1-069 - Free data—and other benefits (and challenges) in using administrative data to address early care and education policy questions

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Integrative Statement

Policymakers and researchers are increasingly interested in using administrative data to address pressing, policy-relevant questions. The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for instance, issued a memo in 2014 that encouraged agencies to use and share administrative data and provided guidance related to using administrative data for statistical purposes (M-14-16). Administrative data refers to information about individual children, families, and/or service providers that is collected and maintained as a part of program operations. It offers rich, detailed information about policies, programs, and administrative processes that can inform our understanding of what best supports children’s development. In this roundtable, researchers who have worked extensively with administrative data will discuss the benefits and challenges of using administrative data to address policy-relevant early care and education questions. They will also offer suggestions for building policy-research partnerships in which to conduct research using administrative data to address policy-relevant issues. Three resources developed to support researchers interested in using administrative data will be described: one on developing research partnerships with state agencies, another on determining the feasibility of using administrative data, and one on considerations when preparing to analyze administrative data. This roundtable session will provide useful information, tips, and networking opportunities for researchers who have or who are interested in using administrative data to better understand social policy issues that affect young children’s development.

Sub Unit

• Social Policy

Moderator

• Kathleen Dwyer, Administration for Children and Families

Panelists

• Kelly Maxwell, Child Trends

• Amy Claessens, University of Chicago

• Herman Knopf, University of Florida