ECDataWorks and State Impacts

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

Our Team

Philip Sirinides

Principal Investigator and Senior Researcher

Phil Sirinides is a statistician and researcher with expertise in the application of quantitative research methods and the development and use of integrated data systems for public-sector planning and evaluation. Phil is the ECDataWorks Lead Researcher and Principal Investigator.

Missy Coffey

Co-Principal Investigator and Lead State Liaison

Missy Coffey is a leading expert in early childhood integrated data systems. She specializes in using data from local, state, and federal agencies to inform decisions in early childhood. Through the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) State Support Team (SST) and the IDEA Early Childhood Data System Center (DaSy), she provides technical assistance to states on integrating early childhood data.  Missy designs and leads the state engagement and facilitation strategies for the ECDataWorks collaborations.

HOWARD MORRISON

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Specialist

Howard Morrison is an early childhood technical assistance specialist with a focus on data integration and use. He specializes in inter-agency data integration efforts, which include data governance, data quality, data sharing agreements, and stakeholder engagement to identify key data elements for program improvement and collaboration. Howard supports the state engagement and facilitation strategies for the ECDataWorks collaborations.

YOLANDA GREEN

CPRE Business Manager

Yolanda Green manages the ECDataWorks budget and advises the project team on state agency resource allocations needed for tool design, development and implementation.

BRIDGET GOLDHAHN

CPRE Communications Specialist

Bridget Goldhahn is a graphic designer and communications specialist who guides the team on design, marketing, external communications, and outreach.

Our Partner

Consortium for Policy Research in Education

The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) seeks to contribute new, evidence-based knowledge to inform important decisions of education policy and practice.

CPRE is a network of renowned researchers from universities and other institutions across the United States who study and publish on a range of topics relevant to education from early childhood to higher education at the local, state, and national level.