ICHQ Conceptual Framework Snapshot: Measuring Pathways to High Quality Early Care and Education

Publication Date: February 22, 2022
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Introduction

Research Questions

  1. What implementation activities support each key function of center operations and can we reliably measure implementation of each function?
  2. How do staff members use their time in support of key functions within the center?
  3. What are the costs associated with the implementation of key functions?
  4. Are differences in center characteristics related to implementation and costs?
  5. Can implementation and cost measures be aligned to inform decisions to guide quality improvement?

A growing body of research demonstrating the benefits of high-quality early care and education (ECE) programs for young children, particularly those in families with low incomes, has inspired a strong commitment from both federal and state officials to improve the quality of ECE programs nationwide. Policymakers, administrators, and program and center directors have limited guidance about how to fulfill this goal and would benefit from actionable information about the cost of high-quality care and the use of center-level resources to guide decision-making.

The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families contracted with Mathematica to conduct the Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education, or ICHQ project to develop two sets of center-level measures. The measures capture (1) implementation of activities that can support quality in ECE centers serving children from birth to age 5 (not yet in kindergarten) and (2) the costs to provide care and services. By summarizing how services are provided, how center resources are used, and the associated costs of care and services, the combined ICHQ implementation and cost measures will help policymakers, administrators, and program and center directors connect decisions about day-to-day operations to the larger question of how to allocate limited resources to provide high-quality ECE.

Purpose

The goals of ICHQ are to (1) produce technically sound, systematic measures of the implementation and costs of education and care in center-based settings that serve children from birth to age 5 (not yet in kindergarten); (2) produce implementation and cost measures to examine the variation in ECE center capacities and resources that can make a difference in quality and the experiences of children; and (3) develop a feasible and useful instrument to guide the collection, development, and reporting of the measures. The measures are intended for use in research to examine and explain variations in quality, in practice to inform quality improvement, and in policy to inform funding and technical assistance.

Key Findings and Highlights

This snapshot presents the conceptual framework that guided the work of the project and development of the implementation and cost measures. The ICHQ implementation and cost measures are framed around five key functions, or areas, of ECE center operations that contribute to high-quality care. The five key functions of center operations are: (1) Structural Supports for Instruction and Caregiving; (2) Instructional Planning, Coordination, and Child Assessment; (3) Center Administration and Planning; (4) Workforce Development; and (5) Child and Family Support. Each of the five key functions are defined by a specific set of activities and practices that allow us to measure implementation and costs for each function distinctly. All ECE centers carry out the key functions to varying degrees to provide services to young children and their families. Constructing measures around each of the five key functions will help the ECE field better understand how implementation and costs in specific areas relate to quality.

Methods

The conceptual framework was informed by the project’s literature review and the input provided by expert consultants with a range of expertise on cost analysis, quality and implementation in ECE settings, psychometric analyses, and center management and administration. The framework was refined based on analysis of data from 30 ECE centers as part of the project’s multi-case study.

Quick Fact image ICHQ conceptual framework

Recommendations

The measures are not yet fully validated, meaning they have not been tested in a large, representative sample of centers to look at associations with center quality or children’s outcomes. A field test in 2021 further tested the measures with a purposive sample of 80 centers in 4 states.

The ICHQ implementation and cost measures have the potential to support the efforts of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to better understand pathways to achieving high quality. They can also inform decisions about the level of resources needed and how to best use resources across key functions at the center level to deliver high quality early care and education.

Citation

ICHQ project team. “Conceptual Framework Snapshot: Measuring Pathways to High Quality Early Care and Education.”  OPRE Brief #2022-23. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, US. Department of Health and Human Services, 2022.

Glossary

ECE:
Early care and education
Center:
Refers to a specific physical location where ECE classroom-based services are provided to children birth to 5 years (not yet in kindergarten).
Key functions:
Five areas of center operations that contribute to high quality care. Each of five key functions are defined by a specific set of activities and practices. All ECE centers carry out the key functions to varying degrees to provide services to young children and their families.
Implementation measures:
Scores that summarize what a center does to support quality, including the combination of structural features (for example, teacher–child ratios, group size, and staff qualifications) and adopted practices, as well as how features and practices are supported.
Cost measures:
Estimate the amount and allocation of resources needed to support the ECE services a center provides, including how staff use their time.