The Work We Do - Research & Evaluation
Early Childhood Associates, Inc.’s longstanding work as evaluators of complex and integrated programs such as workforce development, family literacy, Community Partnerships for Children, Early Reading First, early childhood mental health, and special education is based on our in-depth knowledge of research methodology, data collection management, quality control, data analysis, and the development of evidence-based evaluation products.
We use a mix of approaches that take into account the contextual factors of your organization. Our firm administers multi-lingual assessments and survey instruments, and conducts needs assessments for communities and organizations. We are adept at outcome and process evaluations and meeting the gold standard of comparison group studies.
Early Childhood Associates, Inc. evaluates workforce development and client outcomes using performance measures and indicators. We consult on performance standards and evaluation methodology, particularly in workforce development in the public and private sectors, early education and care, family literacy, early childhood mental health, special education, and community collaboration.
We conduct all forms of program evaluation and assessment including case studies, longitudinal studies, outcome-based evaluations, and implementation evaluations. Our expertise in evaluation informs practice and supports program accountability. ECA’s clients include national, state, and local education programs and public and private social service agencies.
Data collection modalities: We conduct both quantitative and qualitative data collection for our research and evaluation projects. Methods of data collection include environment and classroom observations, focus groups, surveys, interviews, and child and adult assessments for a wide range of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic populations.
Data Management: Early Childhood Associates, Inc. has formed a highly capable cadre of staff and subcontractors designed to provide a full-service data management operation. We manage multiple waves of data collection, develop technology-based data transfer methods, and oversee data entry processes and analytic files through data cleaning and formatting.
Data Analysis: Early Childhood Associates, Inc. has significant expertise in quantitative and qualitative analysis and is skilled at applying the most rigorous analysis techniques available. Our statisticians, sampling experts, and computerized statistical resources process and analyze data in an efficient and reliable manner.
Production of Reports and Recommendations: Early Childhood Associates, Inc. uses evidence-based findings to develop evaluation products, including research briefs, position statements, and marketing messages.
Progress monitoring: As the evaluator, ECA provides up-to-date progress monitoring reports of children’s performance so that teachers can use assessment data to guide curriculum development.
Early Childhood Associates, Inc. is certified through the Massachusetts State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA) and has an award contract from the U.S. General Services Administration (#GS-10F-00745). In addition, we are approved vendors for the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Early Education and Care.
