CONNECTING THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND STATE EARLY ... · Connecting the Research Community and State Early Childhood Advisory Councils Presenters: Amanda Szekely- National Governors

C O N N E C T I N G T H E R E S E A R C H C O M M U N I T Y

A N D S T A T E E A R L Y C H I L D H O O D A D V I S O R Y

C O U N C I L SJ U L Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 1

Connecting the Research Community and State Early Childhood Advisory Councils

Pr esenter s:

Amanda Szekely- National Governors AssociationNgozi Onunaku- Administration for Children and Families, DHHSSarah Daily- Child TrendsCathy Grace- Mississippi State UniversityLee Kreader- Research Connections,National Center for Children in Poverty

SAC Progress

Timely topic! Some states identified how they envisioned using research to complete SAC work in their applications.

State Advisory Councils recently submitted progress reports on SAC activities. States acknowledge the importance of research in their SAC work.

ACF Update

Public Input Comment Period for the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Draft Criteria opened July 1 and just closed July 11

HHS and ED are working through the public comments and intend to publish the final application in August

NGA State Profiles on Councils

State profiles for federally funded councils available on NGA website:http://www.nga.org/cms/home/nga-center-for-best-practices/center-issues/page-edu-issues/col2-content/main-content-list/state-early-childhood-advisory-c.html

Profiles include information on: • History• Membership• Federally funded activities and priorities• Unique features

http://www.nga.org/cms/home/nga-center-for-best-practices/center-issues/page-edu-issues/col2-content/main-content-list/state-early-childhood-advisory-c.html�



Findings from State Profiles

States have taken different approaches to council implementation. Key differences include: Councils created through executive action vs.

statute; Scope of activities and priorities; State entities housing councils; Membership size and types of members

engaged; and Structure (ex. subcommittees, regional

councils).

Council Connections with Research Community

Key strategies:

Involving researchers as members of the council and/or relevant council subcommittees

Housing or staffing council through a university or research institution

Supporting or partnering with a consortium of early childhood researchers in the state

Contracting with universities or research institutions to conduct analysis that informs council’s work or to carry out projects that require technical expertise.

Research Activities for ECACs

Policy Ma pping . What is our state’s vision for early childhood and what indicators can be uses to track and monitor progress?

Ma pping Needs a nd Resour ces. How are state resources geographically dispersed? Where are the areas of highest need? What’s the overlap between the two?

Envir onmenta l Sca ns. What is the current ‘status’ of different systems, programs, policies, or processes?

Needs Assessments. What needs are the highest priority, and what are our next steps?

Cr ossw a lks. How does one system align to another (within or across sectors)? Where is there overlap or opportunities for better alignment?

Policy Mapping

ECAC Cha rg e: “Promote school preparedness of children from birth through school entry…support professional development initiatives …[and] enhance existing early childhood education…”

Policy Ma pping

Identify the key outcomes the state collectively wants to work towards improving.

Develop a process for identify indicators that match individual policy objectives in order to track progress.

Partners commit to track progress towards meeting each of the objectives.

Uses

Helps to identify a common mission and vision among a broad array of stakeholders and establishes a consensus process for identifying the indicators that will be used to measure the groups collective success.

Can be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s early childhood system, which may inform a list of policy priorities.

Mapping Needs and Resources

ECAC Required Activ ity : “Conduct periodic needs assessment of the quality and availability of early childhood education and development programs, including an assessment of the availability of high-quality pre-k services for low-income children in the state”

Risk a nd Rea ch Assessment

Identify the geographical “reach” of early childhood programs and services, and the capacity, and utilization rates of these programs.

Compare these findings with regional or county level data that identifies areas of greatest need or “risk.”

Uses Can inform the ECAC, state policymakers, and communities about the access and

availability of early childhood programs and services for children and families that demonstrate the most need.

Can inform policy decisions regarding targeted early childhood education investments. Can be used for advocacy and outreach to promote investment in early childhood

education programs.

Environmental Scan

ECAC Required Activ ity : “Develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified data collection system for public early childhood education and development programs and services throughout the state”

Envir onmenta l Sca n For example, use the 10 fundamental elements of a comprehensive early childhood data

system identified by the Early Childhood Data Collaborative to guide a state environmental scan.

Collect data from key informant interviews, focus groups, document review, surveys. Identify alignment and gaps that provide opportunities for further partnerships.

Uses Similar to a needs assessment, and environmental scan can help address process-related

research questions and inform a more nuanced understanding of system operations. Not a process for holding individuals/entities ‘accountable’ for the current status of a

system. Can inform the work of task forces or sub-committees that work within the ECAC.

Needs Assessments

ECAC Requir ed Activ ity : “Assess the capacity and effectiveness of two- and four-year public and private institutions of higher education in the state toward supporting the development of early childhood educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in place articulation agreements, professional development and career advancement plans, and practice or internships for students to spend time in a Head Start or prekindergarten program”

Needs Assessment The first step for planning or restructuring a program or process, or identifying if there is

a need to do so. Identify the “who”: the universe of programs, children/families, providers, groups, etc. Identify the “what”: the criteria for assessment such as capacity, geographic dispersion,

barriers, successes, needs Identify the “how”: the gaps, areas of alignment, and opportunities to improve

implementation or coordination

Uses Can guide decisions about how to prioritize next steps, or inform how improvements can

be made. Can help to identify the appropriate individuals, agencies, or entities that can or should

be tasked with implementing next steps.

Crosswalks

ECAC Required Activ ity : “Make recommendations for improvements in state early learning standards and, where appropriate, develop high-quality comprehensive early learning standards – focus on implementation – what are effective practices?”

