Category: education

## **Do Nevadans Prioritize Early Childhood Education?** 

%IMAGE_DESCRIPTION: A group of children and adults of various ethnicities and ages holding a white sign with the text "Learn. Educate. Change."%

## **An Opinion Poll on Early Childhood Education in the State of Nevada** 

**This report was prepared by the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy (NICRP).** 

## **EXECUTIVE SUMMARY** 

In June and July of 2015, the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy conducted an opinion poll with 384 adults living in the state of Nevada to gather their current views on issues related to early childhood education (ECE). 

Nevadans also believe that all children do not currently have equal access to early childhood opportunities and do not start school with the same skills. 

The majority of Nevadans feel that children are not starting kindergarten with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in school and think that access to quality early childhood education programs would increase children’s ability to succeed academically. 

- 63.0% think that _50% or fewer of Nevada’s children_ start kindergarten with the necessary skills to succeed. 

- 96.6% _AGREE_ that ECE has an impact on a child’s success later in life. 

- 74.8% think that access to quality ECE is _Very Important_ to students’ K-12 success. 

In addition, the majority of Nevadans feel that our state should be doing more to help ensure our children have access to quality early childhood education and are able to start school ready to learn. 

- 82.2% think the _community should be doing more_ to help children begin kindergarten with better skills 

- 69.9% agree that children living in low-income families _DO NOT_ begin 1[st] grade just as prepared as children living in middle-to-high income families. 

- 90.3% say they _are concerned_ that children in lower-income areas may not be able to go to a quality preschool. 

To better support ECE in Nevada: 

- 88.1% agree funding should be increased to improve access to ECE programs. 

- 89.9% agree funding should be increased to improve the quality of ECE programs. 

- 89.8% agree funding should be increased so that low-income families can access quality ECE programs. 

Overall, Nevadan’s think that early childhood education is important to a child’s success later in life and that the community should be doing more to support quality early childhood education. 

- 92.5% think it is _very important_ that ECE teachers are supported in furthering their education. 

- 79.5% think it is _very important_ that all children have access to quality early childhood education 

## **Introduction** 

In June and July of 2015, the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy administered an opinion poll to 384 adults living in the state of Nevada to gather their current views on issues related to early childhood education. The purpose of obtaining this information is to guide future outreach efforts and programing that will help to make improvements in early childhood education throughout the state. The efforts to develop and administer this poll are among the first steps in a multi-phase framework for action that is focused on improving the policies and practices for high quality early childhood education opportunities in Nevada. The results of this poll will be used to inform awareness, education, and advocacy campaigns that will work towards establishing a strong base for both “grassroots” and “grass tops” support throughout the state. Additionally, the results of this poll will provide preliminary evidence of the current sentiments of adults in Nevada towards early childhood education and some recommendations for improvement. 

## _Importance of Early Childhood Education_ 

Early Childhood Education (ECE) refers to both the formal and informal teaching of young children. It has been shown to have both short and long-term benefits to those who are able to access it. Those who receive ECE are better prepared for school upon entering Kindergarten, more successful later in life, and less likely to commit violent crimes. The 40-year High Scope Perry study has provided evidence that children who attended early childhood education saw benefits in academics, social and emotional development, and general health and wellbeing. After following a cohort of 123 children starting in 1962, this study found that those who received high-quality preschool education at ages 3 and 4 were more likely to have: 

- Higher IQ at age 5, 

- Higher high school graduation rates, 

Still, disparities persist for those who are unable to access ECE due to financial, availability, and quality barriers. Providing access to high quality early childhood education to all children is starting to be seen as a priority among parents, and the results of this report show that Nevadans agree that more should be done to ensure the availability and quality of ECE for children in the state. 

## _Parents’ Attitudes towards Early Childhood Education_ 

Parents’ attitudes towards Early Childhood Education (ECE) are a potential indicator of both the use of ECE and the level of priority that these individuals place on ECE. If people are not aware of the short and long term benefits of ECE, do not see it as a priority, or are unaware of how to access it for their children, it stands to reason that these individuals will not be motivated to make full use of the ECE resources available to their families. Recent opinion polls at both the state and national levels have shown that the majority of parents and voters have positive attitudes towards ECE and see it as a priority for the wellbeing of children. 

