Focus Group Protocol for Understanding Community Needs

This flexible protocol is intended to be a model for agencies hoping to conduct focus groups with families, providers, and partners around ECE needs within the community. Focus group findings, paired with administrative data, can help elucidate gaps in understanding preschool preferences and barriers to access, which can help inform decision making around preschool supply and demand.  

This tool is part of Preschool Supply & Demand, a collaboration between the Strategic Data Project and representatives from the California Department of Education, Denver Public Schools, Denver Preschool Program, South Carolina First Steps, Chicago Early Childhood Integrated Data System, National Head Start Association, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, and Washington Education Research and Data Center. It is supported by the Gates Foundation.

This tool was developed and used by the Denver Preschool Program.