The University of Oklahoma’s diverse academic and research community is contributing to transformative early childhood systems work as the evaluation team for Oklahoma’s Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Renewal Grant project. The evaluation team brings together expertise from The University of Oklahoma’s Educational Training, Evaluation, Assessment, and Measurement (E-TEAM) department, the College of Education, the School of Social Work, and the Sociology Department, in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), the grant recipient, and the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OPSR), which is providing guidance and expertise on the early childhood care and education (ECCE) system.

The $12 million PDG B-5 Renewal Grant, awarded to OKDHS in 2023, builds upon Oklahoma’s previous progress and addresses critical needs in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) system. The project aims to ensure equitable and seamless access for children from birth to age 5, support a well-compensated and trauma-informed workforce, and expand access to high-quality ECCE programs, particularly in underserved rural and tribal areas. Key efforts include strengthening the ECE workforce, providing much needed early childhood mental health consultation services to childcare providers, and building community awareness and access to early childhood programs and resources.

The University of Oklahoma was awarded the $1.2 million, two-year contract to conduct the PDG-5 evaluation in 2024, which aims to assess progress toward addressing the most pressing needs of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) workforce, children, families, and communities. Leading this evaluation effort are Drs. McLeod, Maher, and Horm, who provide strategic direction and content expertise, supported by four junior and mid-career faculty—Drs. Maxwell, Dewhirst, Beisly, and Wang—who collaborate directly with Dr. Sarah Connelly and Ms. Lisa White with E-TEAM on evaluation protocols and implementation. E-TEAM, a full-service research group, brings decades of experience to support the grant’s goals, including evaluating program effectiveness and providing formative feedback that allows ECE programs to progress toward enhancing the ECCE system's quality, accessibility, and outcomes.

This collaboration not only highlights OU’s commitment to interdisciplinary approaches but also demonstrates how partnerships between state agencies, academic institutions, and local organizations can drive innovation and create lasting impacts for children, families, and communities.