Connecting Disconnects in Early Childhood: Using IDS to Improve School Readiness for Iowa’s Young Children

• In Event: 3-201 - Using Integrated Data Systems to Foster Collaboration and Innovation in Early Childhood Policy

Integrative Statement

Iowa’s Early Childhood IDS is a state-university partnership that acknowledges the need for agencies to retain control of their data while enabling it to be integrated across systems for social policy research. Developed within a legislatively governed alliance that brings together public systems toward the common goal of improving comprehensive, collaborative approaches to support young children, this partnership includes our state’s land-grant University and each of the departments with programs serving children, including Health, Education, Human Services, Human Rights, Workforce Development and Economic Development. The innovative governance model deliberately incorporates procedures for stakeholder engagement at critical tension points between executive leaders, program managers, researchers, and practitioners. Standing committees (Governance Board, Data Stewardship, and the IDS Resource Center) authorize and implement the work of the IDS, while ad-hoc committees (Scientific Reviewers, Data Experts, and Community Advisory Groups) are solicited for specific projects to advise and translate research findings into practice.

Our initial development process has included mission and vision statements, a governance model, and an identified set of priority research foci to understand the connects and disconnects among our early childhood systems as they relate to school readiness outcomes. Using a phased approach we have articulated an IDS demonstration project to address these priority research foci which include: (1) understanding the population characteristics and needs of children 0-5 by linking birth records with kindergarten enrollment and achievement data; (2) studying significant “touch points” children and families have with multiple service systems (e.g., lead screening, WIC, SNAP, TANF, home visiting, Head Start, universal preschool, child welfare) and determining how these might be coordinated or improved to support positive developmental trajectories for young children at risk of starting kindergarten behind their peers, and (3) conducting a deeper analysis of service utilization patterns across these systems including the timing, duration, and quality as they relate to outcomes.

The purpose of this presentation will be to articulate how our team is testing IDS governance processes through Phase I of our demonstration project, affectionately named the Iowa Child and Family Wellbeing Study.

Authors

• Heather Rouse, Iowa State University
  Presenting Author

• Cassandra Dorius, Iowa State University
  Non-Presenting Author