Environment Rating Scale FAQs

Q1: If ECERS was covered in a Child Development class I completed, does that satisfy the training/college class requirement?

No. To meet the training requirement, the entire class has to be on ECERS/ITERS/FCCERS/SACERS.

Q2: I will be out of town for the second date of the 2-day ECERS training. Can I make up the other date by attending part 2 at one of the other sites?

Yes. You need to register for the second date separately to ensure there is space available in the training.

Q3: My director said I do not have time to do the assessment on my classroom/program while I am working. I offered to come in on a Saturday, but she said she didn't want to come and open the preschool just for me. What should I do?

You can complete the assessment over several days and use your lunch period to complete it.

Q4: I have been doing an annual ITERS on my program for the last five years. I learned about the scale at a conference workshop. Why do I have to go through the CARES training?

CARES requires participants to learn about the appropriate scale through a college course specific to the Environment Rating Scales, a multi-day training, or through your place of employment. A conference workshop does not dedicate enough time to learning how to use the scale.

Q5: What do I do after completing my training or course?

You need to submit your score sheet from the assessment, your improvement plan, and proof of improvements to CARES along with the certificate from your training, transcript from the 1 unit college class or letter from your director stating you were trained on-site.

Q6: I do not have a lot of money to spend on improvements. What can I do?

Improvements do not have to be expensive. Some improvements can be made by moving artwork to the child's eye level, creating a newsletter for parents, improving your hand-washing routine, moving items from one interest center to another, or creating better storage for items.

Q7: How often do I need to do the ECERS on my classroom?

While you need to complete the training aspect of the ERS requirement only once, you need to complete the self-assessment, improvement plan, and proof of improvements each year.