By Victoria Ward
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that the SPARQS portal is now running on all engines! Now, you can request coaching and quality support services, as well as assessments, all in one place.
Already have a VTAEYC account? Great! You’ll use the same login you already have.
The portal is designed to make your experience of accessing quality supports and program assessments more seamless and easy to use than ever. Coaching, quality supports, scored and unscored program assessments are all available here as you need them. Our goal is for your journey to improve your program’s quality to move naturally from one step to the next.
Try out the portal here or visit vtaeyc.org/sparqs.
Speaking of our goals:
I’m fresh off a two-day retreat with the SPARQS team. The early childhood education experts working to support you are committed to our own quality improvements, just as you are committed to your program’s. As we staffed and built SPARQS, we also built in regular opportunities for reflective practice. Your thoughtful feedback helps us improve the system that is here to help you.
One thing we did is identify gaps in professional development offerings based on feedback from the field. We’ll work with our partners to address those gaps in the upcoming months.
Remember, the SPARQS team is eager to take your coaching, quality support, and assessment requests. You can request all of these through the portal on vtaeyc.org/sparqs. For informal questions, any early childhood educator in Vermont can ask the SPARQS team a question via our “warm line” and receive a response within three business days.
Please invite others in your teaching communities to stay involved by visiting our website and subscribing to this newsletter.
Access The Improved SPARQS Portal
All registered early childhood education programs can request coaching and quality supports through the SPARQS portal. All registered early childhood education programs and afterschool programs can schedule STARS program assessments through the SPARQS portal.
Attend a Vermont Early Childhood Network (VECN) Strategic Plan Presentation
Thursday, March 28
1 PM and 6 PM
The Vermont Early Childhood Networks (VECN) Strategic Plan and Implementation Timeline has been approved by the Child Development Division (CDD)!
VECN members, leaders, and those interested in joining a network: Please attend a presentation where we will share the strategic plan, talk about implementation steps, and collect questions you may have.
We are offering a daytime and an evening session. Sessions will be recorded.
You can sign up for either session by clicking here.
If you have any questions or need assistance with registering, please email info@vtaeyc.org.
CDD Begins STARS Office Hours
Thursdays
12:30-1:30 PM
Starting March 21, the STARS team at the Child Development Division holds regular office hours on Thursdays via Microsoft Teams. Drop in with your STARS questions!
The link is on the CDD STARS page:
Community of Practice:
STARS CQI Planning and Application Support for Family Home and Center Based Programs
Beginning Saturday, April 6:Â
Join the STARS CQI Community of Practice to work together with peers, SPARQS coaches, and CDD team members in developing your program’s STARS Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) application. Participants will complete a STARS-approvable CQI Plan for their desired STARS level over five monthly sessions.
April 6, 2024, 10am – 1pm, in person, (regional location TBD)
May 22, 2024, 5pm – 7pm, virtual
June 15, 2024, 10am – 1pm, in person, (regional location TBD)
July 10, 2024, 5pm – 7pm, virtual
August 10, 2024, 10am –Â 1pm, in-person, (regional location TBD)
The link to register is on the CDD STARS page. Access the registration page directly here.
Find Your Resource
SPARQS involves partnership from the Child Development Division, Vermont Afterschool, and Shared Services VT. The top link will bring you to the SPARQS portal. The bottom three links send you to one of our resource partners.
SPARQS Portal: Request Coaching, Quality Supports, and Scored or Unscored Program Assessments
Access Self-Directed Resources From Shared Services
Request Coaching From Vermont Afterschool
Visit the Child Development Division’s STARS page
If you are still not sure what you need, email the SPARQS warm line.
SPARQS Updates and Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your questions, and don’t miss a thing. Subscribe to make sure you get all SPARQS updates: