2013–2014 Program Report
Distinguished Speaker Series
2013 –2014 Board of Directors Matt Saurage Chairman
Murphy Bell Jr. Past Chair
Ernie Hughes, Ph.D. Vice Chair
Christy B. Anderson
Peter Kopfinger Emily Smith, Ph.D.
Dennis Blunt Jeffrey Martin Treasurer Anna Kathryne Kronenberger Secretary
Jori Ann Erdman Jamey Firnberg
Stanford Ponson Advisory Member Martis Jones, Ph. D. *Non-voting member Executive Director
Scott Hensgens
2013-2014 Distinguished Speaker Series Advisory Committee Joan Benedict, Ph.D.
Jamey Firnberg
Toni Brown
Barbara Freiberg
Jyoti Shah, MSA, LCSW, BACS John Sills
Gypsye Bryan, Ph.D.
Shabaka Gibson Lois Smith
Marlon Cousin
Mary Louise Jones, Ph.D.
Lynn Carmouche
Laura Lindsey, Ph.D.
Letter from Executive Director Martis Jones, Ph.D.
Dear Advocates for Our Youngest Citizens: Early childhood education advocates, scholars, and economists continue to report substantial economic benefits from high-quality early childhood education. The results show long-term payoffs including higher graduation rates, reduced need for special education, and reduced violent crime and arrests. A few of the many long-term economic returns include increased parental employment with overall increased earned income and increased human capital and productivity (Dr. Steven Barnett, Rutgers Graduate School of Education, 2014). These public gains align closely with longitudinal research by Perry Preschool Education, National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), and Abecedarian (30-year study). Many of the prekindergarten children in these studies mirror those in East Baton Rouge Parish public schools—at risk, and on free and reduced school food programs. The evidence is clear: Investing in high-quality prekindergarten pays a good return on investment. Today’s research shows that every dollar invested in high-quality prekindergarten returns an average of seven to eight dollars. The Academic Distinction Fund learned what it takes to prepare school-ready children during its 18-month strategic planning process, and more recently with a strategic planning checkup meeting conducted by a LANO consultant. ADF decided to rely on the evidence that showed “investing on the front end of a young child’s education process continues to show a greater return on investment in the later school years.” The Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS) offers research-based presentations by early childhood education experts providing critical information on the latest early childhood development research and best practices. The first of its kind in East Baton Rouge Parish, the series addresses what it takes for young children to be successful in kindergarten and first grade regardless of their socio-economic and racial backgrounds. The series is directed to education stakeholders, nonprofit organizations, public officials, East Baton Rouge Parish teachers, pre-K providers and administrators, parents and families, and corporate leaders who ultimately impact all young children in Louisiana. Based on the number of our sponsors, partners and supporters, corporate Baton Rouge and nonprofit organizations agree with the research on the benefits in investing in early childhood education and are investing with ADF and DSS. ADF and its investors offer DSS as “free community education” to Baton Rouge and other areas across Louisiana. This report shares the results of 2013-2014 DSS, and the benefits to those who attended the series. Attendance was high, as well as the response rate on feedback questionnaires (62 percent overall). As you read about the 2013 Series, you will come to the same conclusion as the DSS third-party evaluator—“ADF and its investors must continue DSS.” Funding for the ADF Distinguished Speaker Series comes from ADF and ExxonMobil. Additional sponsors include Louisiana Public Facilities Authority, Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge Foundation, the Boo Grigsby Foundation and Turner Industries. ADF would also like to thank the DSS Advisory Committee and the EBR Parish School System for its support. Please join ADF in 2014-2015 as we present new topics to impact education and business sectors more deeply and profoundly.
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
Contents About Distinguished Speaker Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Session 1: Early Childhood Risk and Reach in Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Session 2: Making Safety a Priority in Early Childhood Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Session 3: Essential Life Skills for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Session 4: Developmental Disabilities in the Early Learning Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Session 5: Securing Economic Benefits from Early Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Media Coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 a. Speaker and Session Mean Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 b. Session Attendance and Response Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 c. Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 d. Open-Ended Comments: Important Things Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 e. Open-Ended Comments: Use of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 f. Open-Ended Comments: Future Topics, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Other Comments, Advertising Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 About ADF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
About the Distinguished Speaker Series The Distinguished Speaker Series was launched in 2011 to educate large-scale audiences on the latest early childhood development research and best practices. The series is the first of its kind in East Baton Rouge Parish. Expanded in 2013, the series is intended to deepen awareness and understanding of early childhood development by providing essential tools, tactics and methods of providing high-quality pre-K education and services.
