Q1: What do we know about how early childhood programs are failing boys of color?

<Constance Walker>

We're finding more and more evidence that many of our early childhood programs are failing boys, particularly boys of color. Research shows us more than 80 percent of the children expelled from our programs nationwide are boys.  Among African-American children, 90 percent are boys. What's even more disturbing, the number of boys identified with discipline and learning problems is increasing. Something is seriously wrong, and it's way past time all of us in the field addressed this issue.

We need to understand why so many boys are struggling, why there are such differences between boys and girls and why the problems are so much more acute among African­ American and Latino boys. Even more important, we need to know what we can do to make a difference.