- 80% of American parents believe that preschool improves student performance in later years. (Tompson, Benz, & Agiesta, 2013) 

- 76% of Americans support federal investments to increase access to high-quality early childhood programs for low-income and moderate-income families. (First Five Years Fund, 2015) 

This report details the results of an opinion poll conducted in 2015 among adults aged 18 and over in the state of Nevada. Participants were asked about their opinions and perceptions regarding: living in Nevada, education within the state, and the benefits of and barriers to accessing quality early childhood education. 

- Higher employment rates & earnings at age 40, and 

- A history of more stable housing circumstances and lower crime rates. 

- (Schweinhart et al, 2015). 

## **Opinion Poll Results** 

This summary highlights the major findings of the opinion poll, which was conducted with 384 respondents from Nevada 18 years of age and older. The overall margin of error is +/-5.16 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Each survey item has its own individual margin of error, which can be requested from NICRP staff. Only weighted data are presented in this 

report, with the exception of the demographic results (see Methods section for more details). 

Selected results are presented for the state as a whole, as well as broken down by political party affiliation. For full details of survey results, please contact staff at the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy. 

## _**Demographics**_ 

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|||
|---|---|
|County|
|Clark|55.2%|
|Rural Areas|22.1%|
|Washoe|22.7%|
|Gender|
|Male|40.1%|
|Female|59.9%|
|Age|
|18-29|12.8%|
|30-39|15.1%|
|40-49|15.4%|
|50-59|18.8%|
|60-69|20.8%|
|70+|15.9%|
|Race/Ethnicity|
|American Indian or Alaska Native|2.1%|
|Asian or Pacific Islander|3.9%|
|Black|5.5%|
|Hispanic / Latino|19.0%|
|White|61.2%|
|Employment Status|
|Employed full-time|39.3%|
|Employed part-time|11.2%|
|Out of work and looking for work|1.8%|
|Out of work and not currently|
|1.3%|
|looking for work|
|A homemaker|5.7%|
|A student|2.3%|
|Retired|31.8%|
|Unable to work / disabled|4.9%|

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|||
|---|---|
|Household Income|
|Less than $14,999|7.0%|
|$15,000 to $34,999|9.9%|
|$35,000 to $54,999|13.8%|
|$55,000 to $74,999|8.3%|
|$75,000 to $94,999|4.2%|
|$95,000 or more|15.1%|
|Don't know|20.3%|
|Number of People Living in House|
|1|19.5%|
|2|33.6%|
|3-4|28.7%|
|5 or more|15.7%|
|Number of People in Household Under 18|
|0|63.3%|
|1-2|25.7%|
|3 or more|9.8%|
|Education Level|
|Less than high school|10.9%|
|High school graduate or equivalent|24.0%|
|Some college (less than two years)|14.3%|
|Two year associate degree|8.6%|
|Some college (more than two years)|10.9%|
|Bachelor's degree|17.2%|
|Master's degree|10.2%|
|Professional / Doctorate degree|2.6%|

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## _**Community Issues**_ 

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The following question was asked to determine what community issue Nevadans think is the most important priority for state government officials to address. Nearly half of respondents indicated that education and schools should be the top priority. 



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|||
|---|---|
|Most important issue that elected officials in state government|
|should be working to resolve.|
|Taxes or budget deficit|10.3%|
|Education and schools|47.1%|
|Crime and drugs|14.1%|
|Affordable housing|3.6%|
|Child abuse or child welfare issues|5.2%|
|Health care or health insurance costs|11.5%|
|The environment|2.3%|
|Early childhood education|5.9%|

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More specifically, within the context of education, respondents were asked to indicate the greatest problem that should be focused on by elected officials. 



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|||
|---|---|
|The greatest problem in education that elected officials should|
|be working to improve.|
|Access to quality early childhood education|10.0%|
|School funding|22.4%|
|Drop-out rates|11.9%|
|Quality teachers|30.5%|
|Building new schools|8.4%|
|Other|16.8%|

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Of those who answered “Other,” most respondents cited a combination of the options provided as the areas they feel should be a priority for elected officials. Common themes included: 

- Improved budgeting strategies 

- Better pay for teachers 

- Equal distribution of funding 

Respondents were also asked if they believed that it was possible to prevent school failure and underachievement in schools. 

