McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Leslie Layman | February 10, 2025

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

Early childhood administrators must track, organize, and manipulate many kinds of data in many areas of their work. Organized and actionable data is needed for family applications and surveys, environmental assessments, learner assessments, licensing requirements, budgeting, and more. Knowing how to collect, review, and visualize data for various audiences and business processes is an important part of your role as an Early Childhood Leader.


Google Sheets is a free online spreadsheet tool that offers ways to collect, store, manipulate, filter, analyze, and visualize your program data. It also integrates with other Google services to connect sheets to forms, emails, documents, and other tools. Your data is only as powerful as your ability to understand it, use it, and present it to others. Google Sheets has many built-in capabilities designed to make your data work for you.


You can use Google Sheets to make your data more impactful and actionable. Some examples include:


  • Filtering through multiple applications by the response to a specific application question
  • Using pivot tables to show change in learners’ progress over time 
  • Creating visualizations of program data that can be included on websites, marketing materials, and reports 
  • Creating QR codes to share surveys with your families easily 
  • Checking for valid email addresses on a marketing listserv 


These worksheets can pull data from a website, create visual charts and graphs, and send information from one sheet to another.


Here are some specific examples of how you might use Google Forms as a program administrator:


Use filters to see differentiated data quickly.


Let’s say you are reviewing applications for open slots across multiple different early childhood locations you manage. You could create a filter from a larger database to see applications for a specific site or age range. You can then save those filters so that they can be used again.


Pivot Tables allow you to save and analyze your data without changing the source data. 


Learner assessment data over time could be entered into a Google Sheet quickly using an assessment tool built into a Google Form. Pivot tables could then be used to show score averages quickly, score changes over time, and scores above or below specific cut scores for intervention.


Create visualizations of data for reports as tables and charts.


Input spending in different areas of your business into a Google Sheet, and create a pie chart showing the spending percentage in each area. That pie chart can easily be added to other documents for reporting. The charts can also be automatically updated when new data is added to the sheet.


Embed Google Translate into a worksheet to use the sheet to translate words from one language to another!


In our upcoming technology training, Displaying Data with Google Sheets, we provide an overview of some of the key features of Google Sheets that can help Early Childhood Administrators save time and make the best use of their data. We will offer hands-on practice so that you leave feeling confident about your ability to implement what you have learned.


Register here to join this free Webinar—we’ll help you use your data to make an impact.

Leslie Layman, M.S., is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the McCormick Institute for Early Childhood at National Louis University (NLU). In this role, she supports early childhood professional preparation, alignments across Early Childhood professional learning and academics, and innovations in early childhood workforce development. She holds a master’s degree in Child Development with a Specialization in Children with Special Needs from Erikson Institute. Prior to working at NLU, she was the Director of Teaching and Learning at Harry S Truman College, where she designed and implemented learning environments, courses, professional development, and technology supports for faculty, students, and staff. 

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Building Community Partnerships for Lasting Impact

By Cara Murdoch and Sherry Rocha • December 12, 2025
By Cara Murdoch and Sherry Rocha Community collaborations can strengthen your early childhood program, expand services for families, and increase your visibility and credibility as a trusted resource in the community. But effective partnerships don’t begin with a phone call—they start with a plan. Start with internal planning Before reaching out to community members or organizations, gather insights from your internal team. Hold a brief planning meeting to discuss goals, identify needs, and build a shared vision for collaboration. Consider including: Members of your board of directors or advisory board Program staff members Interested family members and parents of enrolled children. REVISIT your mission and goals A clear, shared understanding of your program’s purpose will guide effective partnerships. Before reaching out to community members or organizations, gather insights from your internal team. Hold a brief planning meeting to discuss goals, identify needs, and build a shared vision for collaboration. Consider including: What is your mission? What strengths and expertise do we bring to the community? What challenges do our enrolled families face? What support or resources would be most helpful? What can we offer potential partners in return? Clarity about these questions will ensure that your outreach to community members and organizations is focused and meaningful. Learn about local resources Begin exploring the services and organizations that exist in your community. These may become valuable referral partners or direct collaborators. Examples include: Early intervention services Family support agencies Mental health providers Multilingual tax-preparation volunteers Knowing these resources helps you connect families with the help they need. share your space and services Your early childhood center may be a valuable asset for other groups. Consider offering your space to other programs or groups to strengthen your role as a community hub. Possibilities include: Scouting America or Girl Scout meetings Parenting workshops or support groups Health screenings or nutrition programs Community committee meetings participate in community events Raising visibility in your community opens doors to partnership. Become involved in: Neighborhood clean-up days Local fairs or festivals Library literacy events Cultural celebrations School district events These types of interactions naturally build trust and relationships. build and expand your network Partnerships often begin with small conversations or shared goals. Stay curious and connected—the more people you meet, the more opportunities arise. Potential collaborators include: Museums Public libraries Human services departments Colleges and universities Local schools Cooperative Extension services Hospitals and clinics Banks and financial advisors Mental health agencies Early intervention programs Remember: partnerships are mutually beneficial Successful collaborations are built on: Clear communication Shared goals Appreciation for each other’s strengths A commitment to supporting families and the community Whether the support you receive is financial, advisory, or educational, strong partnerships help everyone thrive. A final thought Community partnerships don’t happen overnight. With the proper planning, your early childhood program can become a powerful and connected resource in your neighborhood. Start small, stay open to ideas, and let relationships grow.
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