Alig nment Studies

Standards, curriculum, assessments

“Vertical” alignment across the P-3 continuum (and beyond)

“Horizontal” alignment across sectors

Uses

Can help inform how to improve implementation by building upon areas of overlap.

Can inform discussions about how to expand efforts, build consensus around common goals


In 2009 Governor Haley Barbour filed an executive order to formally establish the State Early Childhood Advisory Council in Mississippi 15 individuals as members

Within the first year the Council employed an executive director through the utilization of quality funds from CCDBG

Council work on vision development took place through work groups consisting of Council members and stakeholders

All of the research reviewed and discussed in developing the vision, goals and objectives were in the context of state demographics and likelihood of state and local resource allocations

Vision and Goals in Mississippi

The Council vision is one coordinated system of quality care and education for Mississippi’s children birth to five.

All of the goals have been developed with the vision in mind.

Staff from each agency participated in developing goals that are specific to their agency’s charge or mission that were presented to the Council for the purpose of integrating as best as possible the goals and related objectives across agencies and sometimes disciplines

Specific Goals and Objectives Supported by Research

Workforce Development

Research Support/T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ information, NAEYC , MS Department of Labor, National Experts such as Dr. Marty Zaslow, results from state research conducted through foundation and federal support

Goals: Create a pilot T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ program in conjunction with the development of a statewide career ladder for all early childhood teachers /providers and program directors


Improvement of the Quality of Child Care Centers Research Support: Information from NCCIC, state

research results, results from studies conducted in other states (OK, NC)

Goals: Relate the findings from the growing participation in MS Child Care Quality Step System to the development of a career ladder and piloting of T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$

Increase the number of centers participating in the Quality Step System and the improvement of centers in the system as evidenced by an increase in ratings


Creation of a comprehensive data system to include information from across specific agencies in assist in specific planning and evaluation of specific program outcomes

Research Support: Early Childhood Data Quality Campaign, Mississippi State University nSPARKdata system, Council of Chief State School Officers

Pr og r ess in 2010-2011Anticipa ting Apply ing for RTT Ea r ly Childhood Cha lleng e Fund

Grant funds from ACF and match for Council activities totaling $2,152,011

Conversations with specific agency directors on agreements necessary to move forward on the RTT application

Next Steps


New York State ECAC--

Connections to the New York & national research communities

• Council membership includes researchers & sponsors & funders of research

• Commissioned research reports

• Consultation from national experts

• Work Group recommendations informed by research


New York State ECAC—

Research informing development of QRIS in NYS

• Architects of QUALITYstarsNY who are Council members include Anne Mitchell & Dana Friedman. QUALITYstarsNY is grounded in their research on QRISs in other states.

•Anne is Co-Chair of the Quality Improvement Work Group, which oversaw the recent pilot of QUALITYstarsNY


New York State ECAC—Research informing development of QRIS in NYS

QUALITYsta r sNY: Field Test Eva lua tion Repor thttp://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_1018.pdf

Council members & liaisons include representatives of sponsor & funders of field test & report, & report co-authors• NYC Early Childhood Professional Development Institute•NYS Office of Children & Family Services/ARRA• Child Care & Early Education Fund• The Rauch Foundation

http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_1018.pdf�



Report draws on multiple sources of data from lead agencies and participants in the 13 pilot communities, including

• Scored applications from participant programs & providers

• Questionnaires, surveys of participants and lead agencies at each stage of process

• Observations of learning environments, teacher/caregiver-child interactions, meals and physical activity periods



Findings under review by Quality Improvement Work Group, with implications for statewide implementation, include:• Sta nda r ds—strengthen rationales, ensure applicability in all settings, cover all key quality dimensions, align with licensing• Documenta tion—identify core documents for submission & others for on-site review• Obser va tions—process for sharing ERS results, possibly use additional instruments• Also findings on Recr uitment & Suppor t for Participation and Quality Improvement


New York State ECAC—Research informing development ofIntegrated Early Childhood Data System for NYS

• Council member Lee Kreader served on an Advisory Committee to the national Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC)• ECDC partner Tom Schultz, from CCSSO, led a Data Forum in Albany• Lee is Co-Chair of the Council’s Data Development Work Group


New York State ECAC--Research informing development ofIntegrated Early Childhood Data System for NYS

Putting the Pieces Tog ether : New Yor k Ea r ly Lea r ning Da ta Sy stemshttp://nccp.org/publications/pub_999.html

Funders represented on the Council include:• Early Care & Learning Council, with support from the Birth to Five Policy Alliance

• The Rauch Foundation

http://nccp.org/publications/pub_999.html�


New York State ECAC—Research informing development ofIntegrated Early Childhood Data System for NYS

Findings on data that are (and are not) available gave the Data Development Work Group—which includes additional researchers--a framework and jump start for in identifying

• policy questions New York wants its integrated data system to answer—informed by ECDC’s “Killer Policy Questions”

• the data elements necessary to answer those questions

• the necessary elements currently available (or not) across agencies


New York State ECAC--

Recap of key connections to New York & national research communities• Researchers & Funders on the Council & Work Groups, along with Policymakers & Program Leaders

• Research reports commissioned for the Council, including those on QRIS and Data Systems

• National experts consult with the Council

• Work Group recommendations informed by research reports


Contact Information:

1) Sarah Daily- [email protected]

2) Cathy Grace- [email protected]

3) Lee Kreader- [email protected]

4) Ngozi Onunaku- [email protected]

5) Amanda Szekely- [email protected]

Documents

CONNECTING THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND STATE EARLY ... · Connecting the Research Community and State Early Childhood Advisory Councils Presenters: Amanda Szekely- National Governors