The Children’s Equity Project (CEP), housed at Arizona State University and led in partnership with scholars from institutions across the United States, focuses on closing opportunity gaps and dismantling systemic racism in learning settings to ensure that children reach their full potential. The CEP works at the intersection of research, practice, and policy and focuses on a range of equity issues in the early years and the early grades, including but not limited to: disproportionate discipline, corporal punishment, and bias; immigration and young children; language policies and supporting dual language learners; inclusion of children with disabilities; maternal and child health disparities; and issues affecting children in tribal communities.

This grant supports the CEP to continue to advance equity in learning systems and to inform decisionmakers across all levels of government. In addition, the CEP plans to produce reports, briefs, and data analyses exploring: 1) improving and advancing Head Start; 2) promoting culturally competent and developmentally appropriate pedagogy; 3) supporting Pre-K systems to use frameworks that are rooted in equity and quality; 4) advancing equity in existing quality frameworks, like quality rating and improvement systems, and other relevant topics.