Evidence Matters: Small Classes are Key to Universal Preschool Gains
Arthur J. Reynolds was recently featured in MinnPost discussing the importance of small class sizes in early childhood, highlighting HCRC's Ten Essential Elements.
"As a nation, we are at a turning point with great opportunity, and social progress just as grand as the Great Society era of the 1960s is possible. In establishing and sustaining a voluntary universal preschool system in which over 90% of children can participate, a blended structure of federal-state-local funding and infrastructure supports is warranted."
If you would like to contribute to the Evidence Matters blog, please contact hcrc@umn.edu
Lunchtime Talk from April 13th, 2021
On Tuesday, April 13th, Dr. Nancy Sherwood from the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the School of Public Health discussed Integrating Child-focused Healthy Weight Interventions in Healthcare and Community Settings.
2021 Summer Internship Application Open NOW
Two graduate student positions (50% time) beginning Summer 2021 to advance scholarship on the influence of structural elements of early childhood program effectiveness and/or reducing structural inequalities associated with multilevel poverty, segregation, discrimination & racism, and related socio-structural barriers. Priority is placed on factors and systems of influence identified in the 10 essential elements.
hcrc_10_ece_elements_january_2021.pdf
Please apply by April 15th. Send any questions to hcrc@umn.edu
New Evidence Matters Post
Jasmine Ernst & Arthur J. Reynolds from the Institute of Child Development collaborated on an Evidence Matters blog post about instructional continuity from pre-k to kindergarten.
"PreK-to-3rd-grade (P-3) initiatives and programs are increasing in priority across the nation. The two major reasons for this are to:
(a) improve children’s learning during the key years of schooling and
(b) ensure that PreK gains are sustained over time [5]."
If you are interested in contributing to the Evidence Matters Blog, please reach out to hcrc@umn.edu
HCRC Announces Three New Initiatives to Promote Evidence-Based Programs and Policies for Young People
Evidence Matters Blog provides short commentaries and analyses on public policy topics, under-prioritized needs and emerging directions, and research news affecting young people, birth to age 20. The first two pieces are on the Childcare Workforce and the 10 Essential Elements of Early Childhood Programs.
HCRC Summer Research Interns Program
- Supports two graduate students (50% time) beginning in 2021 to advance scholarship on the influence of structural elements of early childhood program effectiveness and/or reducing structural inequalities associated with multilevel poverty, segregation, discrimination & racism, and related socio-structural barriers.
- Priority is placed on factors and systems of influence identified in the 10 Essential Elements.
Pilot Matching Grants Program with Community Partners
- supports the implementation of evidence-based structural elements of early childhood programs as identified in the 10 Essential Elements.
- One or two 50/50 matching grants with community partners will be sponsored at fixed costs. Formative evaluation is included and capacity for sustainability.
For more information on these new intiatives, click the pdf below.
Recent Events
Revisiting the Elements of Effective Early Childhood Programs in the Age of COVID-19 and Unrest
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Lunch Time Talk Series, 12-1 pm
Sustaining Early Childhood Gains by Dr. Arthur Reynolds & Dr. Judy Temple is Available in Paperback.
Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Temple's book, Sustaining Early Childhood Gains, investigates how gains during early childhood begin, grow, and affect development into adulthood with a perspective on the policy implications.
Recent News
The tragic events of 2020 have changed society forever. Since March over 210,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 with 7.4 million people infected. By comparison, the influenza pandemic of 1968 over its 3-year span was responsible for 100,000 U.S. deaths. COVID-19 is now the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. As a result of the breathtaking speed at which the coronavirus pandemic has spread, most segments of economic activity shut down for extended periods of time, and this led to depression-era increases in unemployment.
Sustaining early learning gains requires a comprehensive and effective system of services from preschool through the school-age years. This Brief describes the role of two key elements of sustaining gains: aligned curriculum and collaborative leadership. They are part of the Child-Parent Center P-3 school reform model. Metrics for measuring and implementing each of these elements are described and their relationship to student learning gains in Chicago and Saint Paul schools.
HCRC researchers are partnering with Northwestern University on a new phase of the seminal Chicago Longitudinal Study (CLS). Since 1985, the CLS has tracked the development of a group of 1,539 individuals who grew up in urban poverty. Intervention group members attended the Child-Parent Centers (CPC) beginning in preschool and continued participation through 2nd or 3rd grade. The new phase of CLS research, which began in spring 2017, further examines the connection between CPC participation, educational attainment, and physical and mental health outcomes at age 37-39.
Pages
Spend a lunchtime hearing from and interacting with experts on varying topics related to well-being throughout the life course, policy, and social issues. Talks are free, open to the public, and are currently being hosted on Zoom.
Next Talk: Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Integrating Child-focused Healthy Weight Interventions in Healthcare and Community Settings
Associate Professor
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, U of M
Time: 12-1pm
Zoom Link:
ID: 93820592936
Passcode: TZ9280
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