EEC advisers review proposed 5-year metrics, urge caution on data publication and note implementation burdens

The Department of Early Education and Care’s (EEC) Data Advisory Commission on Tuesday reviewed draft metrics intended to measure progress under the agency’s five-year strategic action plan and began planning the commission’s FY26 report to the Legislature.

Commissioner Kershaw said the metrics are central to the plan: “A key piece of that plan is not just identifying the strategies and the priorities and the work, but also the metrics by which we will hold ourselves accountable,” she said, adding the plan “takes effect at the end of this calendar year and won't be in effect for the next 5 years.”

The commission spent the bulk of its meeting discussing proposed indicators organized around five strategic objectives — agency infrastructure, family access, workforce supports, program stability and program quality — and asked EEC staff to prioritize measures that are both meaningful and feasible to collect. Emily Connor Simons, EEC’s director of special projects, framed the discussion: “Are these the right metrics to help EEC measure progress for its 5 year goals?” she asked commissioners as the agency walked through its shortlist.

Why it matters: EEC will present the…