Welcome

Welcome to the Greater Kansas City Early Learning Landscape (GKC-EKLL) regional data tool. The GKC-ELL was designed with the vision to strengthen data available for decision-making and community planning that will enhance the regional early learning system.

Two functions are available with the GKC-ELL: (1) visual data mapping and, (2) report generation by zip code, school district boundary, or city.

The maps provide an interactive visual depiction, while the reports provide a focused overview of the data. Both functions together inform efforts to develop and implement health and school readiness strategies for children in the Greater Kansas City region. MARC developed these maps using the most recent Census and other data to provide a portrait of the early learning landscape in the Greater Kansas City region.

Why an Early Learning Landscape?

Research clearly demonstrates that the first five years of a child’s life are critical to building the foundation for health outcomes, happiness, development and educational achievement. Research also makes it clear that every dollar invested in early childhood education saves up to $13 in future social costs, including lower crime rates, fewer adults on public assistance, fewer teen pregnancies and a more prepared workforce. These indicators show that a community’s success depends on the health and well-being of its youngest residents. If we want children in the Greater Kansas City region to thrive in kindergarten and beyond, we must first understand these children, where they live and potential barriers to their future success.

How to Use the Site

Whether you want to visualize on the map or generate a report, always start by clicking on the Map tab (top left underneath the site header).

Visualize Map Data

• In the right navigation under Select Data to Map, click on the subject area you wish to visualize (Community Demographics, Family Economics, etc.).
• A menu opens with the available data sets. Click the checkbox next to the dataset you wish to visualize on the map.
• You can choose more than one dataset to see overlap between datasets. When you want to toggle off a dataset, simply click again to clear the checkbox.

Generate A Report

• In the right navigation under Generate a Report, select which geographic level you want to report on (Zip Code, School District or City).
• Select which report - Compare or Individual.
  • Compare will render bar charts comparing your geographies, and Individual will render tables separately for each geography.
• On the map, click up to six geographies.
  • The geography selection is a toggle action - click to activate and then unclick to unactivate.
• Go back to the Generate a Report section and click the Run Report button.
  • The Run Report button should automatically take you to the Report tab to see the output you've chosen.