Using Data to Improve Quality in Early Education Settings

In this two-part program, participants will learn about using data to drive sustainable quality improvement in early education systems, settings, and classrooms. This program is designed as a two-part series to help participants build core knowledge and learn skills and strategies for effective data use, with the added opportunity to try out an initial plan in their setting with the support of the Zaentz team and their peers. After the implementation period, we will come back together as a learning community to debrief the successes and challenges of implementation and go even deeper into the learning. 

We know that professional learning is most effective when it is relevant to the real challenges leaders face, offered in the context of a community of peers, and sustained over time. This program is designed in two parts to respond to these realities and maximize opportunities for deep, collaborative learning, application, and reflection. 

Sessions include a combination of interactive lectures, collaboration opportunities, and small group reflection and planning sessions. See details below for Part I and Part II of this program.

In Part I of this program, participants will:

• Understand how features of the early learning environment can promote children’s prosocial behaviors and healthy social-emotional development.
• Explore how features of the early learning environment can support children’s language and literacy learning.
• Reflect on their current approaches to promoting children’s healthy behavioral, social-emotional, and language and literacy development and identify opportunities to use data to improve quality.
• Identify the habits of mind, cycles of inquiry, structures, and processes that support an effective and collaborative data-use culture.
• Use a 5-part cycle of inquiry, to address one identified problem of practice at their setting and use new strategies to inform an initial strategic plan.

Live sessions will take place on Thursday, January 23rd, and Thursday, January 30th, from 12 to 2:30 p.m. (ET). Each live component will be a combination of a group plenary session, which is recorded, followed by a facilitated reflection and discussion portion, which is not recorded. Please note that we strongly encourage live participation, as these sessions will be a good opportunity to engage with your colleagues and faculty in the program.

In Part II of this program, participants will:

• Review the key takeaways and high-level takeaways from Part I sessions.
• Identify structures and processes that support a data-use culture.
• Reflect on their ongoing efforts in supporting an effective and collaborative data-use culture using the plan they developed in Part I.
• Work in small groups to Identify roadblocks to implementation of data-related strategies, discuss potential solutions.
• Learn to assess the efficacy of setting-level practices put in place to support the effective use of data.
• Discuss lingering questions and next steps.

This program is open to all participants registered for Part I (described above). Live sessions will take place in March 2025 (exact dates TBD). Each live component will be a combination of a group plenary session, which is recorded, followed by a facilitated reflection and discussion portion, which is not recorded.

• Understand the latest science describing the relationship between early learning environments and children’s behavioral, social-emotional, and language and literacy development.
• Identify the key types of information to gather in the domains of behavior management, social-emotional learning, and language and literacy.
• Identify effective data-use practices and mindsets to improve leadership and learning communities.
• Develop a strategic plan to use data to address a problem of leadership or practice in the early learning environment.
• Build a collaborative community among a national network of early childhood education leaders engaged around common challenges.

• Directors of early education centers or programs
• Leaders of early education service organizations across the mixed-delivery system
• Teacher leaders or teachers with an interest in leadership
• Directors, administrators, and coaches in public school preK programs
• Early education professionals who support teachers in their work, such as instructional coaches, supervisors, or teachers who have leadership roles
• Higher education faculty and staff in early education program

This program welcomes registrations from both individuals and teams. First-time registrants need to create a Professional Education account to register.

Individuals: Click the "Register" button at the top of this page to log into your Professional Education account and access the registration page. Proceed with the individual form until submission. Invoices will be immediately available upon the submission of the form.

Teams:

Designate one participant or an administrative staff member as the Coordinator.

• The Coordinator should click the "Register" button at the top of this page to log into their Professional Education account and access the registration page.
• Proceed with the team form, including providing the name, email address, and job title of each participant in your team.
• The Coordinator can choose to receive a team invoice.
• The invoice will be immediately available upon the submission of the form. Contact us if you are eligible for the group discount. 
• Contact us if you need to make any changes to your team after submitting the form.

Professional Education is excited to offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for your successful participation in this program. The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a nationally and internationally recognized unit of measurement for non-credit continuing education programs. As an IACET Accredited Provider, Professional Education offers IACET CEUs for learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. 

Requirements to be eligible to earn CEUs:

• Attend or view all program sessions.
• Complete program evaluation.
• Successfully complete all program requirements, including reflection assignment.

Upon successfully meeting all requirements outlined above, you will be notified via email that you have A) earned the certificate of completion for the program and B) are now eligible to earn CEUs. This email will contain the link to complete the required reflection assignment if you wish to receive CEUs, along with a submission deadline and time frame for receiving your CEUs. After submitting your reflection assignment, we will notify you via email of your CEU status, and if you have met all requirements, you will be able to download and view your CEU certificate at this point in time.

• There are 10 clock hours and 1 CEU offered for this program.
• Each part is eligible for 5 clock hours and .5 CEU.

Note: Professional Education is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes the quality of continuing education and training.