In Texas, legislation provided the impetus for developing new rules and charged a Texas Rising Star (TRS) program review workgroup with proposing revisions to existing standards. The TRS workgroup consisted of the following entities:
- Texas Workforce Commission
- Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
- Texas Education Agency
- Texas Early Learning Council
- Local Workforce Development Board member
- Four TRS providers
- Texas School-Ready! project participant
- Three local Workforce Development Board staff
The TRS workgroup was directed to consider the following in making its recommendations:
- Professional development standards for child care directors and employees, including training and annual professional development requirements
- Education and experience requirements for mentors and evaluators
- Early learning and school readiness standards
- Guidelines for infants and toddlers in child care
- Training hours for providers
- Playground standards
- Best practices guidelines based on standards adopted by nationally recognized organizations, including Head Start Program Performance Standards, Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards, National Association for the Education of Young Children program standards and accreditation criteria, National Association for Family Child Care accreditation standards, U.S. Department of Defense requirements, and Texas School Ready Certification standards
- Research on infant/toddler brain development
- Strategies for financing the TRS program long-term, including paying
- incentives to child care providers participating in the program and
- grants and rewards to child care providers that achieve and maintain high levels of service
The workgroup established four subcommittees to conduct in-depth analyses of key focus areas. A wide array of stakeholders participated on these subcommittees from early education and child care.