Program Administration Scale: Measuring

Research consistently finds that high-quality administrative practices are crucial for ensuring beneficial outcomes for children and families. The Program Administration Scale® (PAS®) is designed to reliably measure the leadership and management practices of center-based early childhood organizations―the only instrument of its kind to focus exclusively on organization-wide administrative issues.

Using a 7-point rating scale (inadequate to excellent), this easy-to-use assessment instrument measures:

• Leadership functions relating to helping an organization clarify and affirm values, articulate a vision, set goals, and chart a course of action to meet those goals over time.
• Management functions pertaining to the actual orchestration of tasks and the development of systems to carry out the organizational mission.

The instrument looks at 25 items grouped in 10 categories that include: human resources development, personnel cost and allocation, center operations, child assessment, fiscal management, program planning and evaluation, family partnerships, marketing and public relations, technology, and staff qualifications.

Thoroughly researched and tested, the PAS instrument is easy to use and will generate a clear profile to support program improvement efforts. It can be applied to center-based early care and education programs as well as public school-based programs.

Teri N. Talan is an assistant professor at National-Louis University and the Public Policy Liaison for the Center for Early Childhood Leadership. Paula Jorde Bloom is a professor at National-Louis University and the Director of the Center for Early Childhood Leadership.