- 95.6% think that school failure and underachievement is preventable (66.7% definitely preventable). 

This indicates that respondents believe that improvements in the school system and efforts to help students can be effective, which in turn means that they might be willing to support such initiatives. 

- Fiscal accountability 

- Curriculum improvements 

## _**Knowledge & Attitudes towards Early Childhood Education**_ 

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One of the main objectives of this opinion poll was to determine the knowledge and attitudes about early childhood education among Nevadans. The following reveals survey respondents’ thoughts and general opinions about early childhood education. 

- 96.6% agree (61.5% strongly agree) that early childhood education has an impact on a child’s ability to be successful later in life. 

- 92.7% feel that it is important (79.5% very important) for all children to have access to quality early childhood education. 

- 91.0% feel that it is important (74.8% very important) to a student’s success in grades Kindergarten through 12 for them to participate in early childhood education. 

- 63.0% of Nevadans believe that at least half of children begin kindergarten without the knowledge and skills they need to do their best in school. 

- 82.2% of Nevadans indicated that we as a community should be doing more to ensure children begin kindergarten with the knowledge and skills they need to do their best in school. 

Nevadans were also asked to list what they thought was the biggest barrier to accessing early childhood education. As shown in the table below, cost was perceived to be the biggest barrier. 



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|---|---|
|Biggest barrier in accessing early childhood education:|
|Cost|43.7%|
|Availability (location)|20.3%|
|Quality|8.2%|
|Reliability (hours of operation)|6.4%|
|Other|21.4%|

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## _**Quality of Early Childhood Education Centers**_ 

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Only 13.8% of respondents indicated that the quality of Nevada’s ECE programs was excellent, while 47.5% indicated they were average, 31.5% indicated they were below average, and 7.3% indicated that Nevada’s ECE programs were failing.  Accordingly, 

- 89.2% agree that ECE centers should participate in a quality rating system that can be viewed by the public. 

- 92.5% agree that ECE professionals should be supported in furthering their education. 

Respondents were also asked to indicate what qualities and purposes of ECE they felt were important. 

- 95.5% said it was important (78.3% very important) for ECE to prepare children to enter school ready to learn. 

- 97.5% said it was important (86.6% very important) for ECE to provide children a safe and healthy environment. 

- 91.8% said it was important (73.1% very important) for ECE to develop social skills among children. 

- 87.2% said it was important (63.4% very important) for ECE to provide parents with the ability to work. 

## _**Student Success in Low-Income Families**_ 

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Children from low-income families face increased obstacles to obtaining high quality early childhood education. The following responses address questions asked specifically about the impact of ECE on children in low-income families and what can be done to reduce disparities in quality and access for that population. 

- 69.9% agree (18.8% strongly agree) that children living in low-income families DO NOT begin 1[st] grade just as prepared as children living in middle-to-high income families. 

- 94.5% agree (43.5% strongly agree) that ECE for families should be more affordable. 

- 90.3% say they are concerned (55.3% very concerned) that children in lower-income areas may not be able to go to a quality preschool. 

- 76.5% are NOT AWARE of any programs that assist parents in affording ECE. 

## _**Funding for Early Childhood Education**_ 

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The following responses pertain to the reasons respondents feel that the state of Nevada should increase funding for early childhood education. 

- 88.1% agree (45.2% strongly agree) that the state should increase funding to increase access to ECE programs. 

- 89.9% agree (41.2% strongly agree) that the state should increase funding to improve the quality of ECE programs. 

- 89.8% agree (43.7% strongly agree) that the state should increase funding to improve access quality to ECE programs for low-income families. 

- 57.6% agree (12.0% strongly agree) that the state is NOT doing enough to ensure that children enter kindergarten prepared with the skills they need to do their best in school. 

## _**Impact of Early Childhood Education**_ 

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Lastly, we wanted to know about people’s perceptions of the types of impacts that quality early childhood education could have on an individual’s experiences later in life. The first two statements reflect respondents’ beliefs about children who participate in ECE programs. 

- 68.3% think it is true that those children are less likely to become teen parents. 

- 70.9% think it is true that those children are less likely to commit crimes and acts of violence as young adults. 

The final two statements refer to respondents’ level of agreement with positive outcomes that may be associated with access to quality ECE programs for at-risk children. 