T h e G oa l
To present to the Baton Rouge community the essential tools, tactics and methods of providing high-quality pre-K education for children in East Baton Rouge Parish. S e rv i c e A r e a
The Distinguished Speaker Series in pre-K directly impacts hundreds of East Baton Rouge Parish teachers and school administrators, child care providers, social workers, parents and families, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, education stakeholders, and public officials to ultimately influence all prekindergarten children in the Baton Rouge area.
The series is the first of its kind in East Baton Rouge Parish
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Executive Summary Since 2011 the Academic Distinction Fund (ADF) has hosted the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS), a free community event highlighting early childhood topics of interest with nationally acclaimed experts. ADF contracted with SSA Consultants (SSA), a third-party evaluator, to evaluate ADF’s Distinguished Speaker Series 2013-2014, a five-part series focused on early childhood development issues. The series featured national experts on various topics that connect with early childhood education. All of the sessions were open community events held in several locations around the Greater Baton Rouge area. Since its beginning, DSS has been well received by the community and continues to attract a large and diverse audience. The ADF staff and the DSS Advisory Committee have successfully attracted high-caliber early childhood experts to address a wide variety of early childhood development issues of interest to the community. The series received overall ratings from respondents from Very Good (=4), and Excellent (=5) with an overall average of 4.61. The overall rating for the series was higher than the 4.59 ratings from the 2012 programs. Attendance increased significantly in 2013 with a total attendance of 1,240 and an average per session attendance of 248. Thousands more watched the series on cable TV and the Internet. The series also received positive coverage through print media (e.g. The Advocate), local TV news, radio, and the Internet. This extensive media coverage expanded access to the series, allowing people multiple ways to learn about and experience the professional sessions. Given the continued high-level of community interest and satisfaction with the DSS program, SSA recommends the DSS Advisory Committee, in collaboration with ADF staff, continue its effort to identify and host timely early childhood development presentations that inform and challenge the early childhood stakeholder community in the Capital Region.
2013-2014 DSS Series Value Mean Ratings 4.55
Session 1 Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
4.28
Session 5
4.61
Average: All Sessions
4.61
4.90 4.69
3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 Graph provided by SSA Consultants
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Session 1:
Early Childhood Risk and Reach in Louisiana “Louisiana’s Risky Business: Young Children in a Time of Budget Cuts”
February 20, 2013 4 p.m. at Boudreaux’s
Geoff Nagle, Ph.D., MPH, LCSW
Dr. Nagle is currently the Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Tulane University, director of the Tulane Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, and state director of Bright Start- Louisiana’s Early Childhood Advisory Council.
Kirby Goidel, Ph.D.
Dr. Goidel is currently the Scripps Howard Professor of Mass Communication, director of the Public Policy Research Lab at the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, and a Professor in Political Science at LSU.
Acknowledging the critical importance of the early childhood period to a child reaching his or her full potential, this presentation examined the state of early childhood in Louisiana, and addressed the state investments in early childhood, the risks young children face, the reach of state administered programs, and the public support for early childhood investment. To see the presentation, go to www.adfbr.org/dss-2013
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Session 2:
May 7, 2013 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Baton Rouge South
Making Safety a Priority in Early Childhood Environments “Safe Children. Safe Classrooms. Safe Schools.”
Sonayia Shepherd, Ph.D.
Shepherd is currently the International Safety Expert and Chief Operating Officer at Safe Havens International. She has co-authored 16 books on school safety and emergency management, and has served as a full-time school safety practitioner in the nation’s largest government school safety center.
Bringing unparalleled experience to schools while passionately emphasizing a community-based approach to school safety, Dr. Shepherd’s presentation covered a variety of safety topics. She covered trends in violence, supervision of children, body language of facilities, visual weapons screening, evidence-based high stress decisionmaking concepts, and practical emergency preparedness concepts. Her presentation helped prepare those involved in early childhood environments to effectively respond in the event of school level, community level and regional disasters. To see the presentation, go to www.adfbr.org/dss-2013
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Session 3:
Essential Life Skills for Children “Mind in the Making: Executive Functions”
September 9, 2013 4 p.m. at the Renaissance Baton Rouge
Ellen Galinksky
Galinksky is currently the President and Co-Founder of the Families and Work Institute and is working with the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor. She has authored more than 45 books and reports including Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, published more than 125 articles in academic journals, books and magazines, and appears regularly at national conferences.
