TRENDS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT- The Future of Australia
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Our Children
Our Communities
Our Future
TRENDS
IN CHILD
DEVELOPMENT
– The Future
of Australia
Australian Early
Development
Census National
Conference
15th - 19th March 2021
PROGRAM
www.aedcconference.com.au
2021 AEDC
National
Conference:
Trends in Child Development –
The Future of Australia
We have created an opportunity for us all to
come together as a community, take time to
reflect on what we have learned, the challenges
The Program
we have faced, and what we have managed to
achieve. Now more than ever, the 2021 AEDC The Program for the 2021 conference is a
National Conference provides us with a forum dynamic and varied program that will be
to share how we adapt, adjust, and evolve our delivered in short sessions over the course
services and policies to support children, families of the week. Sessions will begin with a
and their communities. keynote presentation followed by live Q&A.
Following the keynote, delegates will break
The AEDC is our national measure of early into streams to learn more about how
child development, shining a spotlight on the policies and practices are being shaped by
importance of the early years. AEDC National data. 3 Minute Rapid sessions will provide
Conferences bring together educators, opportunities to learn about new ideas
practitioners, policy makers and researchers to and approaches being trialled in different
share how the data has been used to advance settings around the country and the globe.
our knowledge and shape our practices.
Program times are listed in AEDT. To convert
As we approach our fifth, and perhaps most program times to your timezone, CLICK HERE
crucial collection to date, we invite you to join
us to reflect on what we have learned from four
national collections and how those lessons can
shape our responses to current challenges.
Over the past decade we have seen patterns
of consistent improvement in some areas of
child development, no change in others, and in
some cases increasing vulnerability. The 2021
AEDC National Conference invites us to think
about what is driving those trends, what we have
learned from interrogating the data, and how
the data has shaped what we do to ensure all
children in Australia have opportunities to grow,
learn and thrive. HOSTED BY
Join us online from the 15th - 19th March 2021
PROGRAM
AEDC National Conference 2021 Program
MONDAY 15 MARCH 2021
1030 – 1100 Please join us for our first networking session at the conference.
1100 - 1230 OPENING PLENARY SESSION
1100 – 1130 Opening Address & Welcome to Country
1130 – 1230 Keynote Presentation - Population data for shaping education policy
Luis Crouch, Senior Economist, International Development Group RTI
1230 – 1300 Networking Session to catch up with peers and colleagues to share your thoughts on the morning
and what the following days will bring.
TUESDAY 16 MARCH 2021
1145 – 1200 Join for some networking with fellow delegates before the keynote presentation
1200 – 1300 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Keynote Panel - Reflecting on improvements in the AEDC in light of changes to the Western
Australian service system over time
Dr Rosemary Cahill, Chief Investigator, Telethon Kids Institute
Terri Barrett, Executive Director of Nursing and Executive Lead for Child and Adolescent
Services Community Health Executive
Colin Pettit, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA
David Zarb, CEO, Playgroup WA
1300 – 1400 CONCURRENT SESSION ONE
Community Education Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1300 – 1330 Determined that no Bays Cluster Health Child Health Pop-Up Key Data Challenges
child in Parkes Shire and Wellbeing Hub: Clinics for Place-Based
would be an invisible Creating an integrated Prevention and
child, Project Sprouts model of service within Implementation in
was formed as a new a Queensland primary Australia
community-led model school
to address children’s
developmental health
in rural NSW
Mrs Sherree Rosser Skye Frazer-Ryan Soulmaz Rostami A/Prof Geoffrey
Woolcock
Project Sprouts Children’s Health Children’s Health
Queensland Hospital & Queensland Logan Child-Friendly
Health Service Community Ltd
Kathleen Webb
Hercules Road State
School
Community Education Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1330 – 1400 Connect 4 Children Exploring how schools Supporting families Key Data Challenges
Strategy can influence children’s experiencing significant for Place-Based
academic achievement vulnerability and/or Prevention and
trajectories through disadvantage access Implementation in
planning and programs early childhood Australia (Continued)
in the early years education for their pre-
school aged children
John Fry Ashleigh Collier Johanne Gow A/Prof Geoffrey
