This session presents the benefits and strategies for engaging with university partners to support the use of early childhood data. Anita McGinty (Director of Early Childhood with the Virginia Department of Education) and Erin Carroll (Research Associate Professor with the School of Education in Human Development at the University of Virginia) share their strategies for strong research to practice partnership in Virginia’s early childhood data effort.

Role of Research to Practice Partnerships in Using Early Childhood Data

On this episode, Phil Sirinides interviews Missy Coffey about her recent report with co-author Jenna Nguyen,  titled "Lessons Learned About ECIDS Teams, Infrastructure, and Composition."

With over a decade of experience in the field, Missy discusses the successes and challenges states face when putting together successful ECDIS project teams. Additionally, Missy explains the importance of being specific on the roles, capacity and amount of effort of teams, as states transition from planning to implementation of their early childhood data systems. And in order states to better accomplish their initiatives and goals in early childhood education,  Missy and Phil talk about the need to align organizational, human, and technical capacities across the ECIDS teams.

Building the Right Team: ECIDS Teams, Infrastructure, and Composition

In this episode, ECDataWorks co-principal investigators Phil Sirinides and Missy Coffey join host Keith Heumiller to discuss the complexities of building integrated data systems for early childhood education. Drawing from their national mixed-methods study, the discussion breaks down four key stages of development—considering, planning, developing, and operating—and explores the unique challenges states face in advancing through each phase.

The conversation highlights the five critical capacity areas—human capital, data governance, organizational learning, technical scalability, and system alignment—that are essential for progress. Together, Phil and Missy share actionable insights on why some states succeed while others stall, and how strategic investments can address persistent gaps. They also offer guidance for state leaders on prioritizing capacity-building efforts and managing expectations for long-term success. 

Building the Future of Early Childhood Data Systems

In this episode, ECDataWorks co-principal investigator Missy Coffey begins a two-part series exploring the complex landscape of early childhood data integration, with a focus on governance, authority, and structural alignment. 

Coffey sits down with Dr. Rebecca Gomez, education program officer with the Heising-Simons Foundation and author of Early Childhood Governance: Choices and Consequences. Together, they examine national trends and new survey data from 2024 that shed light on the persistent governance challenges states face when integrating early childhood data systems (ECIDS).

The discussion underscores a growing realization across states: consolidating early childhood programs into a single agency does not inherently resolve governance and authority gaps. Gomez outlines key governance functions—including planning, allocation, accountability, collaboration, regulation, and outreach—that must be addressed regardless of a state's organizational structure, and highlights the critical need for states to move beyond a narrow focus on structure and to instead build functional, cross-sector governance frameworks.

This episode offers valuable insights into how authority, policy context, and interagency collaboration shape the effectiveness and sustainability of ECIDS. 

Dive further into this topic in Part 2: 

Explore our 2022 study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43477-024-00136-4

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center: https://pn3policy.org/early-childhood-governance/

Learn more about ECDataWorks at https://www.ecdataworks.org/


Structural and Functional Governance: How They Shape Progress with an ECIDS

In this episode, ECDataWorks co-principal investigator Missy Coffey joins Benjamin Baumfalk and Lane Carr from the Nebraska Department of Education to continue a critical discussion on governance and authority within the realm of integrated early childhood data systems (ECIDS). 

Baumfalk, the ECIDS Project Lead, and Carr, administrator in the Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, explore the complexities of establishing authority for ECIDS beyond initial funding efforts and reflect on their collaborative approach to integrating policy expertise with technical implementation. They share lessons learned, including the unexpected challenges of data governance and interagency coordination, and the necessity of aligning ECIDS goals with broader state education priorities.

This episode offers valuable perspectives on how sustainable data systems require more than technological infrastructure; they depend on strategic partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and long-term policy planning. Baumfalk and Carr also provide practical guidance for ECIDS staff, policymakers, and advocates working to advance integrated data efforts in their own states.

Listen to Part 1 of this series: https://www.soundcloud.com/ecdataworks/structural-and-functional-governance-how-they-shape-progress-with-an-ecids

Learn more about ECDataWorks at https://www.ecdataworks.org/


Making New Friends - Why Policy Staff are Critical to ECIDS

While sharing data is an important goal, the most vital aspect of early childhood integrated data system (ECIDS) analytics is usefulness.

How do your analytics make it easier for policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to effectively use data in their work? Will they lead to positive changes that meet the needs of your communities and address long-standing challenges for children and families?

As many in the ECIDS field have already learned, progress toward those goals can be difficult to measure.

In this episode, ECDataWorks co-principal investigators Missy Coffey (SRI International) and Phil Sirinides (Penn State Harrisburg) talk with state and national leaders about the importance of identifying appropriate indicators of ECIDS analytics success, and strategies to monitor and drive progress on ECIDS project teams.

Guests include Steven Matherly, Health Program Coordinator with the Utah Department of Health; Richard Gonzales, Preschool Development Grant project manager with the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families; Anita Larson, Director of Research, Planning and Evaluation and former ECIDS lead for the Minnesota Department of Education; and Jennifer Verbrugge, ECIDS lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.

Part of the ECDataWorks Community initiative, produced with support from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Appropriately Defining Success for ECIDS Analytics

Conversations to move early childhood data use forward. Learn more at ECDataWorks.org, or find us on Twitter @ECDataWorks

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