• Infant/Toddler Care
• Preschool Care
• School Age Care
• Our Teachers
• Curriculum + Classrooms
  • Curriculum
    • Developmental Assessment
    • Sample Weekly Curriculum
  • Environment
    • Key Interest Areas
    • Environmental Assessments (ECKERS)
  • NAEYC Accreditation
• Support Services
• Locations

Environmental Assessments

Assessments are an integral part of how Kidango meets the developmental needs of our children. Kidango fully implements Desired Results for Children and Families, as outlined by the California Department of Education/Child Development Division (CDE/CDD). Desired Results also includes the use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) and the School Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS), developed by Thelma Harms, et al., at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The ECERS and SACERS are tools we use to rate the interactions between staff and children and the overall environment. The scales are differentiated by the age of the children and look at the quality of the environment in several areas, including the indoor and outdoor environments. Kidango teaching staff conducts this self study annually. Based on the ECERS and SACERS results, each classroom, with the support of its center and regional directors, develops a plan of action that addresses key areas for improvement. Every three years, staff from CDE/CDD conduct a monitoring review and validate the ECERS and SACERS results.