Jumpstart at UMass Boston

Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. Our proven curriculum helps children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late

Findings from the Nevada Business Summit on Early Childhood Investment

On February 10, 2010, a partnership of the United Way of Southern Nevada, the UNLV Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy, the Agassi Foundation for Education and the State of Nevada Head Start State Collaboration Office, with support from The Lincy Foundation, hosted the Nevada Business Summit on Early Childhood Investment. The summit met to discuss effective ways to invest in early childhood education and health, in hopes of creating solutions that would provide long term human capital development through early intervention. The summit tied issues of employment opportunities, job readiness and economic trends with the need to invest in early childhood programs to enhance Nevada\u27s growth and competitiveness in the United States and global economy. During the summit, members of the business and early childhood community heard from three guest speakers which highlighted the connection between business and early childhood development. First, Dr. Pat Levitt discussed toxic stress and its impact on learning and health, followed by Dr. Art Rolnick who presented on early childhood development and public return on investment, and ended with Dr. Robert Dugger who put forth the call to action

Health Status of Children Entering Kindergarten: Results of the 2012-2013 (Year Five) Nevada Kindergarten Health Survey

Academic achievement for children is vital to their success in life. Those that do well in school have greater opportunities for post-secondary education, and later have better prospects for employment. One of the major factors that can affect a child’s academic achievement is his or her health status. Academic outcomes and health conditions are consistently linked in the literature (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Children with poor health status, and especially those with common chronic health conditions, have increased numbers of school absences and more academic deficiencies (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). In a study concerning excused versus unexcused absences, children with greater absenteeism had lower academic performance, and those with excused absences performed better than those with unexcused absences (Gottfried, 2009). Therefore, to increase the likelihood for academic success in children, we need address their health concerns. Preventative care is crucial to a child’s ability to succeed in school.According to data from the KIDS COUNT Data Center at the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2009), 11 percent of Nevada’s teens are high school dropouts, compared to 7 percent nationally. The national dropout prevention center lists poor attendance and low achievement as two of the significant risk factors for school dropout (Hammond et al., 2007). Additionally studies examining school dropout rates indicate that early intervention is necessary to prevent students from dropping out of school. Middle and high school students that drop out likely stopped being engaged in school much earlier in their academic career. Therefore, early prevention and intervention is crucial to improving graduation rates. Ensuring that children have their basic needs met, including receiving adequate health care, can directly impact a child’s academic achievement as well as increase their likelihood for high school graduation.To gain baseline information on the health status of children entering the school system and better track student health status, the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP), in partnership with the state’s 17 school districts, the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), and the Nevada State Health Division (NSHD), conducted a health survey examining the health status as well health insurance status of Nevada’s children entering kindergarten. This study was conducted with the goal of quantifying the health status of children as they enter school to be able to identify specific areas for improvement to eventually increase academic success among Nevada’s students

Health Status of Children Entering Kindergarten: Results of the 2009-2010 (Year Two) Nevada Kindergarten Health Survey

Academic achievement for children is vital to their success in life. Those that do well in school have greater opportunities for post-secondary education, and later have better prospects for employment. One of the major factors that can affect a child’s academic achievement is his or her health status. Academic outcomes and health conditions are consistently linked in the literature (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). Children with poor health status, and especially those with common chronic health conditions, have increased numbers of school absences and more academic deficiencies (Taras & Potts-Datema, 2005). In a study concerning excused versus unexcused absences, children with greater absenteeism had lower academic performance, and those with excused absences performed better than those with unexcused absences (Gottfried, 2009). Therefore, to increase the likelihood for academic success in children, we need address their health concerns. Preventative care is crucial to a child’s ability to succeed in school.According to data from the KIDS COUNT Data Center at the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2009), 11 percent of Nevada’s teens are high school dropouts, compared to 7 percent nationally. The national dropout prevention center lists poor attendance and low achievement as two of the significant risk factors for school dropout (Hammond et al., 2007). Additionally studies examining school dropout rates indicate that early intervention is necessary to prevent students from dropping out of school. Middle and high school students that drop out likely stopped being engaged in school much earlier in their academic career. Therefore, early prevention and intervention is crucial to improving graduation rates. Ensuring that children have their basic needs met, including receiving adequate health care, can directly impact a child’s academic achievement as well as increase their likelihood for high school graduation.To gain baseline information on the health status of children entering the school system and better track student health status, the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy (NICRP), in partnership with the state’s 17 school districts, the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), and the Nevada State Health Division (NSHD), conducted a health survey examining the health status as well health insurance status of Nevada’s children entering kindergarten. This study was conducted with the goal of quantifying the health status of children as they enter school to be able to identify specific areas for improvement to eventually increase academic success among Nevada’s students

Gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: The United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China

The current study investigates gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Directly assessed individual behavioral regulation (Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders, HTKS), teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation (Child Behavior Rating Scale, CBRS) and a battery of school readiness assessments (mathematics, vocabulary, and early literacy) were used with 814 young children (ages 3–6 years). Results showed that girls in the United States had significantly higher individual behavioral regulation than boys, but there were no significant gender differences in any Asian societies. In contrast, teachers in Taiwan, South Korea, as well as the United States rated girls as significantly higher than boys on classroom behavioral regulation. In addition, for both genders, individual and classroom behavioral regulation were related to many aspects of school readiness in all societies for girls and boys. Universal and culturally specific findings and their implications are discussed