Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance Cross-System Evaluation Project

2015 - 2022

Building on a history of successful partnerships, ACF’s Office of Head Start (OHS) and Office of Child Care (OCC) strengthened coordination in 2015 of training and technical assistance (T/TA) partners and resources to build capacity at the regional, state and local levels to support high quality early childhood services for children and families. ACF established the Early Childhood T/TA Cross-System Evaluation Project to answer ACF’s questions about the processes and effectiveness of ACF’s Early Childhood T/TA system, while simultaneously promoting the use of data and evaluation tools for continuous quality improvement of the T/TA System. The project included the following activities:

  • a comprehensive review of the knowledge base,
  • a scan of existing administrative data sources for T/TA data,
  • the development of a conceptual framework that mapped the multi-level structure and relationships among the various partners within the T/TA system, 
  • an investigation of peer learning opportunities offered by the National T/TA Centers to CCDF grant recipients between 2015 and 2018, followed by the development of a toolkit to support peer learning opportunities facilitators and participants,
  • a study of the relationship between National T/TA Center supports and CCDF lead agencies’ implementation of Corrective Action Plans, 
  • the development of a toolkit that provides a range of resources and tools to support T/TA providers and CCDF Lead Agencies in the process of conducting CCDF equity assessments,
  • a census survey of Head Start grant recipients about their experiences with T/TA, along with broad dissemination of survey findings to OHS T/TA system actors, 
  • extensive engagement and collaboration with key T/TA system actors throughout the project, and
  • technical support for evaluation and continuous quality improvement among T/TA partners.

The primary audiences of this work were federal partners and ACF’s T/TA partners, such as the National T/TA Centers and the Regional TA networks funded by OHS and OCC. In addition to the work described in the reports linked at the bottom of this page, the research team conducted several activities directed toward processes internal to ACF. Federal partners interested in learning more may reach out to the contacts listed below. 

The contract was awarded to NORC at the University of Chicago.

The OPRE points of contact for this project are Ann Rivera, Nina Philipsen, and Paula Daneri. OPRE oversaw the project in close collaboration with OCC and OHS and in partnership with Steering Committee members Stacy Cassell (OCC) and Kiersten Beigel (OHS).

Related Resources

Learn about evaluation activities conducted to understand ACF's Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) system.

Training and technical assistance providers can learn how to support CCDF Lead Agencies in preparing for, designing, and conducting equity assessments.

Learn about peer learning opportunities offered to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) grantees as part of technical assistance.