Early childhood data in Australia: scoping report

Australia has made tremendous progress in building a better early childhood education and care (ECEC) system. Yet too many children are still developmentally vulnerable when they start school.  

Better insights into large-scale early childhood data can help providers, peak bodies, policymakers, teachers and educators understand what is working well for children, and where the system can be improved to deliver on the promise of a strong start in life for every child.  

This report lays out an ambitious research agenda for building a stronger, homegrown evidence base using early childhood data. It aims to guide work by AERO and our partners across the ECEC sector, policy and research. The report maps the existing ECEC data landscape in Australia and signals promising projects. It identifies opportunities for leveraging existing data to support children’s learning and development, as well as the enduring gaps that need to be addressed.