Group Events

The CQI Community Group coordinates events throughout the year for networking, learning, and sharing. All are welcome to attend. Please see below for upcoming events and registration information. E-mail CQICommunity@gmail.com for any questions or if you’d like to join our planning committee.

Friday, September 19, 2025 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Central Time (Via Zoom)
The Science of Improvement Meets the Art of Teaching: Building a Data-Driven CQI Cycle

CQI is more than a method - it’s a mindset rooted in equity, data, and collaboration. Meaningful data use, inclusive co-design with communities, and structured tools drive sustainable change. This hands-on workshop is designed to help attendees transform how they collect, interpret, and act on data in early childhood programs. Backward design models promote intentional data equity ensuring that the right data are collected to reflect real outcomes for historically marginalized populations (Derrick-Mills et al., 2021). By using a backward design model, participants will learn to connect goals with measurable change strategies and co-design solutions with community voice. The Urban Institute (2021) found that high-performing Head Start programs used qualitative and quantitative data to reflect on equity gaps, adapt strategies, and monitor progress.

This session will draw on frameworks that emphasize how a mixed methods approach - quantitative and qualitative - can lead to equitable, evidence-informed action. By aligning with foundational CQI practices, performance metrics, and human-centered engagement, this session will highlight the importance of collaborative CQI processes and strong data cultures in advancing outcomes, particularly in underrepresented communities. Participants will walk away with practical strategies they can adapt and apply immediately by using real-world examples that demonstrate how inclusive CQI tools support young children, families, and educators. Participants will leave with templates and a ready-to-implement plan for use in their organizations.

This session has been approved for 2.0 CEU hours. There are 3 links provided below for registration. Please read carefully and choose which one applies to you:

Presenter

Pearl Anzaldúa-Martínez is the Director of Quality Assessment for the City of Chicago team at the McCormick Institute’s Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. Pearl received her B.A. in Bilingual Bicultural Elementary Education at Northeastern Illinois University. She holds a Masters in Literacy Education from Northeastern Illinois University and is currently a PhD candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at Concordia University in Chicago. Pearl’s work is centered in authentic assessment practices and support systems that advocate for the education of developing English Language Learners and language acquisition programs. Pearl’s research interest is exploring the social and political contexts that affect urban education and bilingual/bicultural students. She is passionate about creating spaces that engage educators, students and communities, in conversations that move toward creating equitable learning environments. Pearl’s work also includes coaching and professional development for teachers in dual language programs, as well as organizations interested in working with English Learners and Literacy Instruction. Pearl is a recipient of Diversifying Faculty in Illinois scholarship, a McNair Scholar, and a member of the National Honors Society.