Improving Federal Measurement in the Early

Years of Life

Matthew W. StagnerExecutive Director, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Senior Lecturer, Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy Studies

Outline of the presentation

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Many improvements over the past 15 years

Continuing needs

Early childhood is key

Points of opportunity in early childhood and beyond

Source of the perspectives presented

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Chapin Hall convened 24 academic researchers, representatives of nonprofit organizations, and government officials for an all day meeting to discuss the future of child indicators in the Federal system

Many improvements

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Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics

KIDSCOUNT

Web tools for data access:

datacenter.kidscount.orgwww.childtrendsdatabank.orgwww.childstats.gov

Continuing needs5

Missing indicators on many things that really matter

Few existing annual national indicators

Fewer consistent state indicators

Important because early childhood policy is created at the state level

Continuing needs: Limited health indicators

Pre-term birth 12..3% (2009) 12.2% (2009)

Low birthweight 8.2% (2008) 8.2% (2009)

Infant mortality 6.6 per 1,000 (2008) 6.4 per 1,000

(2009)

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Continuing needs: Limited education indicators

Children ages 0–4, with employed mothers, whose primary child care arrangement is with a relative 46% (2002) 48% (2005)

Children ages 0–6, not yet in kindergarten, who received some form of nonparental child care on a regular basis 61% (2001) 61% (2005)

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Continuing needs: Limitededucation indicators

Characteristic 1993 2007Total 52.8 55.3

Race and Hispanic originWhite, non-Hispanic 59.1 67.4Black, non-Hispanic 38.7 34.6Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic 45.7 60.4Hispanic 37.3 37.3

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Household Education Surveys Program.

Family reading to young children: Percentage of children ages 3–5a who were read to every day in the last week by a family member by child and family characteristics

Continuing needs: data across states

National KIDS COUNT Key Indicators

Low-birthweight babiesInfant mortalityChild deathsTeen deaths from all causesTeen births by age groupTeens ages 16 to 19 not in school and not high school

graduatesTeens ages 16 to 19 not attending school and not workingChildren in families where no parent has full-time, year-

round workChildren in povertyChildren in single-parent families

Continuing needs: sources for state data

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National Survey of Children's Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau

American Community Survey Census Bureau

These are limited in frequency or depth

What we can say at the state level

A few interesting and appetite-whetting examples . . .

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Children under age 6 in family-based childcare (Percent) – 2007

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Data Source: Child Trends, analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, National Survey of Children's Health.

Children ages 1 to 5 whose family members read to them less than 3 days per week (Percent) – 2007

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Data Source: Child Trends, analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, National Survey of Children's Health.

Children ages 3 to 5 not enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten (Percent) – 2008

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Data Source: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Importance of early childhood

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Source: Heckman and LaFontaine (2007).

Continuing needs: Keeping up on new thinking about what matters

Example: Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Definition “The process through which we learn to

recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships, and avoid negative behaviors”

Zins, J.E., Bloodworth, M.R., Weissberg, R.P., and Walberg, H. (2004); Elias et al., (1997)

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SEL Core Competencies

Self-awarenessSelf-managementSocial awarenessRelationship skillsResponsible decision-making

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(CASEL, 2003)

Sample Questions to Measure SELHas trouble concentratingWorries a lotShows patienceDoes not show feelings Is afraid of new situationsSpends more time aloneTeases othersChooses to do tasks that are

challenging for him/her

Existing SEL Surveys and Tools

Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Program (DECA)

Pediatric Symptom ChecklistBehavior Assessment System for

ChildrenSocial Skills Improvement System

(SSIS)

Points of Opportunity

Collect more at universal contact points:Birth certificatesImmunization visitsSchool entry

New national survey with state level samples

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Thank you!

Matthew W. StagnerExecutive Director

Chapin Hall at the University of ChicagoSenior Lecturer, Harris School of Public

Policy Studies1313 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637

V: 773-256-5116 F: 773-753-5940mstagner@chapinhall.org http://www.chapinhall.org