NCRLAP's assessment process

1. Request an Assessment:

Provider discusses the assessment process with their DCDEE Child Care Consultant, who submits an assessment request to NCRLAP.
2. Schedule the Assessment:

After NCRLAP receives the assessment request, we contact you by phone to schedule the 4-week window for your assessment(s). Your assessment window will be scheduled at the earliest possible date that NCRLAP can send an assessor. During the call the scheduler will ask questions about children's ages, the number of groups, and daily schedules. You will also be asked to tell the scheduler about any days in the scheduling window that may not be typical (e.g., special events, workdays, etc.) because up to 5 days may be blocked out to accommodate special events or other situations.

We aim to contact you within two business days of receiving the assessment request, and usually attempt to schedule the assessment window within 2 to 3 weeks after receiving your assessment request. Immediately following the scheduling phone call, we mail you a pre-assessment information packet which contains several forms to complete before we can conduct the assessment.

You will receive a confirmation phone call prior to your scheduled assessment window, usually one week beforehand.
3. Conduct Assessment:

Assessments include an observation that lasts for 3-5 hours for morning assessments and 2-3 hours for afterschool assessments. Assessors observe the typical daily schedule and the materials, activities, and interactions that occur indoors and outdoors. There is also a 30-45 minute interview with the teacher. Questions are asked about various activities or aspects of the program that were not observed. During each assessment, you should expect two NCRLAP assessors to participate in the observation, although for many assessments, one assessor will be present. This process usually takes one day per assessment and in multi-classroom centers, we try to complete all assessments for a facility within a two week period.
4. Report Writing and Proofing:

For each assessment, the assessor will complete a detailed report that identifies strengths and areas needing improvement, based on the assessment results. There is a proofreading process and revisions occur as needed to generate clear information that explains the scores fully. The facility summary report is designed to provide specific feedback so that child care staff may enhance their program’s quality through goal setting and other quality enhancement efforts.
5. Send Final Report:

Once all of the reports are finalized for a facility, NCRLAP staff sends a final report to your DCDEE Child Care Consultant for their review. This will occur within 10 days of the last assessment at your program. The consultant is asked to read the report and then share the results of the assessment(s) with you.