Have you ever wished you could tell the story of all the things your program does to any audience, any time, using real data from your program to back it up?

Data visualization is a key tool to telling your story.  It is also an essential part of driving program improvement.  Opening the door to empower Head Start staff to use data depends on being able to show them the data in a way that has meaning to them and that they can understand.

Stock reports from ChildPlus, COPA, or GoEngage can help you comply, but they make boring slides in presentations.

This course is about doing more.  It is about taking the first steps towards making your data an effective tool for improving your program and telling your stories.

In this introduction to data visualization in Excel, we will explore how to get data out of your existing platforms and to use Excel to turn it into visuals anyone can use.  You don’t need to be an expert in Excel, you just need a basic understanding.

Course Information:

• Start Date: February 4, 2026
• Course Level: Intermediate
• Target Audience: Instruction and Effective Practice, Leadership and Management, Parents and Families, Program Operations, Support Services
• Course Requirements/Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Excel
• Course Meeting Times:  11:30-1:30 (EST)
• Completion Timeline/Duration: Module 1: February 4, Module 2: February 11, Module 3: February 18, Module 4: February 25

Topics:

The course consists of four modules offered in 4 consecutive weeks:

• Module 1: Getting Started
• Module 2: Getting the Data
• Module 3: Basic Visualization
• Module 4: Pivot Tables & Charts

Each module includes a 2-hour Zoom meeting in which the content will be explored.

The course also includes access to the Canvas LMS where participants can explore walk-through videos for various data visualizations and Excel techniques.

Successful completion of this course provides:

• 10 Professional Development Hours
• 1 Continuing Education Unit.
• A digital credential

Head Start Alignment:

This course supports programs in meeting Head Start Program Performance Standard 1301.101(b)(4) Management System in which, “a program must design and implement program-wide coordinated approaches that ensure the management of program data to effectively support the availability, usability, integrity, and security of data.”

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Course Facilitator:

Dr. Greg Dixon

Dr. Greg Dixon is the Chief Research Officer at NHSA. Dr. Dixon is the leading designer of professional development programs to build data literacy in Head Start. He brings two decades of award-winning experience as a professor and curriculum designer to the development of programs that make data fun and accessible to all.