Bright from the Start
 Criminal Records  Service of Process  Open Records

Find child care: 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS
For all other questions: 1-888-442-7735

  • Home
  • For Families
    Find Childcare Find Georgia’s Pre‑K Program Find Head Start Find CAPS Financial Assistance Find Meals Find Family Resources Report Fraud Research
  • For Providers
    CAPS Child Care Services Forms Instructional Supports Nutrition Georgia’s Pre‑K Program Quality Rated GELDS Report Fraud Research
  • For Educators
    Forms CAPS Child Care Services Instructional Supports Nutrition Georgia’s Pre‑K Program Quality Rated Report Fraud GELDS Research Georgia Professional Development Literacy Lab Work Sampling Online
  • About Us
  •    Home
  •  Agency
    • About our Agency
    • About the Commissioner
    • Background
    • CCDF State Plan
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
    • Early Childhood Educator
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • GA Statewide Child Care Emergency Plan
    • Open Records Request
    • Research
  •  Programs
    • Child Care Services
    • Childcare and Parent Services
    • Early Head Start Partnership
    • Georgia's Pre-K
    • Head Start
    • Instructional Supports
    • Nutrition
    • Workforce Supports and Learning
    • Quality Rated
    • Summer Transition Program
  •  Families
      • Child Care Services
      •    Choosing a Child Care Program
      •    Find Child Care Program
      •    Search Licensing Rules
      •    FAQ
      • Georgia's Pre-K
      •    About Georgia's Pre-K Program
      •    Enrolling in Georgia's Pre-K
      •    Find a Georgia's Pre-K Program
      •    FAQ
      • Quality Rated
      • Childcare and Parent Services
      •    Help Paying for Child Care
      •    How to Apply for CAPS
      •    How to Select a Provider
      •    Make Changes in Gateway
      •    Family Resources
      • Nutrition
      •    Find a meal site
      • Head Start
      • Inclusion and Behavior Support Services
      • Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards
  •  Teachers
      • Child Care Services
      •    Rules and Regulations
      •    Criminal Records Check
      •    Search Licensing Rules
      •    Training Requirements
      • Georgia's Pre-K
      •    Planning
      •    Pre-K Provider Job Listing
      •    Work Sampling System
      • Quality Rated
      • Head Start
      • Professional Learning
      • Inclusion and Behavior Support Services
      • Infant Toddler Program
      • Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards
  •  Providers
      • Child Care Services
      •    Starting a Child Care Program
      •    License Fee Information
      •    Child Care Forms
      •    Criminal Records Check Information
      • Georgia's Pre-K
      •    Operating Guidelines
      •    Curriculum
      •    PANDA Resources
      •    Pre-K Forms
      • Nutrition
      •   CACFP Applicant Information
      •   CACFP Forms
      •   CACFP Handbooks / Instructions
      •   SFSP Forms
      • Becoming Quality Rated
      • Childcare and Parent Services
      •    How to Become a CAPS Provider
      •    CAPS Provider Policies:
      •    GACAPS Portal
      •    CAPS Provider Resources
      • Head Start
      • Inclusion and Behavior Support Services
      • Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards
  • Literacy Lab
  • Open Records
  • Search
Skip Navigation Links / BftS / Research / Quality Rated Validation
Skip Navigation Links.
About Our Agency
About the Commissioner
Agency Board
Americans with Disabilities Act
Annual Reports
Background
CCDF State Plan
COVID-19 Relief Funding
Expand Contact UsContact Us
Executive Staff
Administration
Child Care Services
Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS)
Criminal Records Unit
Instructional Supports
Nutrition
Open Records Request
Head Start
Pre-K
Quality Innovations and Partnerships
Directions
Employment Opportunities
FAQ
Funding Opportunities
GA Statewide Child Care Emergency Plan
Glossary
Mission and Vision
Expand NewsNews
Product Recalls
Food Recalls
News Archive
Newsletters
Onboarding
Open Records Request
Programs
Collapse ResearchResearch
Economic Impact Study
Evaluation of the Cost of Child Care in Georgia
Evaluation of Georgia's Pre-K Program
Georgia Child Care Market Rate Survey
Georgia's Pre-K Enrollment Report
Quality Rated Validation
Third Grade Achievement
UNC-CH Quality Study
Service of Process
Strategic Plan
Useful Links

Quality Rated Validation

Since the development of Quality Rated, validation has been integrated into its day-to-day management and has become an integral part of its success. Upon being awarded the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge in 2013, DECAL contracted with Child Trends to assist with its validation efforts, including ongoing analysis of Quality Rated administrative data and conducting a study of the effectiveness of Quality Rated. Findings related to these efforts will be posted below.

