How does technology support the work of early childhood practitioners?  Explore this report and accompanying briefs to discover answers to that question and the barriers to and facilitators of effective use of technology. The briefs highlight the use of technology in three primary areas: (1) instruction and assessment ; (2) parent, family and community engagement ; and (3) professional development and informal learning .

The Parents and Children Together Evaluation describes approaches used by four Responsible Fatherhood grantees. What types of service delivery do they use, what are the characteristics of fathers who participate, and what are enrollment, engagement, and participation trends?   Read this new brief to learn more .

Our recent examination of data use for program planning and quality improvement finds that Head Start programs face many of the same facilitators and impediments to data use as organizations in other fields. Learn more about the factors that can drive effective use of data in Head Start and the research questions that remain to be addressed to build an evidence base for best practices in data use by exploring this brief.

What questions can researchers ask Head Start programs, directors, managers, and teachers to help build understanding of their implementation of the school readiness goals requirements? Explore this report to learn about a recent study on School Readiness Goals in Head Start and the resulting survey items designed for use in future data collections on this topic. The survey items address six constructs: description of goals, measures, data analysis, using goals, perspectives on goals, and technical assistance.

ACF received a score of 25 out of 35 on Results for America's latest Federal Investing in What Works Index - higher than last year's score. The index is an annual assessment of progress by federal agencies in building infrastructure necessary to use data, evidence and evaluation when making budget, policy and management decisions.

Apply today to join Research Connections on July 20-23, 2015 in Ann Arbor, MI for a workshop to explore advanced topics related to data from the National Survey of Early Care and Education. Applications are due by May 29 and admitted graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and junior faculty/researchers are eligible for a limited number of stipends to help with travel and housing costs.  Visit the Free Summer Data Workshop page  to apply and learn more about the workshop.

In the April Special Issue of the Family Court Review Journal, our partners from Mathematica Policy Research discuss the findings from our ongoing large-scale evaluation of four responsible fatherhood programs.  Visit the article page   to read the abstract and full article.

NEW Understanding Data Use for Continuous Quality Improvement in Head Start: Preliminary Findings

 

NEW Responsible Fatherhood Programming: Two Approaches to Service Delivery

 

NEW Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice: Full Report

• The Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice: Instruction and Assessment (Brief)
• The Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice: Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) (Brief)
•  The Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice: Professional Development and Informal Learning (Brief)

NEW Collecting Information from Head Start and Early Head Start Grantees on Implementation of the School Readiness Goals Requirements: Survey Items for Program Leadership, Teachers, and Administrative Data Collection

 

Embedding Job and Career Advancement Services in Healthy Marriage Programs: Lessons from Two Programs in PACT

Use Simple Words and Phrases

 

Simple words help you express your message clearly.

 

Instead of: "facilitate"

Try: "ease" "assist" or "help"

For more plain language tips, go to plainlanguage.gov.