1 Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Scope of FY08 Evaluation Activities December 11, 2007

2 UPK Evaluation Background EEC hired team of research consultants to make recommendations about UPK evaluation design Consultants recommended UPK Evaluation include multiple stages and purposes: Short Term: Refine grant requirements Inform current policy and program development Long Term, informed by short term: Set policy and program development Track outcomes and effectiveness

3 UPK Evaluation Scope of FY08 Evaluation Activities Conduct implementation evaluation of FY07 Pilot Classroom Quality grantees. Hire researcher with expertise in early childhood and program evaluation to: Refine research questions Develop evaluation design/research methodology Collect and analyze data Present findings to EEC, Board, Advisory Team and other stakeholders

4 UPK Pilot Implementation Evaluation Preliminary Research Questions How are programs spending UPK funds? What is rationale for specific expenditures? Does this vary by provider type? What improvements in quality are associated with UPK? How do expenditures maintain/improve quality of UPK classrooms/homes? What practices in the classroom/home have changed because of the UPK? Which expenditures are associated with greater impacts on the quality of the classrooms/homes? Are parents aware of the grant and do they notice its impact? How are programs using the child assessment tool? What training have staff received? How often are assessments administered? How are programs using child assessment data to change classroom instruction? Change individual instruction? Communicate with parents? What are remaining assessment needs?

5 UPK Pilot Implementation Evaluation Proposed Methodology Evaluation will include: Survey of all current grantees Interviews with sample of directors, teachers, system staff, family child care providers, parents Evaluation may also include: Interviews with sample of “control” programs (e.g., programs who were eligible but not selected to receive grants) Observations from sample of classrooms/homes to describe impacts on practices that are linked with long-term academic success

6 UPK Pilot Implementation Evaluation Next Steps/Timeline December 2007Post RFR January-February 2008Award contract; finalize evaluation design, research questions, and methods February-May 2008Data collection and analysis June 2008Findings presented to EEC, Advisory Team, and Board

7 UPK Evaluation Longer Term Planning Implementation evaluation will lay the foundation for more rigorous long-term evaluation of UPK impact on child outcomes. UPK child outcomes will be evaluated as: Grant requirements are refined; Expenditures are more targeted; More programs are fully funded; and Additional components of UPK system are developed and implemented.

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