Equitable access to agency-supportive early schooling contexts for young children of color

Abstract

Over the past thirty years, developmental and learning sciences have started to illuminate the need for better access to anti-racist, culturally sustaining early childhood education and care programs. While physical access to programs continues to be an urgent need in the U.S., many communities of color continue to demand access to early childhood education spaces that are safe for their children to learn - programs that are working hard to root out racism and White supremacy from their policies and practices. In this study, we draw upon over 350 hours of data from teachers of young children ages 3-8 years old to offer a detailed, qualitative exploration of how racism impacts children's early learning experiences across early childhood bilingual, inclusion, and multiracial classrooms that serve majority children of color. We examine the policy implications of racism on children's access to agentic learning experiences at school. We also discuss how the findings from our study suggest guidance for programs and policies that want to increase access to agency-supportive environments for young children of color.