September 8, 2014

The Preschool Development Grant program sponsored by the US Department of Education offers an exciting opportunity for states to build or enhance the quality of their early education programs and services, with an application deadline of October 14, 2014.

With increasing federal and state resources focused on early learning, now is the time to consider the need for systematic evaluation to document how well these investments are working. Evaluation research can help inform states’ efforts to build or enhance existing pre-k programs. However, many states do not have the existing infrastructure to conduct rigorous and well-designed evaluations that can provide useful information about the quality and effectiveness of these pre-k programs.

The National Pre-K and Early Learning Evaluation Center at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute FPG offers a range of services to help states design, implement, and evaluate their early learning programs. The National Pre-K Evaluation Center can help states scientifically design program components, study program effectiveness, make recommendations for program improvement, build capacity for future evaluation efforts, and assist with developing grant proposals. Our scientists have a long history of conducting research in the early education field, including long-standing statewide evaluations of public pre-k programs, evaluating QRIS frameworks, and specific expertise with special populations.

We look forward to speaking with you about how the National Pre-K Evaluation Center can create a customized plan to address the specific implementation and evaluation needs within your state.

To learn more about our Center, please email PreKEvalCenter@unc.edu.