McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Teri N. Talan, J.D., Ed.D. | April 28, 2020

Early care and education programs are largely open for business during this time of COVID-19. Program leaders are currently responsible for meeting new health and safety requirements, often restricted to lower enrollments, incurring increased costs, and adapting to changing conditions on a daily basis. In addition to traditional leadership and management competencies, effective program leaders today need to know how to support traumatized children, families, and staff. This leadership work is not for the faint of heart! Some early childhood colleagues may think this is a time to suspend quality assessments that support quality improvement efforts. I strongly disagree. Let me make the case for continuing efforts to assess and improve the quality of administrative practices.


Why Quality Assessments Are Needed


Having effective leadership and management practices and systems in place is especially important during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Early childhood programs are organized as dynamic social systems. As is true for any system, the system is only as strong as its weakest link. The pandemic has put enormous strain on the key components of the system: the people (fearful children, families, staff), the structures (changes to standard operating procedures, use of space, financial resources), and the processes (teaching/caregiving at a physical distance, collaborating via Zoom).


For teaching staff to be able to effectively meet the needs of children and families during the pandemic, they need to be protected through the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE), receive paid sick leave, and consistently implement rigorous health and safety procedures. They also need the support of their peers and supervisors. The Program Administration Scale (PAS) is a tool that is used in many state systems of quality improvement to assess the adequacy of emergency plans, the consistent implementation of health and safety systems, the level of compensation and benefits, the frequency and quality of feedback from supervisors, and the provision of protected time for teachers to plan with colleagues. Assessing the quality of leadership and management practices using the PAS can help program leaders identify a symptom of dysfunction before it develops into full-blown system failure.


What Needs to Change


Assessing and improving administrative practices is still possible. PAS assessments can be done virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coaching and technical support based on these assessments can be provided easily through Zoom or other virtual platforms. However, the emphasis during the pandemic should be on collecting data for the purpose of program improvement not on high-stakes judgement that determines a program’s quality level in QRIS or access to financial rewards. QRIS across the nation have slowly been moving away from compliance monitoring and high-stakes rewards to supporting organizational cultures of quality improvement. The pandemic may turn out to have quickened the trajectory.


How to Virtually Conduct a PAS Assessment


Traditionally, a PAS assessment is an all-day event. First, a tour of the center, followed by an interview with the administrator conducted by a trained and reliable PAS assessor. Next comes the review of documentation that is used to verify the responses given by the administrator. Last is an exit interview during which the administrator signs off on a document acknowledging any documentation that was not available.


Conducting a PAS assessment virtually has some advantages. The attached resource provides a new protocol for virtually conducting PAS assessments during COVID. The most important variation in protocol relates to time. Virtual PAS assessments take place over several days. From the perspective of state or local system providers, there is no travel time or travel expenses incurred with virtual assessments. From the perspective of the program administrators who have participated in a virtual PAS assessment, spending a few hours over multiple days is viewed more positively than devoting an entire day to the assessment process.


Final Word


The COVID-19 pandemic may be with us for quite some time. Our profession will need to adapt to changing conditions. But we must keep our eyes on the prize—ensuring equitable access to high-quality early care and education for all who need it. Quality matters more now than ever.


Dr. Teri Talan, J.D., Ed.D, holds the Michael W. Louis Chair and is senior policy advisor at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and professor of early childhood education at National Louis University (NLU). She promotes action by state and national policymakers on early childhood workforce and program administration issues. Previously, she led a child advocacy organization and an early childhood program accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She holds a law degree from Northwestern University as well as a master’s degree in early childhood leadership and advocacy and a doctorate in adult and continuing education from NLU. She is coauthor of the of the Program Administration Scale; Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care; Escala de Evaluación de la Administración de Negocios; Who’s Caring for the Kids? The Status of the Early Childhood Workforce in Illinois; and Closing the Leadership Gap.

