Moneyball for Head Start
Using Data, Evidence, and Evaluation to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families
This report, authored by Sara Mead and Ashley LiBetti Mitchel, was jointly published by Results for America, Bellwether Education Partners, the National Head Start Association, and the Volcker Alliance. It offers nine key recommendations for how policymakers and practitioners can better use data, evidence, and evaluation to strengthen the impact of the Head Start program and improve results for the children and families it serves.
The report builds on policy recommendations outlined in “Renewing Head Start’s Promise: Invest in What Works for Disadvantaged Preschoolers” released by Results for America and Bellwether Education Partners in July 2014 at an event on “Moneyball for Government” that was co-sponsored by Results for America, the Brookings Institution, and the Volcker Alliance. The paper became the springboard for a more in-depth engagement on the implementation of the Head Start program, developing into a Working Group on the use of data, evidence, and evaluation to improve outcomes for Head Start children and families.
Shelley H. Metzenbaum, senior advisor at the Volcker Alliance and a participant in the Working Group, praised the report’s objectives: “Grants are a critical tool in the federal toolkit used to work with other levels of government and non-profit organizations to accomplish program objectives. More effective government grant management is essential.”
