National Governors Association
Early Care and Education (ECE) Project
For the National Governors Association, PSA conducted a two-year study to assess and support the NGA’s Comprehensive Strategy for Early Care and Education (ECE) Project, which targeted technical assistance and support to a select group of states, including governors and their staff, to refine and implement an ECE policy agenda that expands access and quality in opportunities for young children. PSA conducted surveys and interviews of state staff, reviewed state documents, and tracked of performance indicators to evaluate the extent to which the technical assistance led to desired state outcomes. PSA also assisted states in developing a Theory of Change (TOC) to help them assess their progress toward realizing their respective ECE policy agendas. PSA identified, clarified, and recommended specific ways in which NGA staff could provide targeted technical assistance to support specific state efforts to achieve their short- and longer-term ECE policy agendas. In addition, each state’s TOC mapped out a plan for sustaining project activities.
Jumpstart for Young Children
For Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps grantee, PSA conducted a study of the language and literacy skills gained by Dual Language Learners (DLLs) receiving Jumpstart services in California. Jumpstart partners with colleges and universities in 20 cities across the United States to recruit and train college students to tutor and mentor preschool-aged children to improve their language and literacy development. The college students, known as Corps members, tutor or mentor small groups of young children enrolled in community-based preschool or child care programs. Twice a week for approximately 20 weeks, Corps members work with their small groups, using a curriculum that focuses on improving children’s language, literacy, and social-emotional skills. PSA conducted multi-level regression modeling using data for 2,130 Jumpstart children, 767 Corps members, and 87 early education program partners to measure the impact of Jumpstart programming on the literacy and language skills of DLLs.