place either in Chapel Hill, NC, or by special arrangement, in other areas. There are also many virtual options. We are the only author-authorized trainers for the scales.

Question 3

I'm confused by all these acronyms (ECERS, ITERS-R, FCCERS-3, SACERS-U, etc.). What do they mean?

Accepted Answer

Great question! The acronyms are:  
	ECERS: Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale
	ITERS: Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale
	FCCERS: Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale
	SACERS: School Age Care Environment Rating Scale

If the scale has an "R" or a "U" at the end (ex: ECERS-R, SACERS-U), its the revised or updated, second edition.

If a scale has a "3" at the end of it, it's the 3rd and latest edition of the scale.

Question 4

Where can I buy the scales?

Accepted Answer

You may purchase the Environment Rating Scales online at: 
1. Teachers College Press (https://www.tcpress.com/ERS)
2. Kaplan Early Learning Company (https://www.kaplanco.com/store/trans/search.asp?tbSearch=environment+rating+scales)
3. Amazon (amazon.com)

ERS® and Environment Rating Scale® are registered trademarks of Teachers College, Columbia University.

Question 5

Why use the ERS?

Accepted Answer

The ERS are designed to assess process quality in an early childhood or school age care group.  Process quality is what children directly experience in their programs that has a direct effect on their development, including the various interactions that go on in a classroom between staff and children and among the children themselves, and the interactions children have with the many materials and activities in the environment, as well as those features, such as space, schedule and materials that support these interactions.

Process quality is assessed primarily through observation and has been found to be more predictive of child outcomes than structural indicators such as staff to child ratio, group size, cost of care, and even type of care, for example child care center or family child care home (Whitebook, Howes & Phillips, 1995).  The scales also examine other less directly experienced quality which are more structural, such as staff provisions,  parent participation and information, and interactions among adults.

The scales view child development from a comprehensive, or global, point of view, examining a wide variety of areas that all contribute to positive children development. In order to provide care and education that will permit children to experience a high quality of life while helping them develop their abilities, a quality program must provide for the three basic needs of all children:
 • Protection of their health and safety
 • Supporting and guiding social/emotional development
 • Opportunities for intellectual and language stimulation and appropriate learning activities

No one component is more or less important than the others, nor can one substitute for another.  It takes all three to create quality and education.  Each of the three basic components or quality manifests itself in tangible forms in the program’s environment, curriculum, schedule, supervision and interaction, and can be observed.  These are the key aspects of process quality that are included in our environment rating scales.

The ERS define environment in a broad sense and guide the observer to assess the arrangement of space both indoors and outdoors, the materials and activities offered to the children, the supervision and interactions (including language) that occur in the classroom, and the schedule of the day, including routines and activities.  The support offered to parents and staff is also included.

All of the ERS have been developed in close collaboration with realistic field-based sites.  They have good inter-rater reliability and validity, thus making them suitable for research and program evaluation, as well as program improvement efforts.

Question 6

What's the ERS software offered through Branagh?

Accepted Answer

The ERS software offered through our partner, Branagh Group,(https://branaghgroup.com) is used to conduct and automatically score ERS assessments. Their  ERS Data System provides the information and tools that you need to conduct and accurately score ERS assessments.

Whether your focus is providing technical assistance or conducting high stakes assessments, the ERS Data System can save you time and improve the quality of your assessment process. To learn more about using the ERS Data System, please visit the Branagh Group's website.(https://branaghgroup.com/ers-data-system/)

Question 7

What's the difference between the 2nd edition (R's) and the 3rd edition scales?

Accepted Answer

There are many improvements  between the revised second editions of the scales (ECERS-R, ITERS-R, and FCCERS-R) and the 3rd editions (ITERS-3, ECERS-3, FCCERS-3). Please see below a few documents outlining the key differences for the ECERS, ITERS, and FCCERS scales or visit our Scales page (https://www.ersinstitute.com/scales)to learn more.

Question 8

I have a question not answered here. Who do I contact?

Accepted Answer

If you do not find your question listed, please send the question to ersquestions@gmail.com.(mailto:ersquestions@gmail.com) To help expedite the process, when asking a question about one of the rating scales, please
remember to include the item(s) and/or indicator(s) related to your question.

If you have specific questions about training sessions related to the scales, please contact Vanessa McCullough (mailto:vmccullough.ersi@gmail.com)at vmccullough.ersi@gmail.com.

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