In her presentation, Galinksky used an interactive approach that is based on research-based principles of adult learning. Participants were engaged in direct experiences that helped them think about their own learning in relation to the seven essential skills. Attendees viewed videos of researchers “in action” sharing studies on the same topic and were able to apply what they have learned to their own lives. She provided concrete steps parents can take to help their child become well-rounded and achieve his or her full potential. To see the presentation, go to www.adfbr.org/dss-2013
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Session 4:
November 14, 2013 4 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge
Developmental Disabilities in the Early Learning Landscape
Jarrett Barnhill, MD, DLFAPA, FAACAP, NADD-CC
Barnhill is currently the professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, a Distinguished Life Fellow at the American Psychiatric Association, a Fellow of the American Academic of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and serves on the board of directors as treasurer for the National Association of Dual Diagnosis.
Behavior traits, learning disorders, issues with attention and sensory processing, and developmental disabilities like autism unfold during early childhood. This presentation focused on early childhood learning’s impact on development and how this influences early childhood education. Dr. Barnhill covered early signs that may be indicative of a developmental disability in children, including differences in emotional engagement, response to the human face and voice, a child’s gaze, and social “play.” To see the presentation, go to www.adfbr.org/dss-2013
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Session 5:
Securing Economic Benefits from Early Education
January 23, 2014 4 p.m. at the Renaissance Baton Rouge
Steven Barnett, Ph.D.
Barnett is currently the Board of Governors Professor and director of the National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. His research studies include the economics of early care and education, the long-term effects of preschool programs, and the distribution of educational opportunities. He has authored or co-authored more than 180 publications.
Research demonstrates that early education can produce large improvements in child development that yield substantial economic returns. Dr. Barnett’s presentation focused on the quality of early childhood education, how quality is necessary to obtain positive results, how even some advantaged children aren’t attending quality programs and how we can and should offer effective early education to all children. To see the presentation, go to www.adfbr.org/dss-2013
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Media Coverage Excerpts from “The Advocate”
Early childhood education urged in La.
School security expert addresses educators in BR
CHARLES LUSSIER
CHARLES LUSSIER
Advocate staff writer
Advocate staff writer
Feb. 21, 2013
May 20, 2013
A Tulane University professor and an LSU professor tag teamed Wednesday to make the case for expanding early childhood education and assistance in Louisiana.
A propped open door. Pictures of students on hallway walls. Boys with untucked shirts. A parking space with the principal’s name on it. Parents bringing homemade cupcakes to school.
Geoff Nagle an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at Tulane’s School of Medicine, summarized the extensive research on the importance of the first years of life, the challenges too many children face and the benefits to society of improving lives.
Shepherd, chief operating officer with Macon, Ga.-based Safe Havens International, has conducted more than 2,000 safety assessments of schools and written or cowritten 16 books on the subject.
They discussed a 2012 report, “Early Childhood Risk and Reach in Louisiana,” that they completed together. It looks at contributors to early childhood success, how many children are suffering economic, health, and education risks in the state’s 64 parishes, and analyzes existing programs to address problems.
At one point Nagle displayed on an overhead screen one number, 1,826, and asked what it meant.
“That’s the number of days til l the fifth birthday,” he said. “That’s our time to build the fundamentals, the strong base that children need.” The second speaker, Kirby Goidel, is a professor of political science and mass communication at LSU and the director of the university’s Public Policy Research Lab. Goidel laid out a series of public opinion polls showing wide public support in Louisiana for expanding early childhood programs, even if it meant budget cuts elsewhere or tax increases. He showed that the support is strong across the political spectrum.
“Why doesn’t overwhelming public support for early childhood translate into public policy?” Goidel asked. Nagle said that over the past few years, spending on children in Louisiana has actually decreased and the portion devoted to early childhood education has decreased at even faster rate.
Nagle also is director of Tulane’s Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, and the state director of BrightStart, Louisiana’s Early Childhood Advisory Council.
Goidel and Nagle spoke at Boudreaux’s as part of the Academic Distinction Fund’s Distinguished Speaker Series, which is focused heavily on early childhood education. ExxonMobil is the lead sponsor of the speaker series. Nagle talked about a variety of reasons the early years of life are so important.
“Things that happen to you early in life really get under your skin, and they are going to have a big biological impact on the rest of your life,” he said.