- 75.2% agree (39.5% strongly agree) that access for these children is critical to our national security. 

- 83.1% agree (41.4% strongly agree) that access for these children is critical to our economic security. 

## **Selected Results by Political Party** 

A full list of results is available upon request. 

The issue of access to quality education for all children in the state of Nevada is a priority that crosses political party lines. However, there are differences in attitudes and opinions among survey respondents based on whether they identify as a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. Differences persist regarding issues of funding, knowledge of the benefits of early 

childhood education, and which community issues should take priority. The following tables present responses based on political party. While respondents were able to select “Other” as their political affiliation, this summary of results includes only responses from those who indicated a Republican, Democratic, or Independent party affiliation. 

**Political Affiliation** Republican 33.2% Democrat 33.4% Independent 18.4% 

## _**Community Issues**_ 

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|**Most important issue that elected officials in**<br>**state government should be working to resolve.**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Taxes or budget deficit<br>Education and schools<br>Crime and drugs<br>Affordable housing<br>Child abuse or child welfare issues<br>Health care or health insurance costs<br>The environment<br>Early childhood education||17.3%<br>42.0%<br>17.3%<br>0%<br>3.7%<br>13.6%<br>0%<br>6.2%||3.8%<br>49.1%<br>17.9%<br>4.7%<br>8.5%<br>10.4%<br>2.8%<br>2.8%||10.0%<br>53.3%<br>8.3%<br>6.7%<br>6.7%<br>6.7%<br>3.3%<br>5.0%|



## _**Education in your Community**_ 

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|**The greatest problem in education that elected**<br>**officials should be working to improve.**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Access to quality early childhood education<br>School funding<br>Drop-out rates<br>Quality teachers<br>Building new schools<br>Other||7.3%<br>23.2%<br>14.6%<br>40.2%<br>1.2%<br>13.4%||13.6%<br>23.3%<br>13.6%<br>29.1%<br>9.7%<br>10.7%||1.7%<br>28.3%<br>8.3%<br>26.7%<br>6.7%<br>28.3%|
||||||||
|**School failure and underachievement.**||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Definitely preventable<br>Somewhat preventable<br>Somewhat not preventable<br>Definitely not preventable<br>Don't know/unsure||66.3%<br>31.3%<br>2.4%<br>0%<br>0%||71.7%<br>24.5%<br>1.9%<br>0.9%<br>0.9%||71.2%<br>27.1%<br>0%<br>1.7%<br>0%|



Page | 7 

_Nevada Institute for Children’s Research & Policy, UNLV Early Childhood Education Report – 2015 Opinion Poll_ 

## _**Knowledge & Attitudes towards Early Childhood Education**_ 

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|**Early childhood education has an impact on a**<br>**child's ability to be successful later in life.**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|93.9%(59.8%)<br>6.1%(1.2%)||98.1%(62.9%)<br>2.0%(1.0%)|||100%(61.0%)<br>0%(0%)|
||||||||
|**What portion of Nevada children do you think**<br>**begin kindergarten with the knowledge and**<br>**skills they need to do their best in school?**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Nearly all children<br>Most children<br>About half of all children<br>Fewer than half of all children<br>Very few children<br>**In regards to ensuring children begin**<br>**kindergarten with the knowledge and skills they**<br>**need to do their best in school:**||8.9%<br>21.5%<br>34.2%<br>30.4%<br>5.1%||15.0%<br>24.0%<br>34.0%<br>19.0%<br>8.0%||16.1%<br>17.9%<br>32.1%<br>28.6%<br>5.4%|
||||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|We as a community should be doing more.<br>We as a community should be doing less.<br>We as a communityare doingenough.||74.0%<br>3.9%<br>22.1%||84.2%<br>5.9%<br>9.9%||87.3%<br>1.8%<br>10.9%|
||||||||
|**Importance of all children to having access to**<br>**quality early childhood education:**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Very important<br>Important<br>Somewhat important<br>Not very important<br>Not at all important||79.5%<br>10.8%<br>6.0%<br>2.4%<br>1.2%||84.9%<br>11.3%<br>2.8%<br>0%<br>0.9%||73.3%<br>20.0%<br>5.0%<br>0%<br>1.7%|
||||||||
|**Biggest barrier in accessing early childhood**<br>**education:**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Cost<br>Quality<br>Reliability (hours of operation<br>Availability (location)<br>Other||45.5%<br>6.5%<br>1.3%<br>16.9%<br>29.9%||37.9%<br>14.6%<br>5.8%<br>26.2%<br>15.5%||47.4%<br>8.8%<br>5.3%<br>12.3%<br>26.3%|
||||||||
|**How important do you think participating in**<br>**early childhood education is to a student's**<br>**success in Kindergarten through grade 12?**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Very important<br>Important<br>Somewhat important<br>Not very important<br>Not important at all||72.3%<br>12.0%<br>10.8%<br>2.4%<br>2.4%||84.9%<br>10.4%<br>3.8%<br>0%<br>0.9%||70.0%<br>20.0%<br>8.3%<br>0%<br>1.7%|