Woolcock
Connect 4 Children, College of Medicine & Department of Logan Child-Friendly
Department of Public Health, Flinders Communities and Community Ltd
Education Queensland University Justice, NSW
Melissa Kidd
Department of
Education Toowoomba
PROGRAM
AEDC National Conference 2021 Program
1400 – 1430 3 MINUTE RAPID PRESENTATIONS
1400 – 1430 The Waverly Community Skills 4 Kids Café
Paint the Inner West REaD Community wellbeing and engagement to improve a child’s first 1000
days of life through attachment, literacy, learning and school engagement in areas of significant
childhood developmental vulnerabilities. Using AEDC data, collective impact models and results-
based assessment methodologies in community development
Look Who’s Talking: an interactive guide for parents to facilitate their child’s language
development
Healthy Kids – Bringing early childhood education and care communities together to improve the
health of our Queensland kids
Sing&Grow: Skills for School- Supporting Early Childhood Educators’ use of Music to Develop
Children’s School-Readiness
Effective approaches for removing barriers for children to access early learning in the year before
Kindergarten
PROGRAM BREAK
1630 - 1730 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Keynote Panel - Bringing together Queensland Health and Education to support children and
families across Queensland
Dr Grant Webb, Assistant Director-General, Early Learning and Development Branch, Early
Childhood and Education Improvement, Department Of Education Queensland
Adjunct Professor Frank Tracey, Health Service Chief Executive, Children’s Health
Queensland Hospital and Health Service
1730 – 1745 Networking Session to mingle, meet and chat, with presenters and other delegates
WEDNESDAY 17 MARCH 2021
1200 – 1215 Networking Session
1215 – 1315 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Keynote Presentation - Systemic reform to reduce inequalities in children’s outcomes in socio-
economically deprived communities
Michael McAfee, President And CEO, Policylink
1315 – 1415 CONCURRENT SESSION TWO
Community Education Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1315 – 1345 Grassroots and Grass A School with no Using research The 2020 Tasmanian
Tops: How a Shared “Teachers” – Blair evidence to inform Kindergarten
Data Set Can Promote Athol North practice in early Development Check
Change childhood education results, and what it
related to the five might mean for the
areas of development 2021 AEDC results
measured by the AEDC
Rebecca Halperin Shaun Harris Danielle Toon Michael Dempsey
& Jaclyn Vasquez,
Blair Athol North Evidence for Learning Tasmanian Department
Anisha Grimmett,
B-7 School Children’s of Education
Elizabeth
Centre, Blair Athol, Dr Sandra Cheesman
Richardson
Australia
C&K (The Creche
Erikson Institute,
and Kindergarden
Chicago
Association)
Community Education Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1345 – 1415 Enhancing Children’s The Thriving and On Queensland’s Risk factors at
Well Being through Track Program: A Early Childhood birth and later
Relationships in Place Collaborative, Place Development Core developmental risk of
Based Initiative Story mental disorders
Responding to
High Levels of
Developmental
Vulnerability
Susan Cary Frances Bugden Madeline Hagon Felicity Harris
Department of Brisbane South PHN Queensland School of Psychiatry,
Education, Queensland Department of University of New
South East Region Education South Wales
1415 – 1445 3 MINUTE RAPID PRESENTATIONS
Early Physical Development: Its fundamental importance to later academic success
The Basics Channel
A Profile of School Readiness in South Australia: Perceptions of Preschool Directors
AEDC informing policy development, implementation and evaluation
PROGRAM
AEDC National Conference 2021 Program
PROGRAM BREAK
1645 – 1745 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Keynote Presentation - Improving conditions for children, families and communities in Australia
Commissioner April Lawrie, Aboriginal Children and Young People, South Australia
1745 – 1845 CONCURRENT SESSION TWO
Community Education Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1745 – 1815 The implementation Ready, Set, Prep! Enabling Aboriginal Preschool Aged
of an integrated family a collaborative and Torres Strait Children’s Accounts of
and community hub on approach to support Islander children to their Own Wellbeing:
the grounds of a new school readiness and thrive in their early How do Current
primary school in the early life outcomes years Child Wellbeing
greenfield community by increasing Assessments Accord
of Yarrabilba family engagement, with Young Children’s
implementing targeted Perspectives?
interventions for the
most vulnerable and
streamlining early years
health and education
systems in northern
Melbourne.
