Projects
The Culture of Continuous Learning Project: A Breakthrough Series Collaborative in Early Care and Education
2021-2026
Project Overview
Objective
Mathematica worked with 19 early care and education centers in three states to accelerate improvements in children's social development. Through three Breakthrough Series Collaboratives, participating teams spent 18 months testing, refining, and sharing effective strategies to strengthen relationships, support families, build children's social skills, and enhance organizational leadership.
Project Motivation
ACF sought to close the gap between knowledge and practice in early childhood programs by exploring how continuous quality improvement could strengthen the use of evidence-based practices and be integrated and sustained within existing systems.
Partners in Progress
Child Trends, University of Massachusetts Boston, JRA Consulting
Prepared For
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
The collaborative approach created a powerful network for peer learning and continuous improvement, helping centers turn promising ideas into sustainable change.
What is a Breakthrough Series Collaborative?
How did the Culture of Continuous Learning Project apply a Breakthrough Series Collaborative to early care and education centers?
What did the centers that participated in the Culture of Continuous Learning Project do as part of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative?
What do teams need to do to participate in the Breakthrough Series Collaborative?
How is a Breakthrough Series Collaborative different from other Continuous Quality Improvement trainings?
Publications
- Strengthening Continuous Quality Improvement Practices in Early Care and Education through a Breakthrough Series Collaborative
- Perspectives on Integrating the Breakthrough Series Collaborative Methodology into State Early Care and Education Quality Improvement Systems
- Coaching Teams for Quality Improvement in Early Care and Education Programs
- Lessons on Collaborative Learning and Improvement for Early Educators
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