Center on Early Learning

The Center on Early Learning works to improve the quality of care and education available to all young children and their families in order to promote optimal development and full inclusion.

Oregon's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
The QRIS is a program that raises the quality and consistency of child care and early learning programs across the state. The Quality Rating System recognizes, rewards and builds on what early learning and development programs are already doing well. It helps ensure children in QRIS programs are ready for kindergarten by connecting programs and providers with free tools, financial incentives and professional advice that they can put into practice with confidence.

Project PEPI
Project PEPI is funded through a grant from the Office of Special Education at the U. S. Department of Education. Dr. Patricia M Blasco, is the project director. The goal of PEPI is to improve the knowledge and skills of professionals currently working toward an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) to work with young children with disabilities.

Project PIECE
The College of Education and the Teaching Research Institute at Western Oregon University (WOU) have been awarded a five-year grant to provide training and mentoring supports to under-represented early childhood educators to receive an initial teaching license resulting in a Bachelor's degree with an endorsement in early intervention/early childhood special education added at the graduate level. The project provides substantial financial assistance (scholarships) to take classes and an iPad for the duration of the project. Courses are offered in the evening, during summer and on-line to facilitate a flexible schedule.

Central Coordination of Child Care Resources & Referral (CC CCR&R)
Central Coordination of Child Care Resource and Referral provides leadership and technical assistance for 13 CCR&R programs serving all counties in Oregon. Our mission includes supporting families and early childhood child care and education providers in meaningful and responsive ways.We advocate for policy to improve accessibility of quality child care and promote multiculturalism among diverse communities. We support quality standards and competencies for childhood care and education and align services with the state Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). Central Coordination promotes strategic communication and collaboration, informing research projects at state and federal levels.

Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative (OECIC)
OECIC is a statewide effort bringing together agencies in the early childhood system to increase inclusive opportunities and to create a system of high quality, cross-sector professional development for early childhood personnel to support inclusion.