January 2020

Google and Yelp Reviews as a Window into Public Perceptions of Early Care and Education in Georgia

Researchers from Child Trends analyzed the language in more than 8,700 publicly available Google and Yelp reviews of Georgia child care programs to identify the principles that are important to the public in evaluating early care and education (ECE) access and quality, and to understand how they used those yardsticks to rate providers. The researchers then compared the public perceptions and ratings from these platforms against the star ratings those same providers received from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) Quality Rated system. Child Trends identified nine common themes in the online public reviews that roughly aligned with ECE access and quality. The researchers also found that the publicly available Google and Yelp reviews, though based on more subjective impressions and values, were significantly related to the star ratings assigned by DECAL’s Quality Rated system.

May 2019

Quality Rated Validation Study Report 4: Quality Rated Star Ratings and Independent Measures of Quality, Children’s Growth, and Work Climate

This is the fourth report in the series from the Quality Rated Validation Project, and the second that presents data collected by Child Trends and Georgia State University. This report examines the relationship between star ratings and independent observations of program quality, children’s development over the school year, and work climate. This report uses child assessment, observation, and questionnaire data collected by the validation study team during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years in 158 FCCLHs, and during the 2017-18 school year in 181 center-based programs.

October 2018

Quality Rated Validation Study Report 3: Director, Teacher, and Provider Perceptions of Quality Rated

This is the third report in a series of four from the Quality Rated Validation Project, and the first that presents data collected by Child Trends and Georgia State University. This report examines those providers’, directors’, and teachers’, perceptions, including what motivated them to join, what supports they have used and found most helpful, and their suggestions for improving the system.

March 2018

Report 2: A Further Look at the Programs in Quality Rated

This is the second in a series of four reports developed as part of the Quality Rated Validation Project. This report examines the distribution of ratings among different types of programs, the timing of each step in the rating process, and the re-rating of programs.

August 2017

Report 1: What Makes Up a Quality Rated Star Rating? An In-Depth Look at the Criteria, Standards and Components

This is the first in a series of four reports developed as part of the Quality Rated Validation Project. This report examines the components of Quality Rated, how those components are working to create a rating, and how these components differ by type of child care program.

May 2017

Voices From the Field: Providers’ Experiences With Implementing DECAL's Quality Rated Subsidy Grant Pilot Program

This report describes child care providers’ experiences with the Quality Rated Subsidy Grant Pilot Program. The program was developed by DECAL to improve access to high-quality early care and education programs for low-income families, reimburse providers at a rate that supports the cost of high-quality care, test a new funding model, and create an opportunity for closer relationships between child care providers and families.

Documents List
  • Quality Rated Validation Study Report #1: What Makes Up a Quality Rated Star Rating? An In-Depth Look at the Criteria, Standards, and Components (August 2017)
  • Quality Rated Validation Study Report #2: A Further Look at the Programs in Quality Rated (March 2018)
  • Quality Rated Validation Study Report #3: Director, Teacher, and Provider Perceptions of Quality Rated (October 2018)
  • Quality Rated Validation Study Report #4: Quality Rated Star Ratings and Independent Measures of Quality, Children’s Growth, and Work Climate
  • Voices From the Field: Providers’ Experiences with Implementing DECAL’s Quality Rated Subsidy Grant Pilot Program
  • Google and Yelp Reviews of Early Care and Education in Georgia

ASK CALi Chatbot Disclaimer

Ask CALi is an AI chatbot designed to provide responses to your questions for general informational purposes using data from decal.ga.gov. Please note that information provided by Ask CALi may be inaccurate or incomplete and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for making decisions or taking actions. Users are responsible for verifying all information provided.

For optimal responses, try to make your questions clear and specific. Ask CALi cannot answer questions about individual cases, so please do not share any personal information.

If you need official guidance, please contact DECAL directly at 888-442-7735 or 404-656-5957.

Ask CALi
X

Welcome To DECAL!
Hi, I'm CALi. How can I help you?

AskCALi _
  • About Us
  • Career Opportunities
  • License Fee Information
  • FAQ
  • CAPS
  • GaPDS
  • HeadStart
  • Thriving Child Care
  • GAPREK
  • Training and Approval System
  • Inclusion and Behavior Support
  • Work Sampling Online
  • Contact Us
  • Find Child Care: 877-ALL-GA-KIDS
  • Privacy
  • Legal
  • Human Trafficking Notice

© 2025 Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning | All Rights Reserved