## _**Quality of Early Childhood Education Centers**_ 

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|**Should early childhood education professionals**<br>**be supported in furthering theireducation?**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Yes<br>No||86.3%<br>13.8%||96.1%<br>3.9%||94.8%<br>5.2%|
|**Should ECE centers participate in a quality**<br>**rating system that can be viewed by the public?**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Yes<br>No||86.1%<br>13.9%||91.1%<br>8.9%||89.3%<br>10.7%|
|**Preparing children to enter school ready to**<br>**learn.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Important(% very important)<br>Not important(% not at all important)||100.0%<br>(71.6%)<br>0%(0%)|99.0%(81.7%)<br>1.0%(1.0%)||98.3%(80.0%)<br>1.7%(1.7%)||
||||||||
|**Providing children a safe and healthy**<br>**environment.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Important(% very important)<br>Not important(% not at all important)||100.0%<br>(85.2%)<br>0%(0%)|99.1%(88.5%)<br>1.0%(1.0%)||98.3%(88.1%)<br>1.7%(1.7%)||
||||||||
|**Developing social skills among children.**||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Important(% very important)<br>Not important(% not at all important)|97.6%(64.2%)<br>2.4%(1.2%)||99.0%(76.9%)<br>1.0%(1.0%)||98.4%(75.0%)<br>1.7%(1.7%)||
|**Providing parents with the ability to work.**||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Important(% very important)<br>Not important(% not at all important)|90.9%(57.1%)<br>9.1%(7.8%)||94.0%(73.0%)<br>6.0%(4.0%)||91.4%(62.1%)<br>8.6%(5.2%)||
||||||||
|**Quality of ECE programs in Nevada**||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Excellent<br>Average<br>Below average<br>Failing||9.5%<br>46.0%<br>36.5%<br>7.9%||10.8%<br>53.0%<br>30.1%<br>6.0%||4.7%<br>46.5%<br>37.2%<br>11.6%|



## _**Student Success in Low-Income Families**_ 

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|**Children in low-income families begin 1st grade**<br>**just as prepared as children living in middle-to-**<br>**high income families.**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|21.5%(10.1%)<br>78.5%(20.3%)||29.1%(8.7%)<br>70.9%(24.3%)||37.5%(12.5%)<br>62.5%(14.3%)||
||||||||
|**Early childhood education for families should**<br>**be more affordable.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|92.2%(39.0%)<br>7.8%(1.3%)||97.1%(47.1%)<br>2.9%(1.0%)||94.7%(29.8%)<br>5.3%(0%)||
||||||||
|**How concerned are you that children in lower-**<br>**income areas may not be able to go to a quality**<br>**preschool?**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Concerned(% very concerned)<br>Not concerned(% not at all concerned)|88.8%(50.0%)<br>11.3%(3.8%)||96.2%(68.0%)<br>3.8%(1.9%)||86.7%(45.0%)<br>13.3%(3.3%)||
||||||||
|**Are you aware of any programs that assist**<br>**parents in affording early childhood education?**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Yes<br>No||25.0%<br>75.0%||23.1%<br>76.9%||26.7%<br>73.3%|
|**_Funding for Early Childhood Education_**|||||||
||||||||
|**The state should increase funding to increase**<br>**access to early childhood education programs.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|79.7%(35.4%)<br>20.2%(6.3%)||97.1%(56.3%)<br>2.9%(1.0%)||89.5%(40.4%)<br>10.5%(0%)||
||||||||
|**The state should increase funding to improve**<br>**the quality of early childhood education**<br>**programs.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|83.4%(30.8%)<br>16.6%(3.8%)||97.1%(50.5%)<br>2.9%(1.0%)||88.1%(33.9%)<br>11.9%(0%)||
||||||||
|**The state should increase funding so that low-**<br>**income families can access quality early**<br>**childhood education programs.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|82.3%(34.2%)<br>17.7%(3.8%)||96.1%(56.7%)<br>3.8%(1.9%)||86.2%(41.4%)<br>13.8%(0%)||
||||||||
|**The state is doing enough to ensure that**<br>**children enter kindergarten prepared with the**<br>**skills they need to do their best in school.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% strongly disagree)|33.8%(6.8%)<br>66.3%(9.5%)||39.7%(17.3%)<br>60.2%(16.3%)||35.3%(5.9%)<br>64.7%(13.7%)||



