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What we have been up to:
I2D2 has a new team member, Sharon Zanti! Sharon joined the I2D2 team in Spring 2024 after receiving her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania and serving as a Doctoral Fellow at Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP). Sharon’s scholarship is grounded in strong partnership with state and local agencies and the ethical use of integrated administrative data to address pressing social policy issues. Previously, she held multiple research and analytic roles at the Colorado Department of Human Services, earned her MSW from the University of Denver, and spent several years working in the software industry after graduating with a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia. Visit our I2D2 Team webpage to learn more about our staff.
I2D2 has a recent partnership with Iowa Jobs for American Graduates (iJAG). The iJAG program delivers career development programming for students across Iowa. With the new partnership. The new partnership will support a pilot evaluation to provide insights on characteristics and outcome of students within iJAG. This will help guide and facilitate strategic-planning to create greater opportunities for iJAG participants.
In early June, Heather Rouse, Todd Abraham, and Sharon Zanti from I2D2 attended the recent AISP National Network Meeting. Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) regularly hosts and participates in events to promote best practices in cross-sector data sharing and integration. At the Network Meeting, Rouse served several roles, including Co-Chair of the National Advisory Committee, discussant for IDS projects using data for early childhood priorities, and leading a session showcasing I2D2's governance processes. A summary of the Network Meeting will be released soon on their website.
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Across Iowa, full-time enrollment in early childhood education programs for Head Start demonstrates successful outcomes. Compared to children participating in half-day Head Start programs, Head Start children with full-time enrollment that involves a combination of Statewide Voluntary Preschool and Head Start have 49% higher literacy scores, 9% higher social-emotional skills, and 12% higher language scores! Learn more about how Iowa's Head Start children with full-time enrollment are achieving higher outcomes with our Success in Head Start data brief. | |
The 2022 ECI Statewide Family Survey collected information from 2,185 families across 93 out of Iowa’s 99 counties and found that in Iowa, low-income families experienced a lower service use compared to the year before the pandemic (compared to 2019 survey results), although their use of services was overall more than higher-income families. Mental health service use saw the biggest shift: despite reported need for services, low-income families used fewer services after the pandemic, and were more likely to report they could not access services or that services did not meet their needs. Learn more about mental health needs in Iowa from our Family Access to Mental Health data brief. | |
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Engaging Families in State Initiatives: A Case Study of Lessons Learned: In a recent OPRE brief, three state initiatives were featured that developed new programs, strategies, policies, or initiatives to strengthen child care and early education (CCEE) systems and support families with young children. These new practices aimed to engage families with young children, incorporating their perspectives into child care and early education (CCEE) strategies. The brief also includes considerations for other states looking to involve families in their efforts for new initiatives.
Turnover Patterns among Early Head Start Teachers and Home Visitors: A stable and healthy workforce is essential for delivering high-quality Early Head Start services. Unfortunately, high staff turnover is common in the early childhood field and was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief published by Urban Institute explores how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted turnover rates among Early Head Start teachers and home visitors, and examines the program and community factors associated with staff turnover. Understanding the key drivers of turnover in Early Head Start programs post-pandemic can help these programs develop effective strategies for staff recruitment and retention moving forward.
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Various I2D2 projects will be presented at the National Research Conference on Early Childhood (NRCEC) 2024 Conference June 24th-26th in Arlington, VA. This 3-day event will present the latest research surrounding Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, home visiting, child welfare, special education, pre-kindergarten, early elementary, and other childhood programs. Learn more about the upcoming conference, schedule, and more at their website.
I2D2 Line-up at NRCEC 2024 includes:
- Arabzadehjafari, F., Rouse, H., Betancur, L., & Kim, H. (2024, June). Mental health service utilization during COVID-19: A statewide investigation of family patterns by income and rurality [Poster presentation].
- Kim, H., Rouse, H., Betancur, L., Choi, J., & Arabzadehjafar, F. (2024, June). Exploring Underserved Populations and Opportunities in Head Start with Focus on County-level Characteristics: A Mixed Methods Study [Poster presentation]
- Kim, H., Betancur, L., Rouse, H., & Choi, J. (2024, June). Collaboration and Colocation between Head Start Recipients and Local Education Agencies [Poster presentation].
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Betancur, L., Rouse, H., Choi, J.Y., Abraham, W. & Kim, H. (2024, June 24-26). Exploring Concurrent and Sequential Care Experiences among Head Start Children [Conference presentation].
I2D2 and our partners at Iowa Health and Human Services will soon release new child care tools for decision-makers and families in Iowa. Stay tuned for a special newsletter release from I2D2 on these new first-in-the-nation child care solutions!
Director Heather Rouse has been invited to the National Forum on Education Policy July 10th-12th in Washington, D.C. to present the value of I2D2 and the contributions to education policy research. This event brings together policymakers and leaders across the country to enhance education policy. View more details at the NFEP website.
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