Early Childhood Information System (ECIS)
Presentation to:
Massachusetts State Board of Early Education and Care
June 14, 2011
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A Call to Arms: Executive Order #505
Governor Patrick’s Executive Order #505 establishing the
MA Readiness Cabinet set out four core beliefs and expectations
Each child deserves the best possible opportunity
Education and development occur in families,
neighborhoods, communities, the schools and in
the broader society
Services, programs and delivery systems must
collectively address the needs of the whole
child and his or her family
Accomplishing this will depend upon a consistent,
efficient and effective coordination of effort among
governmental agencies
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A Call to Arms: Research from Other States
The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) identifies
three “overarching imperatives for changing
the culture around data use and maximizing
states’ investments in longitudinal data systems.”
1) Link Systems
2) Ensure Access and Use
3) Build Capacity
Rhode Island’s KIDSNET statute designates
the assignment of a unique child identifier
at birth. KIDSNET is used to assure that all
Rhode Island children have access to
prevention and public health services, and
care coordination.
The Maryland Model for School
Readiness (MMSR) collects
kindergarten-readiness data
(including data on the type of care
received prior to kindergarten),
which is later linked to the state’s K12 database.
Pennsylvania’s Enterprise to Link
Information for Children across Networks
(PELICAN) is a single integrated information
system that collects data from both
students and their teachers enrolled in the
state’s Office of Child Development and
Early Learning programs.
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EEC’s Legislative Obligations Related to ECIS
Development
EEC Statutes
Massachusetts Law


Comprehensive database that includes
child/family, program and workforce
information

Database shall be compatible with relevant
databases at the ESE and the EOHHS

EEC shall “collect and disseminate
information to assist parents in nurturing
their children's development and education”

There shall be a five-year strategic plan and
a comprehensive system for “measuring the
performance and effectiveness of
programs…”

Establish and maintain a
comprehensive database of
children, providers and
educators (that is, workforce)
compatible with other
departments
Collect, analyze and report on
data obtained by measuring
child and program/service
outcomes
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Key Issues in Developing the ECIS in line with
Regulatory Requirements
1. A mismatch exists between the Governor’s intent to track information
on all children and EEC’s authorization to include information only on
children in early education and care programs
2. The statutorily-mandated data system must have compatibility with
databases at DESE and EOHHS that is not currently in place
3. The system will require agreement on unique identifiers and the
establishment of a cross-agency data governance structure
4. Authorization for real-time, cross-agency data sharing is needed
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A Call to Arms: Amendment to EEC Legislation
Amend Ch. 15D, §2 (q) [Early education and care department; duties] to add:
In designing and implementing said federated data system the Department shall assign a
unique child identifier to each child up to the age of eight receiving any public funding that will
be maintained as his/her unique identifier through the K-12 system. Said federated data system
shall be used for the purpose of furthering the Department’s mandates under this Chapter. The
Department may collect and maintain demographic, program participation, and developmental
data pertaining to children participating in the Department’s licensed or funded programs
and/or receiving any public funding, the purposes of which shall include: (1) monitoring the
health, safety and school readiness of all children receiving early education and care from any
program licensed or funded by the Department; (2) monitoring the characteristics of the
programs in which such children are served; and (3) developing, coordinating and supporting
public and private partnerships to aid early childhood initiatives and establishing positive
outcomes of well being, health development, and caregiver and community capacities to
determine program and policy levers. The Department shall promulgate regulations governing
the collection, maintenance and use of said data, and shall ensure that said data is maintained
in accordance with all applicable state and federal privacy protections; provided further that
said regulations shall allow information to be shared with ESE, DCHD and EOHHS pursuant to a
cross- agency data governance structure to the extent that such data sharing is aligned with
state and federal privacy protections, or exceptions authorized by parental consent
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A Call to Arms: Key Takeaways from the ECIS Strategic
Planning Institute
 Universal
exchange
need for data sharing and exchange

 Current lack of a coordinated process for gathering information across state agencies
 Current absence of data sharing agreements that could ensure appropriate data use while
respecting family privacy
 Need for outcomes information to evaluate program and workforce quality and
effectiveness
Focus on preventative, strengths-based measures

 Collect information about strength-based attributes of families and communities
 Convey important information about child growth and development
 Connect families to opportunities and resources necessary for their children’s well-being
Shared Benefits


 Engagement of families, agencies, and community partners
 System must benefit all users and this benefit must be clearly articulated
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A Call to Arms: Key Takeaways from the ECIS Strategic
Planning Institute
System privacy and access
 Link data across agencies from birth to age nine
 Limitations due to HIPAA and FERPA, lack of ISAs, and statutory
regulations
 Parental Consent
 Need for clear system ownership
and maintenance responsibility
Data selection challenges
 Developing shared data priorities across stakeholder groups
 Leveraging existing systems and resources to avoid duplication of
effort
 Identifying universal definitions of selected data elements
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Dr. Jack Shonkoff: The Impact of Early Adversity on
Children’s Development

