LINC Workshop: Leadership and the Learning Continuum Early Childhood Breakout Session Joyce Weiner – Ounce of P

1. LINC Workshop: Leadership and the Learning Continuum Early Childhood Breakout Session Joyce Weiner – Ounce of Prevention Fund Robin Miller Young – Indian Prairie School District # 204

2. The Early Years Matter: Children Learn How To Learn Key ingredients of successful, life-long learners: Confidence Self-Control Curiosity Self-reliance Persistence Ability to Communicate Cooperativeness

3. Variables That Put Children At-Risk For Poor Developmental Or Academic Outcomes :  Low socio-economic status  Parent’s education level, employment, income, age  Adverse health circumstances  Limited English proficiency  Social conditions

4. Early Experiences Affect the Architecture of the Developing Brain Healthy Development Development Affected by Environmental Stress Nurturing, active, and challenging experiences: • Thicken the cortex of an infant’s brain • Develop more extensive and sophisticated neuron structures • Create the neurological foundations that support lifelong learning

5. Professional parents • Working class parents • Welfare parents

6. Cycle of Promise

7. High-quality early learning opportunities provide a higher economic rate of return than later interventions such as: Reduced pupil-teacher ratios Tuition subsidies  Adult literacy programs  Public job training  Criminal rehabilitation programs  Expenditures on police James J. Heckman, PhD – Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, 2000 University of Chicago

8. Children with access to high-quality early education:  Have stronger academic skills  Are more likely to stay in school & graduate  Are less likely to repeat grades  Are less likely to need special education remediation  Are less likely to be arrested  Have higher earnings as adults

9. As Educational Leaders, Principals: • Foster collaborative relationships • With families • Among staff • Horizontally and vertically

10. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.“ --JQ Adams

11. Who is involved in these collaborative relationships? Children . . . Parents and Families . . . Staff members . . .

12. Children . . . • Common Educational Needs • 1. Ambitious early learning standards. • 2. Rich and stimulating environments. • Adults who intentionally engage children in self- initiated and teacher-directed activities. • Unique Instructional Needs • 1. Boys and girls. • 2. Learning rate; cognitive and problem-solving skills. • 3. English Language Proficiency. • 4. Background knowledge; opportunities to practice .

14. Parents and Families . . . • Common Expectations and Desires • 1. First schooling experience . . . child  student. • 2. Safe and nurturing environment. • Monitor progress and prepare for kindergarten, and beyond. • Unique Goals and Dreams • 1. Unique cultural expectations.; self-help skills. • 2. Families of “Entitled” children (grants, federal $s). • 3. Families who are paying for a service.

16. Staff Members . . . • Common Characteristics • Women . . . nurturers. • Passion for working with young children and their families. • Unique Qualities • Training, certification, qualifications, etc. • Philosophical orientation to children’s development. • Typically, not “systems” thinkers. • 4. Educators and therapists.

18. "The best principal is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what she wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." -Theodore Roosevelt (with apologies!)