Early Childhood Education Yields High Returns: A 30-Year Study

– Internationally-recognized University of North Carolina scholar Frances Campbell, Ph.D., will speak to the Baton Rouge community at a free Distinguished Speaker Series session hosted by Academic Distinction Fund (ADF) on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette Street in downtown Baton Rouge.
ADF is a major collaborator among schools, businesses, and the community and acts as a catalyst for private sector leadership in advancing public education in East Baton Rouge Public School System (EBRPSS). The program check-in is from 2 to 2:30 p.m. and the presentation will be from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Pre-registration is recommended.
Dr. Frances Campbell is best known for her work with the Abecedarian Project, one of the longest running longitudinal studies in the world. The study followed 111 babies, from low-income homes, into adulthood. The research and pattern of results over 30 years provides clear, scientific understanding of how high-quality early childhood education can be an important contributor to academic achievement and social competency in adulthood. Findings from this study are frequently cited by experts and policymakers when discussing the importance of quality early childcare.
Immediately following Dr. Campbell's presentation, Dr. Craig Ramey will briefly present on the impact and results of his recent findings on Louisiana's LA4 program. Dr. Ramey is Founding Director of the Abecedarian Project and several other frequently cited early intervention programs including Project CARE and the Infant Health and Development Program. His research focuses on the study of factors affecting children’s health and the development of intelligence, social competence, and academic achievement. Over the past 40 years, he and his wife Sharon Landesman Ramey have conducted multidisciplinary longitudinal research with more than 100,000 children in more than 40 states. He currently serves as Chief Science Officer for LA4, Louisiana’s pre-K educational program.
The ADF Distinguished Speaker Series is designed to provide critical information on the latest early childhood development research and best practices. The series is the first of its kind in East Baton Rouge Parish to address issues facing infants and children, ages zero-to-five, says ADF Executive Director Martis Jones, Ph.D.
The ADF Distinguished Speaker Series is directed to East Baton Rouge Parish teachers, pre-K providers and administrators, parents and families, business leaders, education stakeholders, nonprofit organizations and public officials who ultimately impact all prekindergarten children in East Baton Rouge Parish and beyond.
The research-based presentations engage early childhood experts to address what it takes for children to be successful in kindergarten and first grade, regardless of their socio-economic and racial backgrounds.
"By targeting prekindergarten children early in life, high-quality educational experiences can build their development in the areas of cognitive, health and physical, language arts, reading and literacy, social and emotional, as well as creative arts," said Dr. Jones. "This will ensure that more students will be prepared for academic success."
Dr. Campbell says there is little question about quality early care improving the odds for low-income children. She says that what you do to enhance a child’s development when he or she is very, very young has long-term implications.
Funding for ADF Distinguished Speaker Series comes from ADF and ExxonMobil. Additional sponsors include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, the Boo Grigsby Foundation, Turner Industries, the Manship Theatre and the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center. Planning partners include Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, School Aids, Family Behavioral Health Center, Family Service of GBR, Louisiana Department of Education, Kleinpeter Farms Dairy, and Dean Laura Lindsay of the LSU College of Education, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and the EBRPSS Title I Parental Involvement Office.
Please email info@adfbr.org or call 922-4560 to register for this free community education event.

About Academic Distinction Fund
Since 1989, Academic Distinction Fund (ADF) has engaged community leadership and resources to support innovative actions that lead to academic excellence for students in East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. ADF promotes academic achievement for all students, encourages best practices in education, supports teachers in their work and professional growth, and fosters improved teaching and learning in public schools. This mission is achieved through programming focused on early childhood, private sector collaborations, and education advocacy efforts. Since 1991, ADF has awarded 1740 grants to teachers, totaling more than $2 million. Annually, thousands of students in pre-K and K-12 in East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS) benefit directly by ADF investments.
As the Baton Rouge area local education fund, ADF advances strong public school education, particularly when it comes to giving children a “strong start.”