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These are some of the unlikely but telling signs of a weakened security system that Sonayia Shepherd, a school safety expert, shared Tuesday with an audience of about 160 people, mostly educators, gathered at the Holiday Inn Baton Rouge South on Airline Highway.
Shepherd’s talk was the latest in a “distinguished speaker” series put on by local nonprofit The Academic Distinction Fund. It focuses on early childhood education. The lead sponsor is ExxonMobil.
A former preschool teacher and school psychologist, Shepherd said she knows special ways to scare educators who have let down their guard.
Educators told value of games in teaching life skills
Economist touts early education to EBR audience
BY CHARLES LUSSIER
by Charles Lussier
clussier@theadvocate.com
clussier@theadvocate.com
Sept. 24, 2013
“From a taxpayer’s perspective it makes a lot more sense to fix the problem than spending the rest of the time catching up,” said Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, at the New Jersey university.
Playing fun but thought-provoking games such as I Spy, Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, and Mother May I? are among ways young children can develop crucial life skills that may mean the difference between failure and success in adult life.
Barnett was in Baton Rouge as part of a speaker series organized by the nonprofit Academic Distinction Fund. ExxonMobil is the lead sponsor of the series.
Ellen Galinsky, a child development specialist and author of 45 books, stressed the important of these life skills — she’s identified seven of them — in a talk in Baton Rouge on Monday to an audience of educators.
He spoke to about 150 people gathered at the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel.
Children’s games are effective, but overlooked, ways of developing life skills, she said.
Like other speakers in the series, Barnett has highlighted the high “return on investment” of early childhood programs. Barnett focused on the academic gains of the highest quality programs researchers have studied.
“All the games that have been handed down through the generations, they can really help children,” Galinsky said. She was in Baton Rouge as part of a speaker series organized by the nonprofit group, the Academic Distinction Fund. ExxonMobil is the lead sponsor of the series.
“A high-quality program has the potential to eliminate almost all of the achievement gap in kindergarten,” Barnett said. “That’s a pretty big deal.”
Galinsky’s talk Monday at the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel drew largely from her 2010 book, “Mind In The Making,” a work she said was 12 years in the making. There’s also a DVD, a series of children’s books, as well as a series of teaching “modules” that allow parents and educators to improve children’s life skills.
He said it’s true that those gains fade over time, which is the case with all interventions, but the gains from high-quality programs never disappear.
By age 10, students still were performing substantially better than peers who didn’t go to preschool, the equivalent of almost half of historic difference on standardized tests between students considered academically at risk and those who are not. The gains, though, go beyond test scores and continue into adulthood.
Autism treatment still a mystery, psychiatrist tells EBR educators BY CHARLES LUSSIER
clussier@theadvocate.com Nov. 16, 2013
University of North Carolina psychiatrist Dr. Jarrett Barnhill has many ways to spot potential development disorders, particularly autism, in young children, but is much more tentative about suggesting ways to help them.
“To me, the evaluation is more important than any specific program, because we don’t really know what the best treatment is,” Barnhill, director of the UNC Developmental Neuropharmacology Clinic, told a Baton Rouge audience of parents and early childhood professionals on Thursday.
Barnhill spoke to more than 200 people at the Crowne Plaza Hotel as part of the speaker series organized by the nonprofit Academic Distinction Fund. ExxonMobil is the lead sponsor of the series, which focuses on early childhood issues.
Students who encounter quality preschool are more likely as adults to own their own car, to own a home and to have a savings account, he said.
Barnett has practical experience trying to develop such a program. In response to state court rulings in the late 1990s, New Jersey, Barnett’s home state, revamped its early childhood education system and the quality, and results, have climbed steadily since. Barnett said even programs that have not fared as well in research, such as Head Start, can and have been improved. A 2003 study of Head Start is often cited as evidence of “fade out,” a phenomenon critics of early childhood focus on. The Bush administration, however, increased the education credential needed to get hired and also beefed up the literacy instruction, he said.
“Head Start is today a considerably more effective program,” he said.
Developmental diseases such as autism are complex, have many potential indicators and result from many factors, Barnhill said. Desperate for easy treatments, some practitioners give children pharmaceutical drugs whose efficacy is unclear.
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Analysis of Data from Respondents The following is an analysis of the ADF Distinguished Speaker Series of 2013-2014.