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## _**Impact of Early Childhood Education**_ 

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|**"Children that participant in early childhood**<br>**education programs are less likely to become**<br>**teen parents."**|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|True<br>False<br>**"Children that participate in early childhood**<br>**education programs are less likely to commit**<br>**crimes and acts of violence as young adults."**||72.2%<br>27.8%||76.5%<br>23.5%||67.9%<br>32.1%|
||||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|True<br>False||74.0%<br>26.0%||80.8%<br>19.2%||64.8%<br>35.2%|
|**Access to quality early childhood education**<br>**programs for at-risk children is critical to our**<br>**national security.**|||||||
|||**Republican**||**Democrat**||**Independent**|
|Agree(% strongly agree)<br>Disagree(% stronglydisagree)|||||||



## **Methods** 

Opinion poll questions were developed by staff at the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy and the Children’s Advocacy Alliance. Staff reviewed a variety of other related opinion polls and measures of parent perceptions of quality of early childhood education to determine the content of the poll. The final opinion poll consisted of 42 questions related to early childhood education, 10 of which captured demographic information. 

The survey was conducted by the UNLV Cannon Survey Center (CSC) between May 19, 2015 and July 17, 2015. Calls were made on various days of the week, including weekends, between 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on weekends. Interviews lasted an average of 21 minutes. A total of 384 interviews were completed from a sample of 7,177 numbers. The interviewers made up to seven attempts on each number. These attempts were made at different times of the day and different days of the week. In addition, all respondents were given the opportunity to complete the survey at another time by scheduling it at another time more convenient for them. 

Telephone numbers were purchased from Survey Sampling Inc. (SSI) and random-digit-dialing techniques were used to select respondent households located throughout Nevada. SSI uses information developed from the most current telephone exchange data available (telephone exchanges may be thought of as the three-digit “prefix” included in any telephone number). The sampling service (SSI) maintains a database of “working blocks,” where a “block” is a set of 100 contiguous numbers identified by the first two digits of the last four digits of a telephone number. After the blocks are verified as containing residential phone numbers, phone numbers are randomly generated from each block. This procedure allows for the inclusion of unlisted numbers and any newly listed numbers that have not yet been included in the most recently published telephone directories. SSI uses “working blocks” to develop its cell phone frames as well.  Both land line and cell phone numbers were utilized, with over half of the numbers available for contact being cell phones after non-working numbers were screened out by SSI. Telephone numbers were dialed manually by interviewers, thus giving the CSC the legal capacity to contact cell phones. 

The CSC utilizes Sawtooth Technology software for its CATI system. Prior to the work on the survey, 

Cannon staff attended a survey specific training session. Training included a refresher session that covered the following topics: a) interviewer roles and responsibilities; b) importance of maintaining strict confidentiality and general principles of survey administration; c) interviewing procedures, including how to probe survey questions and specific guidelines for probing for numbers, precoded questions, and any open-ended questions; d) how to maximize respondent cooperation; e) operation of CATI software; and f) general administration procedures. Interviewers also received detailed training regarding the specifics of this study which included a project overview, studyspecific interviewing procedures, and a detailed discussion of the questionnaire contents. 

