NYC Early Childhood Framework for Quality (2019)
Developed by the New York City Department of Education Division of Early Childhood Education and introduced in 2019, the NYC Early Childhood Framework for Quality (EFQ) sets unified quality standards for all early childhood programs serving children birth to five across New York City - including district schools, Pre-K centers, NYC Early Education Centers, and charter schools. It replaced the previous Program Quality Standards (PQS) in fall 2019 and aligns with the NYCDOE Framework for Great Schools. The EFQ is used citywide to evaluate and support quality across all NYCDOE-funded early childhood programs.
The NYC EFQ is organized into 6 domains and 12 criteria.
Used exclusively within New York City. The EFQ is the mandatory quality framework for all NYCDOE-funded early childhood programs citywide, including Pre-K for All and 3-K for All sites across district schools, Pre-K centers, NYCEECs, and charter schools.
Domains and Criteria
The NYC EFQ domains and criteria
1. High quality programs respect and value differences
Creating a climate of trust and belonging, implementing culturally responsive instruction, addressing bias, differentiating instruction to meet diverse learner needs, and connecting families to community services.
1-L: Program leadership teams
Examples: Directors, education directors, program directors, executive directors, board of directors, owners, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, mental health professionals, parent coordinators, family service coordinators
1-T: Program teaching teams
Examples: Lead teachers, special education teachers, itinerant teachers, family workers/educators/advocates, co-teachers, assistant teachers, paraprofessionals
2. High quality programs create safe and positive environments
Building trusting relationships with children and families, supporting social-emotional learning, using flexible scheduling, promoting safe and healthy habits, designing supportive classroom environments, and partnering with families on health and safety.
2-L: Program leadership teams
Examples: Directors, education directors, program directors, executive directors, board of directors, owners, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, mental health professionals, parent coordinators, family service coordinators
2-T: Program teaching teams
Examples: Lead teachers, special education teachers, itinerant teachers, family workers/educators/advocates, co-teachers, assistant teachers, paraprofessionals
3. High quality programs advance play-based learning and responsive instruction
Implementing play-based learning approaches, using research-based curriculum such as The Creative Curriculum or HighScope, extending children's thinking, using data-driven instructional practices, and engaging in collaborative planning.
3-L: Program leadership teams
Examples: Directors, education directors, program directors, executive directors, board of directors, owners, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, mental health professionals, parent coordinators, family service coordinators
3-T: Program teaching teams
Examples: Lead teachers, special education teachers, itinerant teachers, family workers/educators/advocates, co-teachers, assistant teachers, paraprofessionals
4. High quality programs promote families' roles as primary caregivers, teachers, and advocates
Maintaining two-way family communication, welcoming family participation in the classroom, building family skills and knowledge, connecting families to community resources, supporting families as advocates, and providing transition support.
4-L: Program leadership teams
Examples: Directors, education directors, program directors, executive directors, board of directors, owners, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, mental health professionals, parent coordinators, family service coordinators
4-T: Program teaching teams
Examples: Lead teachers, special education teachers, itinerant teachers, family workers/educators/advocates, co-teachers, assistant teachers, paraprofessionals
5. High quality programs work collaboratively towards continuous quality improvement
Soliciting family feedback on program quality, engaging in self-reflection, participating in professional learning, providing feedback to program leadership, building community partnerships, and engaging in collaborative goal-setting.
5-L: Program leadership teams
Examples: Directors, education directors, program directors, executive directors, board of directors, owners, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, mental health professionals, parent coordinators, family service coordinators
5-T: Program teaching teams
Examples: Lead teachers, special education teachers, itinerant teachers, family workers/educators/advocates, co-teachers, assistant teachers, paraprofessionals
6. High quality programs demonstrate strategic leadership
Establishing and communicating a shared program vision, shaping organizational culture, building classroom community, implementing effective classroom systems, and managing resources to support quality.
6-L: Program leadership teams
Examples: Directors, education directors, program directors, executive directors, board of directors, owners, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, mental health professionals, parent coordinators, family service coordinators
6-T: Program teaching teams
Examples: Lead teachers, special education teachers, itinerant teachers, family workers/educators/advocates, co-teachers, assistant teachers, paraprofessionals
Source
Official NYC EFQ source
Source: NYC DOE Division of Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Framework for Quality (EFQ) (2019). Verified 2026-06-01. View the official rubric
Rubric facts verified 2026-06-01 against the official source.
Giving feedback on the NYC EFQ
The slow part is the write-up
Aligning observation evidence to every NYC EFQ domain and standard by hand, for every teacher and every visit, is what eats a principal's week. Observation Copilot does that mapping for you.
How Observation Copilot Helps
AI-powered NYC EFQ feedback in seconds
Paste your observation notes. Copilot maps your evidence to the right NYC EFQ domains and drafts structured, rubric-aligned feedback - ready to review and share. Walkthrough notes return a focused single-indicator debrief; full lesson observations return a multi-domain rubric-aligned report.
- Maps observation notes to EFQ elements automatically across all six quality areas
- Generates evidence-based summaries for each EFQ element and indicator
- Structures observations across all six EFQ quality areas with evidence-backed summaries
- Creates targeted next steps tied to specific EFQ indicators
- Reduces post-observation write-up time from hours to minutes for NYC early childhood leaders
Frequently Asked Questions
NYC EFQ FAQ
- What is the EFQ?
- New York City DOE Division of Early Childhood Education program-quality and teaching framework for early childhood (0-5) settings, organizing high-quality early childhood programming into 6 research-based Elements, each carrying actionable Practices for program leadership teams and teaching teams. Descriptive framework (no rating scale).
- What are the domains of the EFQ?
- The EFQ is organized into 6 domains: 1. High quality programs respect and value differences, 2. High quality programs create safe and positive environments, 3. High quality programs advance play-based learning and responsive instruction, 4. High quality programs promote families' roles as primary caregivers, teachers, and advocates, 5. High quality programs work collaboratively towards continuous quality improvement, and 6. High quality programs demonstrate strategic leadership.
- What does EFQ stand for?
- EFQ stands for the NYC Early Childhood Framework for Quality.
- Which version of the EFQ is current?
- The current framework is the Early Childhood Framework for Quality (2019), which replaced the previous Program Quality Standards (PQS) in fall 2019, published by the NYC DOE Division of Early Childhood Education and verified against the official source on June 1, 2026.
Used In
States Using NYC EFQ
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