National Voices Project: Racial Equity Contributes to Quality of Early Childhood Education
"Education and Learning Opportunities" survey finds that adults who perceive racial inequities in their communities are less likely to be satisfied with the quality of early childhood and elementary education
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A survey from the University of Michigan revealed that quality of early childhood and elementary education and the availability of high quality of child care are significantly impacted by racial inequities in a child's community.
A survey of 2,311 adults from 48 states and the District of Columbia found that 38 percent of adults who perceive few or no racial or ethnic inequities in their communities rate the overall quality of early childhood and elementary education as "excellent," compared to only 21 percent of adults who perceive many or some racial or ethnic inequities in their communities. See the graphic representation of the survey describing these perceived educational disparities here.
The survey also found that 31 percent of adults who perceive few or no racial inequities in their communities rate the availability of high quality child care as "excellent," compared to just 14 percent of adults in communities with many or some perceived racial inequities.
Through its America Healing initiative, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has funded the National Voices Project to facilitate a five-year study to gauge opportunities available for children and teens at the national and local levels in some communities across the U.S. Researchers at the National Voices Project based their study on the perceptions held by adults who work and volunteer on behalf of children in ways that affect education, healthcare, economic opportunities, or community and civic engagement for children.
"Adults in communities across the U.S. feel that racial equity fosters a happy, healthy educational experience for our youth," said Matthew M. Davis, M.D., M.A.P.P., director of the National Voices Project, professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School and professor of Public Policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. "For quality of early childhood education and availability of high quality child care, racial inequity is a clear problem. Adults who perceive inequity in their communities are much less likely to rate early childhood education and child care as high quality."
The full survey shows that where there are perceived inequities at the community level, there are also perceptions of diminished opportunities for young children and teens in the domains of nutrition, health, and healthcare.
This survey, the second from National Voices Project, brings into focus certain communities where racial healing programs are in place. The survey includes an oversample in some of the communities included in the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' "Place Matters" initiative. The focus on "Place Matters" communities enabled researchers better to examine differences across specific communities, building on the insights drawn from the first survey.
"Growing up in a racially diverse community provides more opportunities for children," said Dr. Gail Christopher, vice president of program strategy at the Kellogg Foundation. "We know from this study that racial inequities are affecting our children's opportunities and promise of a better, more fulfilling tomorrow. When kids have access to better early childhood education and high quality child care, we're positioning them for a positive experience and a lifetime of success."
To read the full report, please visit http://www.nationalvoicesproject.org/sites/default/files/resources/NVP2_Report3_FINAL_8.pdf
Data Source: Data are based on responses from National Voices Project Survey 2, fielded in August 2012. The National Voices Project is conducted in partnership with GfK, an international survey research organization that maintains KnowledgePanel® and the KnowledgePanel Latino®, nationally representative web-enabled panels of adult members of households across the United States. Survey respondents included 2,311 adults from 48 states and D.C. that work or volunteer with children. 1,264 respondents have jobs that affect education, healthcare, economic opportunities, or community and civic engagement for children. Another 1,047 respondents volunteer in ways that affect education, healthcare, economic opportunities, or community and civic engagement for children.
SOURCE National Voices Project
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