Research & Evaluation

We view ourselves as workforce partners. We work diligently to develop sustainable partnerships with professionals from a variety of sectors, including health care, mental health and social services.
We value the experience of children, families and early education professionals

We strive to co-create systems that are designed based on the lived experience of children, families and early education professionals.
Social justice, equity and liberation are at the core of our work.

Our Approach

Services

Qualitative research can offer valuable insights into the lived experiences of young children, families and the early education workforce, highlighting the complexities of early childhood education systems and environments. As a team of early education instructors, professors and experts, we are fully aware of the issues that hinder the development of young children, cause distress to families and negatively impact the workforce. We assist you in refining your research inquiry/question and developing a research project tailored to your specific context and objectives.

We bring a wealth of skills and methodological expertise. Our team’s depth and breadth of experience in a variety of skills and methods allows us to approach each evaluation in a way that is tailored to the specific needs of your project, including:

Conducting literature reviews on early education issues and topics.
Designing and implementing evaluation protocols and processes to determine program efficiency, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, community circles, observation and document analysis.
Conducting a qualitative and mixed method analyses of data generated by evaluation processes.
Engaging in participatory and community-based approaches.

Projects

Advancing Equity in Wisconsin's Early Education Workforce

The client was interested in better understanding the workforce experiences of Wisconsin's early educators who identify as BIPOC. In response, Sankofa designed and implemented a qualitative research study to gather answers to their inquiry. The abbreviated findings from this one-year study are included in the Executive Summary.

Executive Summary - English

Executive Summary - Spanish

Advancing Equity in Wisconsin's Early Education Workforce, Phase II

During Phase II of this research project, Sankofa is leading monthly community circles with seven research participants who compose the "Equity Steering Committee". The aim of this phase is to guide study participants through the process of further analyzing research findings, determining policies that could be revised or developed to align with study findings, presenting policy recommendations to the appropriate government/regulatory bodies that govern Wisconsin's early education structures.

Advancing Equity in Wisconsin's Early Education Workforce, Phase III

During Phase III of this research project, Sankofa's Executive Director is disseminating study findings to local constituents, i.e., community groups and regulatory bodies, as well as presenting at national conferences. Since research participants are integral to this work, they are serving as co-presenters, allowing them to provide first-hand accounts of their stories.