Publications | Colorado Children's Campaign

Low Wages Undermine Quality Learning

This infographic helps illustrate how important it is that teachers, including child care and preschool teachers, receive competitive wages.

Low Wages Undermine Quality Learning

by Children's Campaign

Building Resiliency: The Issue of Suspensions and Expulsions of Children Under Age 8

For Colorado kids, positive learning experiences during sensitive early years help balance out negative impacts of poverty and build resilience for challenges ahead. In Colorado, young children during their most sensitive periods are being disciplined with expulsion or out-of-school suspensions. These actions cut them off them from the positive experiences of quality preschool or public school.

Even though the behaviors of kids under 8 can be challenging, they are often appropriate for their age and are better addressed by working with the child rather than excluding them from school.
Research shows that young children who are expelled or suspended are more likely to experience more discipline in later years, report feeling disconnected from school, drop out and face incarceration as adults.
Young boys and children of color are more likely to enter this “school-to-prison pipeline” early on in their school experience than other children.

We need the skills and contributions of all learners in our communities. We need to ensure all kids have positive early learning experiences—especially during sensitive times.

What the Children's Campaign is Doing

Throughout the summer and fall of 2016, the Children's Campaign will be working with partners to conduct a series of meetings with a working group examining the issue of suspensions and expulsions in early childhood and elementary school settings. Stay tuned for meeting details and how you can get involved.

Additional Resources

Data Snapshot: Early Childhood Education, U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights
Standing Together Against Suspension & Expulsion in Early Childhood, Joint Statement
2013-2014 Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look, U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights
Federal Guidance on Child Care and Pre-K Suspensions Released, Colorado Children's Campaign
Lack of Preschool Access in Southwest Denver Highlighted by Parents, Colorado Children's Campaign 02.2016
Should preschool suspensions and expulsions be banned? Three takeaways from “The Discipline Debate.” Chalkbeat 04.2016
Why Preschool Suspensions Still Happen (And How To Stop Them), National Public Radio 06.2016

by Children's Campaign

2013-2014 Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look

Produced by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, the 2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a survey of all public schools and school districts in the United States. The CRDC measures student access to courses, programs, instructional and other staff, and resources — as well as school climate factors, such as student discipline and bullying and harassment — that impact education equity and opportunity for students.

2013-2014 Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look

by Children's Campaign

Standing Together Against Suspension & Expulsion in Early Childhood

This joint statement was drafted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), with support from Colorado Children's Campaign and a number of other organizations.

Standing Together Against Suspension & Expulsion in Early Childhood

by Children's Campaign

Data Snapshot: Early Childhood Education

This data snapshot from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights reveals a number of important insights about early childhood education. Highlights include:

Public preschool access not yet a reality for much of the nation: About 40 percent of school districts do not offer preschool programs.
Part-day preschool is offered more often than full-day: 57% of school districts that operate public preschool programs offer only part-day preschool.
Limited universal access to preschool: Just over half of the school districts that operate public preschool programs explicitly make such programs available to all students within the district.
Kindergarten retention disparities: Native-Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Native-Alaskan kindergarten students are held back a year at nearly twice the rate of white kindergarten students. Boys represent 61% of kindergarteners retained.
Suspension of preschool children (new for 2011–12 collection): Black children make up 18% of preschool enrollment, but 48% of preschool children suspended more than once. Boys receive more than three out of four out-of-school preschool suspensions.

CRDC Data Snapshot: Early Childhood Education

by Children's Campaign

2016 Legislative Impacts

As the leading voice for kids at the Colorado State Capitol and in communities across the state, we were pleased to see bipartisan support for legislation and policies impacting children's lives. In 2016, we were able to impact the well-being of children in a number of key legislative areas, as well as protect previous areas of improvement. We also saw a number of missed opportunities.

2016 Legislative Impacts

by Children's Campaign