1. Association Leadership in State-Level Data Projects and Systems Mary Baskett, NHSA Consultant

2. Why Data is Increasingly Important
Federal and state push toward integrated data, through:
State Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDs) which align early childhood with K-12 and beyond
Early Childhood Integrated Data Systems (ECIDS) which collect, integrate, store and report information from early childhood programs across multiple agencies serving children from birth to age eight and their families.

3. Why Data is Increasingly Important
Statewide Head Start data needed for advocacy to:
Demonstrate effectiveness (outcomes data)
Describe our role within state early learning systems (program data)
Participate in professional development initiatives (workforce data)
Align with ECIDS and K-12 data systems
To support member programs in:
Building strong data cultures
Sharing and using data for quality improvement purposes
Perception that Head Start is not sharing data as much as other programs (e.g., ECDC survey showed only 9 states linking HS with K-12 data and only 6 linking with other EC databases).

4. Opportunities for Association Leadership
Quality Circles or Learning Communities— sharing data to improve data and program quality
Association licenses with data vendors
Professional Development—helping programs create “data cultures”
State-level data and advocacy reports—demonstrating Head Start effectiveness and impact to partners and policymakers
Brokering Head Start data alignment with other systems

5. Challenges in Data Leadership
Data Quality
Improving inputs through professional development
Building understanding of the value of good data
Data sharing and analysis can increase data quality.
Data Governance
Managing how data is shared and reported
Data Limitations
State data systems focus primarily on cognitive domain
Broader impacts of Head Start harder to quantify
Need for “data stories” to complete the picture.

6. Step 1: Find the Best Data.

7. Step 2: Write Your Narrative Story
Cindy started out the year with 48% attendance. during the Fall of the program year. The teacher learned on a home visit that the family was taking care of a elderly parent and had transportation issues. She and the family advocate and set attendance goals with the parents and helped them create a transportation plan. Cindy attended more regularly and exceeded the recommended outcomes score for her age. Cindy now has 100% attendance in her second year of Head Start and is on her way to being school-ready.

8. School-Ready Children
Step 3: Connect the 2 with a Data Picture
Family Goal-Setting
Attendance
Better
Outcomes
School-Ready Children
35%

9. Small Group Discussion
What are the top 3 opportunities and/or challenges for your association in data leadership?
What’s the most important data project you’d like to complete this year. . .
as a benefit to your members?
to strengthen Head Start’s role in your state?
How can NHSA and/or your association colleagues help you in your data leadership role?