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Our Recent Publications and Datasets

Summer Data Workshop: Using Administrative Data to Conduct Research on Public Early Childhood Programs, June 2-4, 2010

The goal of this Research Connections workshop, part of the ICPSR Summer Program series, is for participants to become comfortable with the methods used to analyze administrative data. This includes diagnosing problems with the data, cleaning the data, unduplicating and linking administrative data and survey data, and analyzing it.  The workshop will focus substantively on the data required to understand the utilization of early childhood programs, including subsidized child care, Head Start, and the data needed to understand family circumstances, including TANF and UI wage data. This workshop is designed to address the growing interest in using early childhood data. 

The workshop is free, but enrollment is limited.  All applications must include a vita and cover letter summarizing research interests and experiences. Admitted graduate students, post-doctoral scholars and junior faculty/researchers will be considered for one of a limited number of stipends to help with travel and housing costs.  To be considered for one of these awards, applicants must also submit a letter of support from a senior faculty member, supervisor, mentor, or advisor.

Applications are available at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/sumprog/

Deadline to apply is April 16, 2010.

2010-03-11

Child Care and Development Fund Administrative Data 2007

The Child Care and Development Fund Administrative data, frequently referred to as ACF-801 data, provide descriptive information about the families and children served through the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). CCDF dollars are provided to states, territories, and tribes to provide assistance to low-income families receiving or transitioning from temporary public assistance, in obtaining quality child care so they can work, or depending on their state's policy, attend training or receive education. Data files are now available for download for federal fiscal year 2007.  In addition, child and family-level data are available for analysis online.

Download these data

2010-03-08

Child Care Licensing and Regulation: An Updated Key Topic Resource List

In this updated edition, Research Connections added new resources on child care licensing and regulation from its collection and an overview on the topic. The search results are grouped in three broad areas:

  • Regulatory policies and practices
  • Relationship of licensing to quality of care and child outcomes
  • Relationship of licensing to child care and labor markets
  View This Updated Key Topic Resource List

2010-03-02

Early Mathematics: A Key Topic Resource List

Research Connections conducted a comprehensive search of its collection for resources focused on early mathematics. This Key Topic Resource List includes an overview of the early mathematics literature, as well as a listing of selected resources on the topic. Search results are grouped into five broad areas:

  • Programs and Instruction
  • Skills and Knowledge
  • Parents and Home Environments
  • Standards and Policies
  • Program Evaluations and Mathematics Assessment
   View This Key Topic Resource List

2010-03-01

Faculty Teaching Modules Webinar

Research Connections recently held a Webinar on its Faculty Teaching Modules, which have been developed to support the work of early childhood faculty in associate degree and baccalaureate programs. The Webinar covered a wide range of topics pertaining to the Modules, including:

  • An overview and refresher of the modules' goals and content
  • Updates about recent changes on the Research Connections site, and related revisions to the modules, which will make searches even easier and more interesting for students
  • News of upcoming additions to the Faculty Teaching Modules
  • Insights from faculty who have used these resources in their teaching
  View This Webinar

2010-02-17

New Research Connections Website Webinar

Research Connections recently held a webinar showcasing the new Research Connections website. View this webinar and learn about the exciting new features designed to make searching and browsing on Research Connections easier and more efficient.

View This Webinar

2010-02-05

Updated Faculty Teaching Modules

Research Connections has recently updated the Faculty Teaching Nodules. These modules can be used by faculty in early childhood teacher education programs to help students understand, find, and use research. The modules can easily be adapted to various early childhood courses at the associate and baccalaureate levels. An Introduction for Faculty and five modules are available for download: Welcome to Research Connections, Early Childhood Development, Early Childhood Curriculum and Teaching Strategies, Families of Young Children, and the Early Childhood Profession.

Download these Modules

2010-02-01

Kentucky Professional Development Framework Impact on Quality and Child Outcomes Dataset

The Kentucky Professional Development Framework Impact on Quality and Child Outcomes, 2006-2007, is a study of the factors that predict early childhood education and care professional development outcomes and the relationship of these factors to program quality, child outcomes, and staff retention. Data were collected from participants in a statewide professional development system in Kentucky and from their students, classrooms, and programs. Raw data files are now available for download. Additionally, these data may be analyzed through our online analysis system.

Access this data collection

2010-01-21

The 2007 Child Care Licensing Study Dataset

Research Connections released The 2007 Child Care Licensing Study dataset. This study reports two aspects of child care licensing from 2007 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia: state child care licensing programs and policies and child care center licensing regulations. It focuses on the processes and policies in each state related to staffing for the licensing program, monitoring facilities, and enforcement of licensing regulations.

Access This Data Collection

2009-12-18

2008 Child Care Policy Research Consortium Meeting Materials

Session descriptions, PowerPoints, and handouts from the 2008 Child Care Policy Research Consortium Meeting are now available.

2009-10-22

A Guide To Understanding State Child Care Subsidy Programs through Analysis of Public and Non-public Use Datasets, August 2009

Research Connections has produced A Guide To Understanding State Child Care Subsidy Programs through Analysis of Public and Non-public Use Datasets (August 2009). This guide demonstrates how to use survey data from the Census Bureau and administrative data generated by state child care subsidy and other programs to study child care subsidy take-up rates and the relationship between parental employment and child care subsidy receipt. This guidebook outlines example analyses that states can tailor for their use in addressing these questions.

2009-09-01