Improving Outcomes for Children and Families: The IDEAS Impact Framework
The Early Childhood Developmental Health Systems (ECDHS): Evidence to Impact Center hosted “Improving Outcomes for Children and Families: The IDEAS Impact Framework” on Monday, October 30, 2023 from 3 – 4:30 pm EDT. This webinar is the first in a series of webinars as part of a learning community focused on continuous quality improvement and data-driven decision making for early childhood programs and systems.
During this webinar, presenters from the Institute for Child Success (ICS) introduced participants to the IDEAS Impact Framework and the core components of implementing the framework. Watch the recording below to learn more about how to make data-driven decisions for early childhood programs, services, and systems.
About the IDEAS Impact Framework
To achieve breakthrough outcomes at the population level, we need a structured but flexible approach that facilitates early childhood program development, implementation, testing, evaluation, and fast-cycle iteration. The IDEAS Impact Framework, housed within the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, is a rigorous design process for developing, testing, deploying, and iterating early childhood programs. IDEAS stands for:
- Innovate to solve unmet challenges.
- Develop a usable program with a clear and precise theory of change.
- Evaluate the theory of change to determine what works for whom and why.
- Adapt in rapid-cycle iterations.
- Scale promising programs.
Speaker Bios
Tyson Barker
Dr. Tyson Barker (he/him) directs ICS’s science and innovation strategy by developing innovative tools and strategic initiatives that scale the impact of early childhood programs and policies. He also consults with government, nonprofits, and foundations around measurement and evaluation. Tyson received his PhD in Human Development from the University of Maryland, MA in Special Education and Risk Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and BA in Psychology from the University of California, Davis.
Aimée Drouin Duncan
Aimée Drouin Duncan, PhD, EdM, leads the Impact and Practice program area of ICS and related sector-based strategies that serve early childhood practitioners and providers in early learning and care, health and well-being, home visiting, child welfare, government, programs, nonprofits, and foundations. Impact and Practice provides professional empowerment services, systems-level research, and evaluation services, and it manages the IMPACT Measures Tool. IMPACT aims to empower early childhood professionals by harnessing measurement and evaluation practices to fit the needs of their children, families, and professionals.
Aimée has almost two decades of experience partnering with early childhood organizations and state agencies in research and evaluation and professional empowerment. She is dedicated to the development of equity and access within early childhood systems. Aimée received her PhD in Human Development from the University of Maryland, College Park, EdM in Developmental Studies from Boston University in Boston, MA, and BA in Law & Society from American University in Washington, DC.
Caroline Martin
Dr. Caroline Martin (she/her) is a Research Specialist in the Impact and Practice program area of ICS, responsible for promoting equity-focused professional empowerment of early childhood professionals and systems-level research, evaluation, and technical assistance. Dr. Martin is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialty training in infant and early childhood mental health, bringing extensive experience in direct service, consultation, and research/evaluation across early care and education, home visiting, and pediatric medical settings.
Her past research has involved partnering with community stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate prevention-oriented interventions that promote young children’s social-emotional development, with a particular emphasis on supporting underserved and historically marginalized communities. Dr. Martin earned her PhD from the University of Vermont and a BA from Oberlin College. She is currently based in Philadelphia, PA.
