Linking Schools and Early Years Project evaluation Evaluation framework (2010-13)

Abstract

Ilan Katz and kylie valentine, with colleagues from the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), University of New South Wales will conduct an evaluation of the project. Evaluation has been built into the project model from the outset, and there is a clear intention to examine the effectiveness of the model and the potential for wider implementation. The evaluation will be based on data collected from each of the primary groups involved in the project, and from contextual data on the three project communities. The primary groups involved include: • The parents of children starting school. • Schools. • Early education and care (EEC) services, that is, services whose primary business is delivering early education and care services to children in the prior to school years. For the purposes of the project the term ‘early childhood education and care’ services refers to: kindergarten or pre-school, long day care and family day care. • Local government. • Child and Family services, including organisations, groups and agencies whose primary business is delivering health, family support, advocacy and advice services to young children and their families. Example of Child and Family services are maternal and child health, playgroups, pre-school field officers, neighbourhood renewal, libraries etc. This document updates and replaces the original evaluation framework published as an appendix to the baseline or Time 1 (T1) evaluation report (valentine and Dinning, 2009). The most significant change is the expansion of process evaluation methodologies with the addition of primary data collection.