Texas Rising Star Categories
The Texas Rising Star program organizes measures into four categories. Learn more about each of these categories below.
- Category 1: Director and Staff Qualifications and Training
- Category 2: Teacher-Child Interactions
- Category 3: Program Administration
- Category 4: Indoor/Outdoor Learning Environments
Texas Rising Star Categories
Get a quick overview of the four Texas Rising Star assessment categories.
Texas Rising Star Assessment Categories
Measures in this category relate to the education, experience, and training of the staff, including the director. This category has two sub-categories:
- Director Education and Training
- Staff Education and Training
This category has structural, required measures as well as points-based measures.
Measures in this category relate to the group size, teacher/ child ratio, and quality of interactions between teachers and children in the classroom. There are six sub-categories within this category:
- Group Size/Staff Ratios (center-based only)
- Warm and Responsive Style
- Language Facilitation and Support
- Play-Based Interactions and Guidance
- Support for Children’s Regulation
- Instructional Formats and Approaches to Learning
This category only has points-based measures. There are no structural, required measures within this category.
Measures in this category relate to the education and involvement of families in the program and program management and supports for staff. This category has three subcategories:
- Family Education
- Family Involvement
- Program Management
This category has structural, required measures as well as points-based measures.
Measures in this category relate the equipment, materials, and arrangement of the indoor and outdoor learning environment children have regular access to. This category has 2 subcategories:
- Indoor Learning Environment (classroom)
- Outdoor Learning Environment (playground)
This category only has points-based measures. There are no structural, required measures within this category.
Category weighting for scoring
A Texas Rising Star assessment assigns each of the four categories a star level based on the average score across the points-based subcategory measures. Additionally, Texas Rising Star assigns each category a specific weight that assessors use to calculate the program’s overall star level.
Learn more about Certification Levels.