The interviewing process was monitored by phone room supervisors. One field supervisor or senior interviewer was present at all times during the data collection period to ensure the quality and integrity of the data collection process. The phone room supervisor was able to instantaneously address any problems that might arise in the field. An auditory and visual monitoring system is in place and the supervisors, the survey manager/data collection manager, and the director can access any of the call stations at any time. The CATI software has visual monitoring capabilities built in; supervisors can see what is on an interviewer’s screen as data is being entered as well as hear both sides of the interview. Both the auditory and visual monitoring systems allow for unobtrusive monitoring. The monitoring process may occur in addition to the actual interview during callbacks, survey introductions, or initial refusals. 

Disposition codes defined by the American Association of Public Opinion Researchers (AAPOR) were used to code all numbers and to determine the Response Rate 4 (RR4). Response Rate 4 represents the number of complete and partial interviews, divided by the number of interviews (complete or partial), plus the number of non-interviews (refusal + break-off + noncontacts + others), plus all cases of unknown eligibility, and an estimate of what proportion of the cases of unknown eligibility (Response Rate 4: RR4= (I + P)/(I+P)+(R + NC + O) + e(UH + UO)). The response rate was 7.8%. The proportion of interviews that were collected from the wireless sampling frame was 48.2% of all completed interviews.  The margin of error is +/-5.16 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. 

## **Limitations** 

There are a few limitations to note when interpreting these results. Using RDD eliminates members of the population that do not have access to a land line or cell phone from participation in the study. In addition, this survey was quite lengthy, therefore nonresponse bi as rates in estimates were likely larger than anticipated. Another factor that increases nonresponse rates in all studies is technological advances that have made it easier for households to identify and avoid telephone calls from unrecognized telephone numbers, as well as individuals subscribing to national do-not-call lists. 

## **Weighting** 

Sample weights were calculated to adjust for unequal probabilities of selection and nonresponse bias resulting from differential response rates across a variety of demographic groups. Post-stratification variables included county, gender, race, and ethnicity. Population characteristics from Nevada were based on 2014 estimates provided by United States Census Bureau. The weighting process helps to more accurately represent the population of Nevada as a whole; therefore weighted data were used for all analyses. 

## **References** 

First Five Years Fund (2015). America Speaks: New poll shows investing in early childhood education is a national priority. Retrieved from: http://ffyf.org/2015-poll/ 

Schweinhart, L., Montie, J., Xiang, Z., Barnett, W.S., Belfield, C., & and Nores, M. (2015). "The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40 Summary, Conclusions, and Frequently Asked Questions." _www.highscope.org_ . High Scope Press, 2015. 

Tompson, T., Benz J., & Agiesta, J. (2013). Parents’ Attitudes About the Quality of Education in the United States. Report published by the The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research 

## **NICRP Staff Contributors:** 

Amanda Haboush-Deloye, Ph.D. Chief Research Associate 

M. Amaris Fuller, M.Ed. Assistant Research Analyst 

## **The Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy** 

The Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy (NICRP) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing children's issues in Nevada. As a research center within the UNLV School of Community Health Sciences, NICRP is dedicated to improving the lives of children through research, advocacy, and other specialized services. NICRP started in 1998 based on the vision of First Lady Sandy Miller. She wanted an organization that could bring credible research and rigorous policy analysis to problems that confront Nevada's children. But she didn't want to stop there; she wanted to transform that research into meaningful legislation that would make a real difference in the lives of our children. The Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy (NICRP) looks out for Nevada's children. Our mission is to conduct community-based research that will guide the development of programs and services for Nevada's children. For more information regarding NICRP research and services, please visit our website at: http://www.nic.unlv.edu 

## **Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy** 

**Home of Prevent Child Abuse Nevada School of Community Health Sciences University of Nevada, Las Vegas 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, 453030 Las Vegas, NV 89154-3030 (702) 895-1040 http://nic.unlv.edu** 

U.S. Census Bureau. (2014). _Annual estimates of the resident population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the United States, States, and Counties: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014, 2014 Population Estimates._ Generated March 17, 2016 from http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/ pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk 



Question: In the 2015 Nevada early childhood education opinion poll of 384 adults, what share of respondents agreed ECE affects later success, and what did they identify as the biggest barrier to accessing ECE?
Answer: 96.6% agreed that early childhood education has an impact on a child’s ability to be successful later in life. Cost was perceived as the biggest barrier to accessing ECE, cited by 43.7% of respondents, followed by availability/location at 20.3%.