EC Data Systems

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Early Childhood Data Systems: Linking school readiness, early childhood systems building and third grade reading

On May 17, 240 people representing 36 states and the District of Columbia participated in a webinar on early childhood data systems and the relationship between birth to five policy agendas and early elementary reform efforts. Charles Bruner, Research and Evaluation Director for the BUILD Initiative, presented his analysis of the state of the field in developing birth-to-eight data systems to inform policy, and Ralph Smith, Executive Vice-President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation presented an overview of the national work on third-grade reading, its relationship to systems-building efforts and the critical role that information systems can play in fostering linkages.
 

Webinar Materials and Resources

 

Charles Bruner, Child and Family Policy Center, gave an overview of the issue and presented one approach for visioning and developing an ideal 0-8 child information system. His presentation, Building 0-8 Information Systems: Strengthening the Focus on Early Childhood, is available here.  His paper, Learning to Read: Developing 0-8 Information Systems to Improve Third Grade Reading Proficiency, provides background on the importance of third grade reading proficiency, resources and promising practices for developing information systems to address third grade reading proficiency, and recommendations for next steps at both the state and community levels. 

Ralph Smith, Annie E. Casey Foundation, discussed the goals and progress of The Campaign for Grade Level Reading. His presentation, 3rd Grade Reading – Success Matters, is available here.  More information on the Campaign for Grade Level Reading at http://www.gradelevelreading.net/.

The Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC) supports state policymakers’ development and use of coordinated state early care and education data systems to improve the quality of programs and the workforce, increase access to high-quality early childhood programs, and ultimately improve child outcomes. A brief description of their work is available here. More information is available on the Early Childhood Data Collaborative webpage, www.ecedata.org, including a white paper with Ten Fundamentals of Coordinated ECE Data Systems and a March 2011 50-state survey on state ECE data systems.
 

A related resource on federal funding to support grade level reading was produced by the Finance Project and is available on their website, http:www.financeproject.org/publications/GLR_Guide.pdf. You can check their website for additional information about finding funds for data systems. 

More Resources on EC Data Systems 

This case study from the National Council of State Legislatures is part of a series of case studies that document states’ progress toward building and using early childhood data systems. The publication includes information on: key policy questions driving the work; governance structures; current or planned linkage efforts within early childhood and with K-12, post-secondary and the workforce; and, strategies and challenges to building and using comprehensive early childhood data systems.

http://dataqualitycampaign.org/resources/948

New! Building Public Early Childhood Data Systems for a Multi-Ethnic Society

Written by Charles Bruner and Betty Emarita.  As states are beginning to build longitudinal data systems, it is incumbent that states build systems in ways that recognize and value the diversity of their young child population and provide the information needed to address current and professional gaps in readiness, participation, cultural awareness and recognition, workforce diversity, and stakeholder participation.  This issue brief provides concrete strategies for states to undertake to assure that data systems collect the information needed to close the achievement gap.

Opportunities to Incorporate Young Child Data into Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems through American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding

Written by Charles Bruner, with Michelle Stover Wright
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $250 million to the Institute of Education Sciences within the United States Department of Education to carry out Section 208 of the Education Technical Assistance Act.  The Secretary of Education is authorized “to award grants, on a competitive basis, to state educational agencies to design, develop, and implement statewide, longitudinal data systems to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, disaggregate, and use individual student data, consistent with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.”  This document provides valuable information related to this funding source.

This two-page overview describes Pennsylvania’s early childhood data system, which has been supported by the legislature and private funders. The ELN is designed to gather information on Office of Child Development and Early Learning programs, child outcomes, child and family demographics, and teacher qualifications and experience and to link with the K-12 data collection system.