The Survey of Staff Recruitment, Training, and Professional Development in Early Head Start is a nationally representative survey that provides data on Early Head Start grant recipients in Office of Head Start Regions I through X. The survey is a valuable resource for researchers, data users, and programs looking to identify successful strategies to search for, hire, and support qualified and competent Early Head Start teaching and home-visiting staff. This user’s guide introduces the survey design, topics covered, and special considerations for using the data.

Why This Matters

Early Head Start program staff recruit and train teachers and home visitors to provide high-quality services to children from birth to three, pregnant women, and their families. Yet, to date, limited nationally representative information is available about how Early Head Start programs recruit qualified and competent teachers and home visitors and how they support staff training and professional development. This user’s guide provides important information that researchers and data users will need when working with the Survey of Staff Recruitment, Training, and Professional Development in Early Head Start.

Key Takeaways

• The guide begins with a description of who the survey represents, how it was designed, and distinctive features of the study.
• It then outlines the content covered in the survey—including recruitment, hiring, and professional development of Early Head Start staff—followed by details on the sampling design, survey administration, and overall response rates.
• The final sections describe key considerations for data users, such as how to select the appropriate survey weights, recommended approaches for data cleaning, and guidance on conducting specific types of analyses with this dataset.

Together, these sections give researchers, program leaders, and policymakers the information they need to understand, interpret, and apply the survey data accurately.

How We Did It

The survey was conducted between April and August 2024 with a nationally representative probability sample of Early Head Start programs. Respondents were typically program directors (46 percent) or Early Head Start directors (29 percent), along with human resources staff and other administrators. Two versions of the survey were developed: one for programs offering home-based services and one for programs offering center-based or family child care. Programs offering both services were randomly assigned to complete one version of the survey. Survey weights and replicate weights are included to account for nonresponse and ensure nationally representative estimates.