The "FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality, New Mexico's Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (TQRIS)," provides early childhood program personnel with the criteria, tools, and resources they need to improve the quality of their program. These quality improvements focus on children's growth, development, and learning--so that each child has an equitable opportunity to be successful when they enter school. This document contains the "FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality" that provide a framework for state-funded preschool programs as they strive to make quality improvements. Together, the "New Mexico Early Learning Guidelines: Birth through Kindergarten" and the "FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality" provide: (1) Common Early Learning Standards, standardized criteria for a common, authentic, observation documentation curriculum-planning process; and (2) Common Early Learning Program Standards, a standardized process for continuous quality improvement and standardized criteria for a common quality rating and improvement system. The "FOCUS: Essential Elements of Quality" is also closely aligned with the New Mexico Professional Development System--a standardized, early childhood workforce knowledge and competency framework, with a corresponding progression of credentials, the Common Early Childhood Professional Development Standards. An appendix provides: Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Crosswalk--NM Early Learning Guideline (ELG): Birth through Kindergarten. [FOCUS on Young Children's Learning is a partnership between the New Mexico Public Education Department, the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, and the University of New Mexico.]