Data Essentials

Online • Live • 7 PD Hrs

Data Essentials explores how data is used in practice in today’s Head Start world and answers two questions: “How can data be used to make things better?” and “How can I be sure that the data I collect helps children and families?”

Overview Course Outline

Overview

Data is vital to measuring the impact of Head Start and line staff play are essential to ensuring the smooth operation of the “data workflow” that keeps the data environment healthy. Building on the Data Basics course, Data Essentials explores how data is used in practice in today’s Head Start world and answers two questions:

“How can data be used to make things better?”
“How can I be sure that the data I collect helps children and families?”

In addition to completing self-paced coursework online, candidates will be required to attend a live webinar.

Date: Monthly beginning in March 2022

Requirements/Prerequisites: Data Basics

Target Audience: Leadership and Management, Support Services

Completion Timeline/Duration: Two months

Meeting Times: The last Thursday of the month from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET

Course Outline

Module Topics:

Review of the role of data in Head Start
Keeping it Real: Setting honest expectations about data in Head Start
Line staff in the FA2 review process
Roles and Workflows: Thinking about yourself as a data person
True stories of how programs use data
True stories of program improvement using data

Learning Objectives:

Describe various ways that data can be used for program improvement in Head Start programs.
Describe the role of Head Start staff in the collection, coding, analysis, and use of program data.
Illustrate their own role in the collection of at least on kind of data used in their program.
Connect their own responsibilities and duties to the ways that their organization uses data for program improvement.

Course Facilitator

Dr. Greg Dixon

Dr. Greg Dixon is the Chief Analytics Officer at Acorn Evaluation. Dr. Greg 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.