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The Ants Go Marching

By Cara Murdoch • February 16, 2026
In early childhood education and care (ECEC), we know that some of the simplest ideas can carry the biggest lessons—and many of us have been singing “The Ants Go Marching” for years without realizing it might also be a leadership guide. Ants may be tiny, but their colonies run on teamwork, communication, flexibility, and a clear sense of purpose—all things ECEC programs rely on every day. By taking a closer look at how ants work together to support their colony, early childhood leaders can discover practical and familiar ways to strengthen teamwork, value every role, and lead programs where everyone is marching in the same direction for children and families. Ants are busy creatures; they work with a purpose and know their jobs in the colony. Ants exhibit teamwork and collective effort. Ant colonies demonstrate intelligence, division of labor, communication systems, and cooperative behaviors. They can recognize and respond to the colony's needs. They overcome their challenges through trial and error, learning from their experiences, and sometimes even develop innovative strategies. In the ant colony, individual ants work together as a unit, each with a unique role that determines the colony's survival and success. The ant colony functions just like a superorganism, where the actions of each individual ant are a part of the highly efficient system that supports the whole colony. This concept of collective action is closely related to human teamwork! Ants have a lot to teach us, as we work in ECEC. teamwork Just as ants collaborate, relying on their communication and coordination to complete tasks, humans thrive when working together, as each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to their “colony.” Ants depend on each other. Each ant has a specialized job, and the colony relies on the cooperation and coordination of all its members to thrive and survive. Each ant’s contribution, no matter how small it may seem, is vital to the success of the colony as a whole, and the strength of the group is built on the cooperation of each individual. Similarly, in ECEC programs, teamwork — working together and helping one another —leads to better results than trying to do everything alone! When we collaborate, we pool our strengths, share our knowledge, and support each other, which can lead to more creative and efficient solutions. Each person in the program brings unique skills and perspectives, filling gaps and helping compensate for one another’s weaknesses. This shared effort allows your program to tackle tasks and achieve goals that would be difficult, if not impossible, for one individual to accomplish on their own... just like in an ant colony! Adapting to face challenges Ants are highly adaptable creatures. Have you ever watched a disrupted colony hurry to move the uncovered eggs to a protected space? They respond quickly to changes or disruptions in their environment. Their ability to quickly assess new situations and adjust their behavior will help the colony continue to function efficiently, even when the unexpected happens. Their adaptability is the key to their survival, allowing them to overcome obstacles and thrive. Early childhood programs also need to adapt to challenges. When unexpected changes occur, each person needs to be flexible and find new ways to contribute to the program's success. Just as ants adjust, programs must reassess their strengths, collaborate, and develop alternative solutions. Adaptability is essential for proper teamwork! honoring individual roles In an ant colony, different ants take on very specific roles. There are worker ants, soldier ants, and the queen ant. Each ant’s role is crucial to the success and survival of the colony, and all roles are interdependent; they work together to achieve common goals. This division of labor that exists in an ant colony can be compared to the different roles and unique talents found in an ECEC program. Just as ants rely on each other to perform specific tasks, each ECEC team member brings their own expertise and skills to the program. In a project or workplace setting, one person may excel at brainstorming creative ideas, another might be skilled at organizing tasks and managing timelines, and someone else may be particularly adept at technical skills or problem-solving. This diversity of roles within a team ensures that every aspect of a project or goal receives focused attention. In center-based programs, there are the director, teachers, kitchen staff, and other roles as needed. The diversity of roles in a program helps to ensure that the program is successful and thrives. clear purpose and goals In an ant colony, survival is the common goal. The colony’s success depends on each member performing its specific role. Their unwavering focus on the survival of the colony is connected to their success. It demonstrates the power of their collective action, driven by a clear and unified goal. ECEC programs thrive when they are aligned around a shared and clear purpose and goals. When program members understand and commit to their common goals, the well-being and growth of children and families, their efforts will become more effective and coordinated. Just as ants bring different strengths to the program, each person brings different strengths to the program. It is alignment around shared goals that enables the program to overcome challenges and succeed. When everyone in the program is clear on the goals and helps work together toward them, the whole program becomes more focused, resilient, and motivated - just as an ant colony becomes stronger when every member is working toward survival! Ants work together harmoniously to achieve their common goals; they set aside individual competition in favor of colony cooperation. Each ant focuses on its specialized task. This spirit of ant cooperation is key to the colony's survival and success, as it enables the colony to accomplish more complex tasks than any single ant could manage alone. ECEC programs can benefit from adopting a similar approach that emphasizes collaboration and shared goals over individual achievement. In an ECEC program, when members support each other and work together, they can leverage each person’s strengths to accomplish more than they could individually. Instead of competing for recognition or resources, each member can focus on the program’s success, fostering a more positive and productive environment. learning from ants Ants have so much to teach ECEC programs when it comes to cooperating and working together as an effective team. Whether it's knowing your own role and abilities, supporting each of your fellow team members, communicating clearly and effectively, being flexible, or avoiding competition, the ant colony is an excellent example of these qualities! Let your ants go marching!!! Ant Life, author unknown I am just an ant, A small life is what I live, But I have dreams for bigger things And so much more to give If only I could grow A foot or two would do I could live a life That others look up to.
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