Parent Aware is Minnesota's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for early care and education (ECE) programs. The purpose of the Parent Aware Initial Validation Study is to examine the extent to which the rating process and the four star quality ratings that are awarded are fair, accurate and meaningful. The findings will be used to inform improvement of Parent Aware as it continues to expand across Minnesota. The validation study analyzes multiple sources of evidence including observations of quality in 325 Parent Aware-rated programs and direct assessments of developmental skills in nearly 1,200 children in both the fall and spring of their year before kindergarten. The study was conducted with all program types participating in Parent Aware: licensed family child care programs and child care centers (including those with national accreditation), Head Start programs, and school-based prekindergarten programs. Approximately two-thirds of the children in the study are from low-income families (with incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level). The findings address the effectiveness of the rating tool overall, the Accelerated Pathway to Rating process offering a Four-Star rating for programs that meet external quality standards aligned with Parent Aware, and the rating process for different program types. (author abstract)