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St. Joseph Early Learning programs honored with QAR "exhibiting high-quality" designation
Summary
Dr. Janelle Andrus of UMKC's Early Childhood Innovation Center recognized Lake and Mark Twain early-learning programs for earning Missouri DESE QAR "exhibiting high-quality" designations, one of the state's highest early-childhood honors.
At the start of the board meeting the district recognized two early-learning programs, Lake and Mark Twain, for earning the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's QAR (Quality Assurance Report) "exhibiting high-quality" designation.
Dr. Janelle Andrus of the University of Missouri's Early Childhood Innovation Center described QAR as a statewide recognition program that began in 2022 and has expanded to nearly 2,000 classrooms and more than 500 programs; she explained the process includes in-class interaction observations and administrative evidence reviews. "It's a joy to be here and to celebrate with all of you the incredible work that is happening at the Saint Joseph Early Learning programs," Dr. Andrus said.
The presenters noted the designation requires both high-quality teacher-child interactions (observed for several hours per classroom) and administrative practices that document policies supporting children and families. The district will receive signage for centers and classroom-level signs indicating the QAR designation.
Local context: the presenters said the "exhibiting high-quality" tier is held by only about 52 programs statewide at the time of the announcement, underscoring the recognition's selectivity.
The board applauded the educators and staff and presented certificates; the recognition requires continued quality-improvement work and periodic monitoring by the QAR program.
