Quality of early childhood programs in inclusive and noninclusive settings

This study assessed factors that contributed to global program quality in e arly childhood settings. The sample consisted of 180 community-based child care centers from 12 geographically and economically diverse regions in Nor th Carolina. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) total mea n score was used as the primary measure of global program quality. The stud y found that GZ (34%) of the early childhood programs reported enrolling at least one child with disabilities. The study also found that inclusive ear ly childhood programs scored significantly higher on the ECERS overall than did noninclusive programs. Results of an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) i ndicated three other predictors of global program quality: teacher educatio n, professional experience, and teacher self-ratings of knowledge and skill .