Data from early-childhood programs are needed to help track individual educational progress

A new issue brief from the nonprofit public-policy group New America says states need to incorporate information from early-childhood programs like Head Start to better analyze childhood progress over time. In the brief, "Many Missing Pieces: The Difficult Task of Linking Early Childhood Data and School-Based Data Systems," New America's Early Education Initiative says states are "still a long way from collecting early-childhood data (birth to age 8) that can inform teachers and parents about needed changes in instruction, improve learning opportunities in each year of a child's educational journey,and guide policy decisions related to early childhood programs."

In the past five years the federal government has invested roughly $515 million to help states expand longitudinal data systems to collect data across the full span of a child's educational experience, including $250 million from the stimulus package, New America reports. The stimulus money requires states to link early-childhood programs with the traditional K-12 system. "A growing number of states now have the ability to collect and use information on individual children attending state funded pre-kindergarten programs," New America writes. "But state's education departments are less likely to be capturing data on children who attend Head Start, the federal government's pre-K program for children in poverty."

The report argues early childhood data are essential to multiple stakeholders. "Teachers need longitudinal data on students in their classroom from their previous years of school to help them target their instruction and identify students who need additional help as early as possible. Researchers need data on how students have progressed over time to analyze the effectiveness of programs. State and local policymakers need data to determine where future investments should be made. State officials need data to evaluate how well teacher preparation programs equip teachers of young children with the knowledge and skills they need to be effective." (Read more)