The QCC County Program Profile provides county data from the Common Data File (CDF) and the Annual Progress Report (APR). For counties that are a part of a consortium, the QCC County Program Profile provides a combined view of the CDF and APR. Both qualitative and quantitative data are presented to provide a local view of early learning and care climate.

Ventura County has a longstanding commitment to expand quality early learning opportunities for young children ages 0–5. Ventura County’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Rising Stars, is administered by the Ventura County Office of Education, Early Childhood Programs Department and supported by funding from First 5 Ventura County, First 5 California, and the California Department of Education. Since its inception in 2011, 149 sites have been rated and/or received coaching and support to improve their quality.

Rising Stars is a five-star rating and continuous Quality Improvement System for early learning programs, which measures several elements of program quality, including (1) Child Development and School Readiness, (2) Teachers and Teaching, and (3) Program and Environment. The goal for all programs is to eventually earn a rating of five stars, the highest level of quality. Participating programs receive on-site support, technical assistance, and staff training, and (for non-California State Preschool Programs [CSPPs]) are eligible for between $2,000 and $3,500 (depending on size) in participation stipends and an additional $1,500 in quality improvement stipends (based on availability of funding). Quality Improvement Stipends must be used for expenditures directly related to items identified in the Quality Improvement Plan, including materials, supplies, and staff release time to attend approved trainings. CSPP sites rated at a 4 or 5 are eligible to receive CSPP Block Grant funds.

Currently, 83 percent of rated programs received the highest levels of 4 or 5 stars.

• CSPP Block Grant
• Infant Toddler Block Grant
• CMIG Block Grant
• AB212
• LPC
• IMPACT
• IMPACT Hub
• Local First 5 funding

• Chair LPC
• Ventura Community College
• Child Development Resources of Ventura County, Inc.
• Examples include: Child Development Incorporated, Oxnard School District, Ocean View School District, Conejo Valley Unified School District, Ventura Unified School District
• Help Me Grow: Landon Pediatric Foundation

Providers may learn of Rising Stars through our website (https://www.vcoe.org/ecp), a colleague, a funder, or from attending a professional development opportunity. Formal outreach may occur through partner agencies or consortium members, and informal outreach may also result in local child care providers approaching the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) to express interest in joining Ventura County Rising Stars. Following expression of interest and submission of an application, which can be found on our website, staff review applications to confirm eligibility. Upon confirmation of eligibility, sites may be contacted to determine interest in joining the QRIS pathway, a two-year process toward rating, or the Quality Improvement System (QIS) pathway, a four-year process toward rating. Upon entry to the system, a welcome letter is sent, and a VCOE Technical Assistance Specialist (Coach) is assigned to support onboarding the program to QRIS/QIS.

Upon entering Rising Stars, sites are assigned a Ventura County Office of Education Technical Assistance Specialist (coach), who is trained to support programs in understanding and preparing for success in rating and raising quality using the five-star system. Sites receive visits from their coach, which include conducting informal assessments on the Rating Matrix–identified tools, providing targeted trainings, supporting the development of Quality Improvement Plans, and recommending county-wide trainings in support of identified plans of action.

Programs are eligible for financial incentives to support participation and goal attainment.

A Program Director shared: Participating in VCOE Rising Stars QRIS for the past three years has provided our [program] with exceptional ongoing support and guidance as we continue to provide quality child care services. The monthly “coaching” my staff receives supports them in learning new techniques and in building positive relationships with children. Through Rising Stars QRIS, we have begun training in Zero to Three Brain Development, which my staff has immensely enjoyed and have begun implementing new strategies they learned. Rising Stars QRIS provides additional funding for our program to purchase learning materials to support lesson planning while creating DRDP learning goals for each child.