Series Speaker Mean Ratings Each speaker in the series was rated by the respondents. The following is a graph showing the mean rating of the speakers on a Likert scale (5=Excellent, 4=Very Good, 3=Good, 2=Fair, 1=Poor).
2013-2014 DSS Speaker Mean Ratings Geoff Nagle (session 1)
Sonayia Shepherd (session 2)
Ellen Galinsky (session 3)
4.54
Jarrett Barnhill (session 4)
4.91
4.69
3.77
Steve Barnett (session 5)
4.49
Average: All Speakers
4.48
3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 Graph provided by SSA Consultants
Series Session Value Mean Ratings Each session in the series was rated by the respondents. The following is a graph showing the mean rating of the sessions on a Likert scale (5=Excellent, 4=Very Good, 3=Good, 2=Fair, 1=Poor).
2013-2014 DSS SESSION VALUE Mean Ratings Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
3.68
Session 5
4.43
Average: All Speakers
4.45
4.52
4.91
4.69
3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 Graph provided by SSA Consultants
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Session Attendance vs. Session Response Rate For this type of event, there is generally a difference between the number of attendees versus the number of evaluations completed due to the logistics of distributing, completing and collecting evaluations. Due to these logistical issues, a 50 percent response rate is considered a good response rate. For the series, this discrepancy between attended versus respondent rates exists. The chart below shows the attendance, respondents and the response rate of each session in the series. A minimum response rate of 20 percent is the lowest considered as truly reflective of the event. Response rates remained consistently above the minimum, showing that ADF received reliable feedback on each of their session. It is also important to note that not all respondents answered all the questions.
2013-2014 DSS Speaker Mean Ratings Session
Attendees
Evaluations
Response Rate
Session 1
300
140
54%
Session 2
190
128
67%
Session 3
317
214
68%
Session 4
283
183
64%
Session 5
150
93
62%
DSS Average
248
152
63% Chart provided by SSA Consultants
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Respondent Demographic Categories For each session, the evaluation form contained a demographic section, allowing respondents to choose from the provided categories that best described them or to select “Other” and describe themselves. The chart at the bottom of the page shows the common demographic categories from the series.
Demographics A demographic question asked attendees to self-select the category that best described them. The instructions provided asked respondents to select only one category. Respondents selected from 11 categories or could select “Other”with an optional space for elaboration. The top three categories were Social Worker, Classroom Teacher, and Education Administrator.
Whic h of the following best describes you? Social Worker
230
Classroom Teacher
109
Educational Administrator
76
Non-Profit Organization Professional
55
Child Care Provider
46
Private Sector Professional
27
Parent
16
State Government Official
15
Volunteer
14
Public Policy Professional
4
Other
127 Chart provided by SSA Consultants
Of the 127 respondents who selected “Other,” the majority identified themselves as a librarian, library professional or administrator, professor, counselor, teacher, student, or grandparent.
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Open Ended Comments: The Most Important Things Learned Session 1: Early Childhood Risk and Reach in Louisiana • Executive functioning • Long-term effects of stress • State budget and funding are inadequate for early childhood education
Session 2: Making Safety a Priority in Early Childhood Environments • Act appropriately within the first 30 seconds • Use simple terminology everyone can understand • Everyone is responsible for safety
Session 3: Essential Life Skills for Children • Playing simple games in the classroom to help kids work towards these essential life skills • Praise for effort. Facial expressions are very important
Session 4: Developmental Disabilities in the Early Learning Landscape • Medicine is not always the answer to address the learning ability • Early identification is key for best treatment outcomes
Session 5: Securing Economic Benefits from Early Education • Long-term impact on children who attend high-quality preschool/early education • Investments in early childhood education pay off • The importance of high quality teaching for children of ages 1 to 5 years • The difference between an adult who did attend preschool and an adult who did not attend preschool
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Open Ended Comments: The Use of Information Session 1: Early Childhood Risk and Reach in Louisiana • Share the information with co-workers and peers • Use the information to advocate for early childhood education support
Session 2: Making Safety a Priority in Early Childhood Environments • Share with school in which respondents are involved (various respondent roles – teachers, administrator, social worker or parent) • Conduct safety assessment on facility using new information • Integrate into professional development opportunities
Session 3: Essential Life Skills for Children • In a counseling session, use these skills to help children cope with stressors and problem solve on their own • Looking differently at daily teaching tasks as opportunity to develop executive skills. Do not just teach content; teach process
Session 4: Developmental Disabilities in the Early Learning Landscape • Take some of the practices that were presented and use it with our children who exhibit disability symptoms • Shape environment to facilitate learning and identify interests/talents to facilitate learning • Identify characteristics of children with early warning signals within the classroom
Session 5: Securing Economic Benefits from Early Education • Become an advocate for high quality education • Advocate for support through politicians and reform groups
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Open Ended Comments: Future Topic Areas Respondents were asked to give future topics of interest on critical issues or recommend specific speakers in early childhood education. ADF received multiple responses covering various subjects including topics concerning special education, behavior management, practical caregiver training, and motivation for low-income children. Additional themes are listed in the appendix.