Science-based framework for decisions about policies, systems, and practices
that support the healthy development of all young children and their families
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A Call to Arms: The Data Advisory Working Group
Charged with supporting planning activities such as …
 Identifying priority questions for the ECIS to answer and needed
data indicators
 Identifying communication strategies for parents
 Advancing data sharing through the execution of ISAs
Work to date…
 Approved language for draft amendment
 Identified key characteristics of the ECIS
 Must be family-centered
 Collaboration is critical
 Communications must be sensitive to families and communities
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A Call to Arms: The Data Advisory Working Group
Work to Date continued…
 Approved language for parental communication and consent
What is the ECIS?
The ECIS is the Massachusetts information system that provides families with
opportunities and resources to help their children grow up healthy and learning. The
system also provides a platform for the Commonwealth to partner with families and
children to support the important work of the development of young children.
What can the ECIS do for me and my family?
 Help you find services or opportunities/experiences for children in your
community.
 Provide information about the quality of early education and care services that
your child is using or would like to use.
 Help coordinate multiple services you may be receiving for health care,
education, housing and/or other supports.
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A Call to Arms: The Data Advisory Working Group
Approved language for parental communication and consent
Why is Massachusetts using the ECIS?
To answer your questions about your child’s growth, learning, and development.
To make it easier for you to find and choose high quality services and supports
for you and your family in helping your children to grow.
To create a vehicle for parents to communicate about a full range of services for
young children.
Is my child’s information safe?
The ECIS is dedicated to ensuring that your children’s information entered into
the system is safe and secure. ECIS information is confidential, as protected
under State and Federal privacy laws. For more information related to the
protection of data, please see web link [www.xxxxx]
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A Call to Arms: The Data Advisory Working Group
The Data Advisory Working Group has identified the following questions
as priorities for the ECIS to answer:
 What resources are available in the state for early education and care
and school readiness and how are they funded?
 Based on established indicators, are Massachusetts children on track for
well-being and success?
 Are children meeting developmental milestones (including speech,
language, etc) at B, 3, 4, and 5, K, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade? What are the
gaps?
Please see handout with top indicators identified for each question
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A Call to Arms: The Data Advisory Working Group
Work to Date continued…


Identified core developmental and academic points for data gathering and
analysis
 At birth
Data Elements Required for
 At age 3
SASID Assignment:
 At age 4
• EEC District Number
 At age 5
• DOE ID
 At the conclusion of 3rd grade
• First Name
• Middle Name
Identified core data elements to be collected
• Last Name
 Full name of child
• Date of Birth
 Child’s data of birth
• City of Birth
• Gender
 Child’s full address
• City/Town of Residence
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The Commonwealth’s Bold Vision: Core Elements of
the ECIS
 Family Engagement
 Parental Consent
 Core Child Level Data
 Self- Assessment Data
 Child Development Screening and
Assessment Data
 Collected through ASQ, EVT,
PVT, Social and Emotional Test,
Woodcock-Johnson
 Interagency Data Sharing
 Interagency Service Agreements (ISAs)
 Key risk and protective factors
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The Commonwealth’s Bold Vision: Core Elements of
the ECIS
 Strength and Risk Analyses
 Pull and match child-level data from all above data sources
 Report out on child-level critical strength and risk factors
 Communication
 General communication to all families on general child development
advice and guidance and information on community events and
resources
 Targeted communication to families with children having 3 or more
risk factors on other state agency resources and community
supports to alleviate risks
Cyclical process flow that encourages mutual and continuous
benefits for all parties involved in the ECIS
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The Commonwealth’s Bold Vision
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Interagency Service Agreements
 ISAs must be established in order to facilitate data sharing across
agencies
 Several meetings were held with various state agencies identified as
having data that might be useful for the inclusion in the development of
the ECIS
 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
 Department of Housing and Community Development
 Department of Public Health
 Department of Revenue
 Department of Transitional Assistance
 Department of Children and Families (pending)
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Risk/Protective Factor Data Available by Establishing
ISAs
Type of Data Element
DHCD
Subsidized Housing
X P
Homelessness
X
P
Health Coverage
Parental Employment Status
X P
Low Income Status
X
Birth Weight
Gestational Age
Early Intervention Involvement
Kotelchuck Scores/Kessner Index Scores
Battelle Scores/Michigan Scores
Early Intervention Referral Source(s)
Family Background Characteristics Data
IFSP Services and Number of Hours for Monthly Services
Free and Reduced Lunch Eligibility
Participation in TANF
X P
Participation in SNAP
X P
Parent Substance Abuse
Third Grade Reading Scores
Special Education
DCF Involvement
P indicates protective factor
X indicates risk factor
DPH
DTA
DOR
DESE
DCF
X
X P
X
X
X
XP
X
X
X P
X P
P
X P
X P
X P
X
X P
X
X P
X
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ECIS Scaled Approach
Short-Term (1-2 Years)
 Cleansing of department’s current legacy system data
 Identification of links to the new Financial System, Workforce Registry,
KinderWait, and Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
 Development of the federated database architecture and design of parent and
provider web portals
 Finalization of ISAs and identification of view access/VPN links to critical data
held by those agencies
 Begin data collection to answer three identified priority questions (within 18
months)
In the short-term, the ECIS will focus on the most vulnerable
children, but over time will seek to expand its focus to all children in
the Commonwealth.
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ECIS Scaled Approach
Mid- and Long-Term (2-5 Years)
 More in-depth linking across EEC legacy systems to create a single location
where staff, providers, and parents can access the various forms of early
childhood information
 Longitudinal data analyses throughout the full period of early and middle
childhood, the high school years, and into young adulthood
 Ability to provide information to answer key policy questions related to
the development of young children and their access to state and locallyfunded resources to support their well-being
 Ability for the Commonwealth to target its resources to:
 critical points in the lives of children
 effective programs serving them, thus producing the greatest possible
return on investment for the Commonwealth as a whole
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