Our Recent Early Childhood Education Assessment in Idaho
Needs assessments are a core solution Marzano Research offers, whether as a standalone service or as part of a larger project. These comprehensive assessments gather the facts and interest holder inputs needed to create data-informed recommendations and guide efforts like strategic planning and systems improvement. This blog offers a glimpse into how our needs assessment process works.
Tackling a project of this scale, with vast amounts of data to analyze, is a significant undertaking. Curious about the steps and components involved in compiling the comprehensive final report that a client receives? Our team recently completed the needs assessment phase of a multi-year partnership with Idaho State University (ISU) and Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (IDAEYC) that can provide a look into our process.
Getting Started
This assessment evaluated the current landscape of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Idaho to inform an update of the state’s existing ECCE strategic plan. As with any needs assessment we conduct, our approach in Idaho took a truly comprehensive, 360-degree view by employing a diverse set of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
This multi-pronged methodology enabled us to develop a holistic understanding of the strengths, needs, and priorities within Idaho ECCE from a variety of important perspectives and contextual lenses.
Engaging Diverse Interest Holders
As the graphic shows, while we analyzed a vast amount of existing information, we also collected new data. One of the most vital components of this assessment was gathering statewide insights directly from families and caregivers as well as ECCE providers. Their real-world experiences, needs, and feedback were essential to identifying the most pressing issues and driving meaningful change.
We asked families about their satisfaction with current childcare options, barriers they faced in accessing services, available resources, and needs related to childhood trauma and mental health outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the ECCE provider survey gave us information on how the pandemic impacted ECCE facilities’ workforce and needs around staffing, compensation, training, and more.
Building a Comprehensive View
By combining all this qualitative interest holder data with quantitative data like demographic analyses, program enrollment numbers, and regional and interstate wage comparisons, we formed a cohesive picture of Idaho ECCE. This allowed us to identify some key actionable opportunities Idaho could prioritize to improve ECCE for families across the state.
Tailoring Findings for Equitable Solutions
The assessment also revealed important nuances in how common statewide ECCE needs manifested differently based on geography, income levels, cultural contexts, and other factors unique to Idaho’s diverse population and communities. For example, it included a section devoted to Tribal needs, which explored the distinct cultural, geographic, and logistical factors impacting ECCE access on Tribal lands in Idaho.
Our findings highlighted how some strategies and resources could be differentiated based on regional data.
Timeline
So, how long did this take? We kicked off the project in June 2023 and it spanned roughly a year, with the final report delivered in May 2024.
From Data Points to Actionable Insights
Our needs assessment process centers on developing a complete, contextualized, and data-informed understanding that empowers organizations to make evidence-based decisions tailored to their prioritized needs and on-the-ground realities. As our team now moves into the strategic planning phase of our partnership with Idaho, this robust needs assessment will help ensure the strategic plan update outlines actionable solutions focused on the right priorities.
Interested in our needs assessment services? Learn more here or contact Director of Research Trudy Cherasaro.
