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Research & Evaluation

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to conducting high-quality research and evaluation, but every good study starts out with a great question. We take an individualized approach to research and evaluation, helping our clients formulate targeted questions that drive the appropriate research design.

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Analysis of Initial Preschool Development Grant B–5 Applications

As part of a series of federal grant opportunities designed to support early childhood systems-building, the Administration for Children and Families awarded $250 million in Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B–5) initial funding to 46 states and territories in December 2018.

Grant Renewal Application PDF CoverTo support the development of the PDG B–5 three-year renewal grants, the Policy Equity Group, in conjunction with the BUILD Initiative, conducted an analysis of key activities and themes that states proposed in their initial PDG B–5 applications and provided recommendations. The four key recommendations were:

Recommendation 1: States should expand their coordination and collaboration efforts to include a wider range of programs within their B–5 early childhood state systems and include higher-impact coordination activities.

Recommendation 2: States should more clearly and specifically address equity as part of their vision for the continued development of B–5 early childhood state systems.

Recommendation 3: States are using the PDG B–5 grant funding to take on the toughest issues in the field and should learn from each other’s efforts.

Recommendation 4: States must continue to work on connecting current resources, activities, and anticipated outcomes in a clear system-wide theories of change targeted at the populations they have defined as vulnerable.

Our recommendations assisted the states in preparing and developing their PDG B–5 renewal grants, and also enabled best practices and innovative state initiatives to be shared nationally.

See final report here