DataDrive2030

📢 Opportunity alert! We are recruiting a Software Developer. We are a growing, dynamic team, and we are looking for an organised, highly motivated and engaging Software Developer who has a passion for working with organisations and individuals towards the common goal of closing the opportunity gaps in early childhood. For more information, see the job description below. Link to the application form 👉https://lnkd.in/d9imbGFA Applications close on 15 January 2025. Please share with your colleagues and friends who may be interested 🙏 #jobopportunity #hiring #jobssouthafrica #softwaredeveloper

📢 YEAR-END UPDATE 📢 Data collection for the second round of South Africa’s largest survey of preschool child development, the Thrive by Five Index 2024, concluded in November. Led by the Department of Basic Education and coordinated by DataDrive2030, the Index assessed a nationally and provincially representative sample of 4-year-old children enrolled in early learning programmes (ELPs) in all 9 provinces. The 2024 Index also included a test sample of 4-year-old children who are not attending an ELP, and collected data on the characteristics of ELPs and homes that influence child development outcomes. 🧒 Over 5,200 children aged 50 to 59 months were assessed in their mother tongue using locally developed, standardised measurement tools that have been rigorously tested to ensure validity, reliability, and fairness. 🌟 Children were sampled from more than 1,400 ELPs located within 432 Primary Sampling Units – PSUs (between 35-76 per province). In addition, at each of the ELPs, interviews were conducted with children’s practitioners and principals; an observational learning programme quality assessment was done; and a site assessment of basic infrastructure was completed. Telephonic interviews were also conducted with ±75% of the assessed children’s primary caregivers, collecting information on household socio-economic status, the child’s birth weight and gestational age, immunisation status, pregnancy risk factors, birth registration and child support grant access, maternal wellbeing, the home learning environment, child multilingualism, household hunger, sleep routines, and father involvement. This is the largest and most comprehensive survey to date on preschool child outcomes in South Africa. To read the full year-end update on the Thrive by Five Index 2024, visit our website below👇 #ThrivebyFiveIndex #SouthAfrica #earlyyears #earlychildhooddevelopment Note: The numbers indicated above are estimates, as the data is still in the process of being cleaned and weighted.

DataDrive2030 convened a seminar in April this year on Early Language & Literacy Assessment Tools. The event brought together close to 40 researchers, M&E organisations and NGOs operating in the literacy space. The intent was to dive deeply into the different literacy assessment tools available, explore current literacy benchmarks, unpack challenges and opportunities around multilingualism in an assessment environment, and share real experiences of using various tools in research studies. 🗣️ Discussions on the day revealed the complexity presented by multilingualism when conducting literacy assessments in the South African context. This made DD2030 keen to investigate further, and our 'Familiar Language Study' was born. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects on language of assessment on test performance when pre-R and Grade R children are tested in their home-language (isiXhosa) and in English (the Language of Learning and Teaching - LOLT). 📚 While we currently understand that children learn best when the first language of instruction is their mother tongue, most studies have focused on the learning of school age children. Results of learning assessments have shown that when home and school languages differ, there is a negative impact on test scores and there is a positive correlation between speaking the language of instruction and pupil achievement, especially in reading. 💡 Language of assessment is therefore a crucial issue for children exposed to multiple languages in the early years and has significant implications for test translation and adaptation. The key question to be investigated is how language of test administration affects children’s performance and whether, and by how much, they perform better or worse in the home language or LOLT. Would testing in a less familiar language lead to underestimating their abilities? Would it be consistent across domains? 🪴 Watch this space for more information and for the results of our study. If you would like to read some of the other research we've conducted, visit our website below👇 #earlylearning #familiarlanguage #earlylanguage #earlyliteracy #earlychildhooddevelopment

South Africa faces unprecedented challenges, but with these challenges come unique opportunities to drive transformative change 🌟 The 2024 IPASA Annual Review of South African Philanthropy, themed “From Polycrisis to Polyopportunity”, explores how the philanthropic sector is stepping up to tackle interconnected crises and foster systemic solutions. From education and climate resilience to social justice and youth empowerment, this edition is a resource for anyone committed to making a meaningful impact. With stories, case studies, and insights from leaders across the sector, the Review inspires action and collaboration to build a better South Africa. Download your free copy today and join the conversation 👉 https://bit.ly/3V9BrmC #IPASA #IPASAAnnualReview #SAPhilanthropy #PhilanthropyAfrica Independent Philanthropy Association of South Africa

It's wonderful to see the Thrive by Five Index, led the Department of Basic Education and coordinated by DataDrive2030, highlighted in a panel discussion on “Philanthropy for Innovative Funding into the Future” 🌟 The data-driven approach of the Index was mentioned as one of the "ingredients" for the success of a recently launched early childhood care and education programme. Read more about the programme and the insights from the panel discussion below👇 For more information on the Thrive by Five Index, visit our website here 👉 https://thrivebyfive.co.za #earlychildhooddevelopment #earlylearning #ThrivebyFiveIndex #SouthAfrica

📢 Opportunity - open call for Senior ELOM Trainers. DataDrive2030 invites experienced professionals to apply for the position of Senior Trainer for our Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) tools. This is a fantastic opportunity to advance your skills, grow your professional network, and contribute to early childhood development across South Africa. Why should you become a Senior ELOM Trainer? • Through a comprehensive training process—including online preparation, in-person theory, and practical assessments with children—you will acquire essential skills to measure the quality of early learning environments and track young children's developmental progress. We will also support you in the training process and ensure you feel confident and comfortable in running an ELOM training independently. • Once you have successfully completed all training and can maintain your accreditation as a Senior Trainer, you will be able to conduct ELOM training weeks for DataDrive2030. These are remunerated training weeks, scheduled on a semi-ad hoc basis. • Join a supportive DataDrive2030 community and data workforce committed to enhancing access to quality early childhood development services. You’ll be part of an inspiring team of passionate individuals. See more information on the candidate Senior Trainer journey and requirements below. If you are passionate about early childhood development and meet the qualifications, apply by 1 December 2024 through our application form here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d8D82GsD For any inquiries, please contact us at 📧 assessors@datadrive2030.co.za #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhooddevelopment #earlylearningoutcomesmeasure #opportunity #seniortrainer

