ECDataWorks was created to help states accomplish their early childhood practice and policy goals through innovative use of integrated early childhood data.
BACKGROUND
With the help of federal, state, and private funding, many states have launched efforts to develop early childhood information and reporting systems that integrate data from a variety of sources. These integrated data systems have the potential to support decisions about early childhood education and policy by making more information available about the use, quality, and outcomes of early childhood programming than ever before.
CHALLENGES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Bridging the gap between data collection and strategic data use remains challenging. More work is needed to realize the potential value these systems can offer. Early integration efforts focused predominantly on developing technical solutions. However, future enhancements will need to incorporate advanced analytic and organizational innovations.
ECDataWorks STRATEGIES
ECDataWorks collaborates with states to help attain their early childhood education goals through the innovative use of integrated data. To this end, the ECDataWorks team uses the following strategies:
- Provides comprehensive assistance to states to identify unmet analytic data needs
- Examines why gaps in early childhood data use exist, what the major elements of the gaps are, and what specific strategies might help close the gaps in a practical manner
- Creates innovative tools to support advanced analytics
- Empirically identifies characteristics of effective and sustainable data use
- Recommends strategies for building organizational analytic capacity
Learn more about ECDataWorks here.