School Readiness and Early Childhood Learning

Are Atlanta's children ready to learn when they enter the school system? What resources are available to track children's progress? What is the best way to track progress? Neighborhood Nexus and Emory University's Office of University-Community Partnerships, in conjunction with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Urban Institute and the National Neighborhood Indicators Project, is currently working on these questions and more.

In May of 2009, Neighborhood Nexus hosted a forum about this project to present what we've learned so far. Emory University's Office of University-Community Partnerships created a vulnerability index for Fulton and DeKalb counties using the following criteria:

• Percent single-parent families
• Percent of families with children below poverty
• Percent of adults (age 25+) with no high school diploma
• Percent of adults (age 25+) with no college degree
• Percent of youths ages 16-19 not in school and not in labor force
• Percent of households on public assistance
• Percent of households with wage income
• Percent of households with interest, rent or dividend income
• Percent of adults with limited English proficiency
• Percent of owner-occupied housing

The study then overlaid locations of facilities dedicated to early learning to examine the relationship between demand and supply of services. Here, in brief, are the findings:

• Vulnerable neighborhoods are more likely to have a high percentage of single-parent families
• Vulnerable neighborhoods are more likely to have children born to teenage and/or under-educated mothers
• Vulnerable neighborhoods are more likely to have fewer child care slots, Pre-K slots and Head Start centers per child
• Vulnerable neighborhoods have higher poverty rates
• Vulnerable neighborhoods are also less "healthy" as measured by the Healthy Start Index
• Vulnerable neighborhoods have higher concentration of schools ranking low in CRCT achievement standards.

Read more about the Child Vulnerability Index here.

Charles Bruner, Director of the Child & Family Policy Center in Des Moines, Iowa, gave the forum attendees a national perspective on using data to inform effective early childhood policies. See his presentation here.