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Why Early Childhood Matters for K-12 Education
On April 16, 2008, the WestEd Board of Directors' 2008 Second Annual Forum addressed one of the most pressing issues confronting our nation's policymakers — providing young children the support they need to thrive and succeed later in life. The Forum, Meeting the Needs of Young Children — The Importance of the Early Years to School Success, included leading experts on brain development, assessment and standards, social and emotional development, and school readiness. Check out the videos below.*
Welcome & Introduction
William Sparkman
Dean, College of Education (University of Nevada, Reno) & Board Chair
Dean, College of Education (University of Nevada, Reno) & Board Chair
Setting the Context & Framing the Issues
Ron Lally
Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies (WestEd)
Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies (WestEd)
Stanley Rabinowitz
Director, Assessment & Standards Development Services (WestEd)
Director, Assessment & Standards Development Services (WestEd)
Fred Tempes
Director, Comprehensive School Assistance Program (WestEd)
Director, Comprehensive School Assistance Program (WestEd)
The Impact of the Earliest Years
Barbara Bowman
Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development (Erickson Institute)
Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development (Erickson Institute)
Peter Mangione
Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies (WestEd)
Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies (WestEd)
Ross Thompson
Professor of Psychology (UC Davis)
Professor of Psychology (UC Davis)
Assessing Readiness of English-Language Learners
Edynn Sato
Director, Special Populations, Assessment & Accountability Comprehensive Center (WestEd)
Director, Special Populations, Assessment & Accountability Comprehensive Center (WestEd)
Keynote Speaker
Sharon Lynn Kagan
Virginia & Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood & Family Policy,
Co-Director of National Center for Children & Families & Associate Dean for Policy (Teachers College, Columbia University) & Professor Adjunct at Yale University's Child Study Center (Yale Univesity)
Virginia & Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood & Family Policy,
Co-Director of National Center for Children & Families & Associate Dean for Policy (Teachers College, Columbia University) & Professor Adjunct at Yale University's Child Study Center (Yale Univesity)
The Impact of Early Support in Later Years
Graciela Italiano-Thomas
President & CEO (Thrive by Five)
President & CEO (Thrive by Five)
Jill Cannon
Research Fellow (Public Policy Institute of California)
Research Fellow (Public Policy Institute of California)
Insights, Implications, & Next Steps
John Baracy
Superintendent (Scottsdale Unified School District) & Chair-Elect
Superintendent (Scottsdale Unified School District) & Chair-Elect
Ted Lempert
Professor of Psychology (UC Davis)
Professor of Psychology (UC Davis)
Stanley Rabinowitz
Director, Assessment & Standards Development Services (WestEd)
Director, Assessment & Standards Development Services (WestEd)
Fred Tempes
Director, Comprehensive School Assistance Program (WestEd)
Director, Comprehensive School Assistance Program (WestEd)
Ron Lally
Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies (WestEd)
Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies (WestEd)
*As some Forum speakers are not employees of WestEd, the views expressed in their presentations are theirs and do not necessarily represent the views of WestEd.