📢 OPPORTUNITY 📢 Sign up for assessor training on the ELOM 4&5 Assessment Tool. Training will take place from 27-31 January 2025 in Cape Town, Western Cape, hosted by The Early Learning Resource Unit (ELRU). The ELOM 4&5 Assessment Tool is a standardised tool that measures performance across the following five key developmental domains for children aged 50 to 59 months and 60 to 69 months: gross motor development, fine motor coordination and visual motor integration, emergent numeracy and mathematics, cognition and executive functioning, and emergent literacy and language. Please complete this application form by 29 November 2024 👉 https://lnkd.in/gBvDxU9M Training costs R5,500 per person excluding VAT per candidate, travel, and accommodation if required. Ideal candidates for ELOM assessor training enjoy working with children, have some technical know-how in using a smart device, are patient listeners and problem solvers, and most importantly, want to create change for children using data. Candidate ELOM 4&5 assessors require a minimum Level 4 qualification or equivalent, although an ECD or Foundation Phase qualification is advantageous. Candidate assessors also need to have at least 2 years of experience working directly with children between the ages of 4 and 7 years. Please share with your colleagues and friends who may be interested 🙏 #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhooddevelopment #sdg4 #opportunity #assessortraining Sobongile Mukono Moyo, Aimee Hare, Sonja Giese, Elizabeth Girdwood, Sibongile Khumalo

Today is #WorldChildrensDay and we'd like to share an incredibly impactful article 📃 published in "The Conversation" by Catherine Draper, Associate Professor at MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, on the importance of the next 1,000 days of a child's life after the first 1,000. The article is based on the recently released research in the journal, The Lancet, on the "next 1,000 days", where the development of children between the ages of 2 and 5 is as critical as their first 1,000 days. The areas of development include "cognitive development and self-regulation, as well as social, emotional, motor, language and numeracy skills". Our Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) tools assess five of these developmental domains, see more on our website here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eM4jy7G3 Draper highlights the following recommendations to ensure children are set up for success in their next 1,000 days: 🤝 The various related sectors, such as health, early learning, child protection, and social welfare need to collectively work together. 🧒 Programmes, ideally through partnerships across sectors, that focus on helping these children to thrive should not only involve risk mitigation, but also "protective" factors that buffer children from these risks. 🌟 Programmes must be of high quality and contextually relevant. 🌱 Equity and inclusion is crucial. Programmes of equal quality will allow for the most vulnerable children to be reached. Read the full article below👇 To learn more about The Lancet's "next 1,000 days" research, see here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dhyU76tn #earlychildhooddevelopment #earlylearning #earlylearningoutcomesmeasurement #ELOM #next1000days #SouthAfrica #WorldChildrensDay

Our Executive Director, Sonja Giese, and Senior Researcher, Caylee Cook (PhD), recently represented DataDrive2030 at the WED Movement ECD Research Convening in 📍Abu Dhabi. Funded by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, this research convening brought together 90 researchers from across the United Arab Emirates, the wider Arab region, and Africa. The programme included presentations that highlighted the incredible work being done in these regions, capacity building workshops, and design thinking methods to address key challenges in conducting research in Majority World Countries 🌍 Below are some of our key insights from the event: 🗣️ We were struck by the common language challenge and the idea that the "normative model of monolingualism" just does not fit our contexts. We need to be actively embracing multilingualism as both a challenge to be addressed and a significant asset to be harnessed, including how integral language is to the development of culture and identity. 📔 The issue of language was also raised in conversations about publishing in academic journals, that exclusion from academic literature often happens purely because of language (most high impact journals only accept English manuscripts and systematic reviews often only include English articles). Given the technology available for translating, this should no longer be a barrier to researchers from Majority World Countries. ⚡️ Several conversations raised the idea of tapping into local wisdom rather than importing from outside as an integral part of a strategy to adopt a more asset-based approach to our work with Prof Amina Abubakar Ali introducing us to the term ‘cultural assets’ during her lightning talk. 👨 The role of fathers was mentioned several times and emerged as an influence on specific child outcomes, particularly school outcomes. We are fascinated by this and look forward to investigating this further in our context. 💡 A common theme was the fact that there is pressure to adopt western tools, align with western expectations, and accept western standards. Participants were generally united around the need for us to have more regional leadership in these spaces and more contextually appropriate criteria for research and publication in our regions. Our presentation at the event was on “Innovating systems for early childhood development” and the data value chain. See our slide deck below 👇 for more information. Read more about the event, key insights, and next steps for DataDrive2030 on our website 👉 https://lnkd.in/d7UdGDGt #ECD #earlychildhooddevelopment #data #datavaluechain #SouthAfrica #AbuDhabi #ECA #earlychildhoodauthority

📢MASS REGISTRATION DRIVE📢 The Department of Basic Education has begun the registration process of early childhood development (ECD) programmes that are operational outside of the regulated system. Read more about the Bana Pele ECD Mass Registration Drive below👇 Please share with your networks 🙏 #BanaPele #earlychildhooddevelopment #earlylearning #earlylearningprogrammes #ECD #ELPs #SouthAfrica