1. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00731 The Impact of Cash Incentives on Early Childhood Workforce Development and Program Quality Sara Gable & Yiting Chang University of Missouri-Columbia The original WIN project was made possible with funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to Kathy Thornburg and Sara Gable. Our sincere appreciation is extended to Project Director, Denise Mauzy; former Project Evaluation Director, Mary- alayne Hughes; Data Manager, Christy McCord; the many past and present staff and volunteers of WIN; and, most especially, to the early childhood professionals who participated.

2. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00732 Background  Research consistently identifies caregiver specialized training and education as one of the strongest predictors of child care quality and, subsequently, child outcomes.  Unfortunately, research shows high rates of turnover in the child care workforce due in part to low wages and limited opportunities for training and professional advancement.

3. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00733 What is WIN?  Missouri’s Workforce Incentive Project (WIN) is a private/public, research-driven initiative designed to increase early childhood workforce stability and educational attainment and to improve child care quality through the provision of bi-annual cash payments based on educational attainment.

4. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00734 Research Objectives  Did WIN work? (i.e., when compared to the non-incentive receiving group, did the WIN group exhibit lower levels of turnover and more involvement in training and formal education and, over time, greater improvements in child care quality?)

5. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00735 Research Objectives  What can we learn about early childhood incentive programs using a within-WIN program group analysis? (e.g., What characteristics of WIN participants are associated with child care program quality improvements?)

6. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00736 Research Design  The sample consisted of 503 WIN participants (109 programs) and a comparison group of 376 individuals (87 programs) not participating in WIN.  Participants for both groups were recruited from state-licensed child care centers and home-based child care programs.

7. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00737 Research Questions (Did WIN work?) Workforce Development 1. Turnover When compared to the group who did not receive cash incentives, was participation in WIN associated with lower rates of staff turnover?

8. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00738 Research Questions (Did WIN work?) Workforce Development 2. Ongoing Training and Education When compared with the group who did not receive cash incentives, did WIN participants pursue more early childhood training and education? Furthermore, did WIN participants pursue a higher quality of training and technical support compared to the non-incentive-receiving group?

9. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE00739 Research Questions (Did WIN work?) Child Care Quality 3. When compared to child care programs whose staff were not receiving cash incentives, did the centers and homes with staff participating in WIN demonstrate greater child care quality gains over time?

10. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE007310 Research Questions (Did WIN work?) Sub-Group Analyses 1. Centers versus Homes (workforce development and program quality) 2. Participant Role (workforce development and program quality for child care teachers, aides, and directors, family home providers and assistants) 3. Rural versus Urban (workforce development and program quality)

11. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE007311 Research Questions (Within-Group Analyses) Workforce Development Did the workforce development impact of WIN vary across levels of the state's early childhood career ladder? Did WIN participants leave poorer quality programs at a higher rate than those who were in better programs?

12. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE007312 Research Questions (Within-Group Analyses) Child Care Quality What characteristics of WIN participants (e.g., education level, child care setting and role) are associated with child care quality improvements? What characteristics of WIN participants' child care programs (e.g., director educational attainment) are associated with child care quality improvements?

13. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE007313 Research Questions (Within-Group Analyses) Education Requirements What individual and child care program characteristics distinguish the WIN group participants who met the education requirements (i.e., moved up the career ladder) from those who did not?

14. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE007314 Timeline: Year One  Prepare data for data analyses (e.g., examine univariate properties of relevant variables)  Begin data analyses: “Did WIN work?”  Prepare data-based policy brief on WIN for Missouri Legislators  Begin manuscript preparation on efficacy of WIN

15. March, 2005ACF/CCB 90YE007315 Timeline: Year Two  Finalize manuscript on efficacy of WIN  Begin within-WIN group data analyses  Prepare second data-based policy brief on WIN for Missouri Legislators  Complete manuscript for within-WIN group data analyses