Open Ended Comments: Other Comments Each evaluation included a final open-ended comment section for respondents. Common response themes included gratitude to ADF for the program and the series, and an expressed desire for the series to continue as a community service.
Advertising Methods In each session, respondents were asked, “How did you hear about the Distinguished Speaker Series?�, and they could select from six categories (invitation, email blast, media, community calendar, Facebook, or other). Below is a total of the responses throughout the series, identifying the email blast as the most productive marketing tool.
How did you hear about the distinguished speakers series? Invitation
167
Email Blast
419
Media
25
Community Calendar
5
Facebook or Twitter
7
Other
107 Chart provided by SSA Consultants
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Conclusion The Distinguished Speaker Series 2013-2014 should be recognized as a huge success and a great accomplishment of the entire ADF staff, board of directors and Advisory Committee. The sessions were diverse in subject, well attended, and most importantly, the attendees were able to articulate how they will share their knowledge with others in the community. ADF staff and DSS Advisory Committee used the feedback from attendees to select session topics ensuring the continued interest of the community. SSA enthusiastically recommends the continuation of the series given the strong attendance numbers and high levels of participant satisfaction.
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Appendix Below is a list of common themes of each session for the topics of future presentations. ADF and the DSS Advisory Committee will consider these suggestions when planning future DSS presentations.
Session 1: Early Childhood Risk and Reach in Louisiana • Increasing parental involvement • Special education needs in early childhood • Poverty effects on early childhood education
Session 2: Making Safety a Priority in Early Childhood Environments • Behaviorally challenging students • Student bullying • Parent-teacher dynamic
Session 3: Essential Life Skills for Children • Mental illness predictors and treatment for at-risk children and clients • School readiness and parent involvement • Topics related to children with developmental disabilities
Session 4: Developmental Disabilities in the Early Learning Landscape • Different types of developmental disabilities; community resources for families that have children with developmental disabilities • More information on neuroscience and brain development and how to have the best impact on positive brain development • Children with behavior issues in the classroom, oppositional behavior disorder
Session 5: Securing Economic Benefits from Early Education • Parental involvement/engagement in a child’s education • Common core: what needs to be known • Address the teaching of children with behavioral problems and mental illness
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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About ADF The Academic Distinction Fund, a 20-year 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports innovative actions that lead to academic excellence for students in prekindergarten through grade 12 in East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools (EBRPPS). The mission of ADF is to support excellence in EBRPPS by increasing the number of children, our youngest citizens, ready for academic success. Focusing on prekindergarten, ADF promotes relevant research, high-quality professional development, and collaboration between classroom teachers and those in educational academia. ADF invests where it counts in teacher grants, inquiry-based math and science instruction in pre-K, “free community education� on pre-K readiness, and early childhood advocacy.
ADF 2013 DSS Staff Martis Jones, Ph.D. Executive Director Terri Colclough Fund Development Coordinator Abby Thevenot Communications Intern Amelia Tritico Communications Specialist Ashleigh Johnson Social Media Intern Jim Brandt Consultant
Matt Saurage, Chairman of the Board at ADF
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2013 Sponsors The Academic Distinction Fund acheives its mission through the help and support of its sponsors, partners, donors and volunteers. Lead Presenting Sponsor
™
Benefactor Sponsor
Stakeholder Sponsors
Corporate Sponsors
LOUISIANA PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY
Venue Sponsors
Special Thanks To:
Distinguished Speaker Series
2 013 – 2 014 P ro g r a m R e p o r t
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Our Children. Our Investment. Our Future. Thank you for your support. We hope you continue to join us as we help students achieve academic excellence in East Baton Rouge Parish and beyond.
5525 Galer ia Dr., Suit e A Bat on Roug e, L A 70816 Phone: (225) 293–3345 Fax: (225) 293–3705
www.adfbr.org