Brokaw Early Learning Center and Old Post Elementary School Receive Gold Circle of Quality Rating

Oswego, Ill. (Oct. 8, 2015) — School District 308’s Brokaw Early Learning Center and Old Post Elementary School received the state’s highest ranking—Gold Circle of Quality—that early learning center programming can receive.

The rating, given by the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and the Illinois Department of Family Services through the ExceleRate program, is a quality rating system for early learning and development programs serving children from birth to age 5.

“We couldn’t be any more pleased with the rating,” said Brokaw Early Learning Center Principal Andrew McCree. “We worked hard to achieve the prestigious Gold Circle of Quality rating, and we will continue to work hard to maintain it.”

Old Post Elementary also earned the award, housing four early childhood classrooms. Quality early learning programs can help children reach their full academic potential.

“New research shows that how we engage with children from birth to age 5 shapes their ability to be successful throughout their academic careers as well as throughout their entire lives,” said McCree.

Schools that have attained the Gold Circle of Quality rating—the state’s highest rating—meet or exceed specific quality benchmarks on learning environment, instructional quality, and program administrative standards, including group size and staff/child ratios, staff qualifications, and professional development.

ExceleRate Illinois is a statewide quality rating and improvement system that establishes standards for helping infants through preschool-aged children develop intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. ExceleRate Illinois provides a framework for early learning professionals to identify opportunities for improvement and provides standards, guidelines, resources and support to help licensed child-care centers, preschools, and Head Start programs make sensible changes that lead to better quality outcomes.

This is the second consecutive time that School District 308 preschool programming is being recognized.