Building and Using Coordinated State ECE Data Systems— A Framework for State Policymakers

1. Building and Using Coordinated State ECE Data Systems—A Framework for State Policymakers

2. Why Data? Why Now? • State Advisory Councils • Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Grant Program • State Fiscal Stabilization Funds • Race to the Top

3. Early Childhood Data Collaborative • Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley • Council of Chief State School Officers • Data Quality Campaign • National Center for Children in Poverty • National Governors Association • National Council of State Legislatures • Pre-K Now Supported through funding from the Birth to Five Policy Alliance, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

4. ECDC Goals: • Support state policymakers’ development and use of coordinated state early care and education (ECE) data systems to improve program and workforce quality, increase program access, and ultimately improve child outcomes; • Provide tools and resources to encourage state policy change; and • Provide a national forum in support of the development and use of coordinated state ECE data systems.

5. Theory of Action • Based on the DQC model with K-12 data • Start with the policy questions: design data systems to answer critical policy questions: • Resonate with policy leaders • Illustrate the power of data • Identify building blocks necessary to answer the questions • Track state progress towards implementing the building blocks

6. Three-fold transformation of current efforts 1. Compliance-driven to improvement-driven 2. Fragmented to coordinated 3. “Snap-shot” to longitudinal

7. Start with the Questions—Case in Point 64 Questions (July 2009) 42 Questions (October 2009) 15 Questions (November 2009) 7 Questions (January 2010) 6 Questions (March 2010)

8. Critical Policy Questions • Are children, birth to age five, on track to succeed at school entry and beyond? • Which children have access to high quality early care and education programs?  • Is the quality of programs improving? • What are the characteristics of effective programs? • What policies and investments lead to a skilled and stable early childhood workforce?   • How prepared is the workforce to provide effective education and care for all children?

9. 10 Building Blocks of State ECE Data Systems Governance and Privacy Elements 9-10 Element 4

10. 10 Building Blocks of State ECE Data Systems • Unique statewide child identifier • Child-level demographic and program participation information • Child-level data on child development • Ability to link child-level data with K-12 and other key programs • Unique program site identifier with the ability to link with children and the ECE workforce • Program site structural and quality information • Unique ECE workforce identifier with ability to link with program sites and children • Individual-level data on ECE workforce demographic, education and professional development information • State governance body to manage data collection and use • Transparent privacy protection and security practices and policies

11. 10 ECE Building Blocks Child-Level Data • Unique statewide child identifier • Child-level demographic and program participation information • Child-level data on child development • Ability to link child-level data with K-12 and other key programs

12. 10 ECE Building Blocks Program Site-Level Data • Unique program site identifier with the ability to link with children and the ECE workforce • Program site structural and quality information

13. 10 ECE Building Blocks Individual-Level ECE Workforce Data • Unique ECE workforce identifier with ability to link with program sites and children • Individual-level data on ECE workforce demographic, education and professional development information

14. 10 ECE Building Blocks Operational Characteristics • State governance body to manage data collection and use • Transparent privacy protection and security practices and policies

15. Promoting Data Use Ensure timely, user-friendly and appropriate access Build capacity to use data for continuous improvement.

16. 50-State Survey of State ECE Data Systems Goals— • Provide public transparency on state progress towards building Coordinated ECE Data Systems; • Inform states’ plans and implementation of Coordinated State ECE Data Systems; • Determine the gap between current state policies and changes that are needed; and • Inform states’ progress towards building, aligning, and using P-20/W data systems.

17. 50-State Survey Timeline

18. Challenges: Administering EC Survey • Raising awareness in states about this new, forthcoming survey; • Managing and validating responses from multiple early childhood programs, departments, and agencies; • Engaging policymakers in response and validation process; • Determining if states receive “credit” for an element; • Analyzing and communicating survey results for policymakers; and • Integrating this survey into larger P-20/W data systems communications strategy.

19. Future ECDC Activities • Communicate policy questions and data elements • Track state progress through 50-state survey • Provide state-based policy and advocacy assistance • Conduct state and federal advocacy work to improve coordination and alignment

20. Contact the ECDC: