Agenda - 09-01-2015 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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13 1 really provide adequate evidence I'd love for the Kick Start program to work but it is a brief 2 intervention that starts long after the children have experienced years of deficits of exposure to 3 spoken words. As such, I think it is really important to look for evidence. 4 5 Colleen Bridger's response: 6 The curriculum we are proposing using is called Second Step, and is a classroom-based 7 social skills program that focuses on teaching young children to identify and understand 8 their own and others' emotions, reduce impulsiveness and choose positive goals, and 9 manage their emotional reactions and decision making process. SAMHSA estimates that 10 approximately 32,000 schools across the US have implemented Second Step since the 11 program started in 1987. Selection of this type of kindergarten readiness intervention vs. an 12 "academic model" is also consistent with emerging research showing that children enrolled 13 in academic-based programs actually fare worse over the long-term than children who focus 14 on social and emotional issues. So, we have research that supports the effectiveness of 15 this specific curriculum and this approach. 16 17 There is nation-wide data to support the concept of intensive kindergarten-readiness as an 18 effective intervention. Similar programs based on the model of a "kick-start" program are 19 being implemented across the US. Locally, the Duke Office of Durham & Regional Affairs 20 has implemented a kindergarten readiness program using the Second Step curriculum 21 since 2008. They currently work with three sites in Durham, including EDCI's target 22 elementary school (Y.E. Smith Elementary). 23 24 Question: Coordinated support: any gold standard (control group) evidence on this piece? If 25 not, will there be control group research on it? How does this intervention compare with the 26 activities of whatever Smart Start/More at Four is now called? 27 28 Colleen Bridger's response: 29 As far as evaluation of the Family Success Alliance's work: 30 o Specific to the Kindergarten readiness, each site will conduct a pre and post 31 kindergarten readiness assessment with children in the intervention. This will allow us to 32 assess immediate changes. In addition, the school systems are implementing a 33 phased-in universal kindergarten readiness assessment starting this fall. So, we will 34 compare kindergarten readiness scores on this assessment tool between our 35 participants and those who did not participate (controlling for things like income and 36 parental education status). 37 o In addition, our control group for the Family Success Alliance pipeline in general will be 38 kids outside the two zones. So, for example after a literacy intervention, we'll be able to 39 compare 3 d grade reading scores of children in the zone against children not in the 40 zone. The challenge will be the fact that we'll be slowing filling the gaps in our pipeline 41 so it will take some time to really see the outcomes most important to us. 42 43 We have asked the United Way to fund a full-time evaluation coordinator and some shared 44 data-base development. Hopefully they will fund this request. If not, we'll figure something 45 else out. We can't do this project if we can't evaluate it. It won't always be the absolute 46 gold standard evaluation that I'd love, but I really think we can do a great job with some 47 elbow grease and ingenuity. 48 Commissioner Burroughs said she hoped the United Way would support this initiative; 49 and if not, she believed Orange County should fund, and support this full-time evaluation 50 coordinator.