Andrew Resetti Kat Thorn Andria Mastroianni Dr Jennifer Fane
& Sue-Anne Hunter
Children’s Health Merri Health Capilano University,
Queensland SNAICC – National British Columbia
Voice for our Children
Education
Community Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1815 – 1845 Using the AEDC to Tiny Tots Talking in Children’s Ground: Early life predictors
Drive Community Doonside – A Model of Backing Aboriginal of suspensions from
Action: Loddon, Effective Place-Based people to lead the way primary school: a
Victoria Service Integration in systems and service longitudinal multi-
reform agency record-linkage
study
Catherine Nolan & Cathrine Nielsen- Jen Lorains & A/Prof Kristin
Jane Hosking Hewett Felicity Hayes Laurens
Department of University of Children’s Ground, Queensland University
Education and Training, Woolongong Alice Springs of Technology
Victoria
Dr Michael Fasher
Wentwest Blacktown
Eva Litherland
Child and Family Health
WSLHD
1845 – 1915 Networking Session to share your thoughts and learn with/from the other delegates
THURSDAY 18 MARCH 2021
1200 – 1215 Networking Session
1215-1315 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Keynote Presentation - Empowering communities to create sustainable change
William Tilmouth, Chairperson, Children’s Ground
1315 – 1445 CONCURRENT SESSION ONE
Education
Community Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1315 – 1345 Compounding No one gets left Child development Child protection
impacts of Bushfire behind: Managing early and student wellbeing: profiles for children
on Developmental learning equity and A six-year follow up with special health care
Vulnerability in COVID-19 study using 2009 needs: A population
Rural and Remote AEDC data record linkage study
Communities:
Intervening to change
trajectories
Sarah Eagland & Myra Geddes & Dr Tess Gregory Gabrielle Hindmarsh
Jacqui Emery Dr Kate Liley
Telethon Kids Institute School of Psychiatry,
Royal Far West, NSW Goodstart Early University of New
Learning, Queensland South Wales
Dr Sarah Verdon
Charles Sturt University
Education
Community Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1345 – 1415 Improving educational Twelve Books for Trauma informed Jurisdictional change
outcomes in a Twelve Months: practice in education: over time in the AEDC
disadvantaged Enhancing the a South Australian
community: using language and pre- example of how AEDC
AEDC as a reference literacy teaching skills data is being used
point for cross-sector of Early Childhood to inform wellbeing
collaboration Educators using a initiatives and track
multifaceted resource outcomes in schools
Liz Chapman OAM Jessica Anton Tania Plueckhahn, Prof Sally Brinkman
Lizzie Button &
Tomorrow Today South Western Sydney Telethon Kids Institute
Dr Yasmin
Foundation, Victoria Local Health District
Harman Smith
(SWSLHD) Speech
Pathology Department Telethon Kids Institute
1415 – 1445 3 MINUTE RAPID PRESENTATIONS
Supporting Vulnerable Families & Communities to Achieve Better Developmental Outcomes for
Their Children
Regional distribution of mental health risk at age 5 years in an Australian population sample.
Siblings of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities: Exploring dynamic networks of risk and
resilience to enable early identification, intervention, translation, and implementation of sustainable
scalable change.
Thriving Qld Kids Partnership: enabling systems leadership for child wellbeing
Integrating early childhood services: determining definitions and factors for success
PROGRAM
AEDC National Conference 2021 Program
PROGRAM BREAK
1845-1945 KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Keynote Presentation - Shaping early years education policy for our future generations
Dr Georgie Nutton, Senior Lecturer in Education & Course Manager, Bachelor of Education Early
Childhood Teaching, Charles Darwin University
1945 – 2045 CONCURRENT SESSION TWO
Education
Community Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
1945 – 2015 Using AEDC data as Improving Child Stronger Starts Children’s
the foundation for Development Brighter Futures – neighbourhood
collective action in Outcomes by Exploring trends in the physical environment
improving children’s Connecting Early early development of and early development:
oral language and Learning and Care children from culturally an individual child level
emotional maturity Services and Schools and linguistically linked data study
before school diverse backgrounds in
Australia
Rebekah Pick Anne Nilsen Ngala Dr Tadgh McMahon Assoc/Prof Hayley
and Nicole Hunt Christian
Mission Australia, Settlement Services
Queensland Connecting International Telethon Kids Institute
Community for Kids
Alanna Sincovich
Christine Bewetz
Telethon Kids Institute
Leda Primary School
Education
Community Government / Policy Research
(ECEC and schools)
2015 – 2045 Does Paint the Town Oral Language Lead indicators to At What Age Does the
REaD Help Turn the Development: The drive ECD systems Word Gap Emerge?
Curve? Foundation of Later Findings from the
Literacy Success and Language in Little
Social Emotional Well- Ones Study
Being
Barbie Bates Sharlene Samuel- Prof Sharon Goldfeld Mary Brushe
May
Paint the Town Read Murdoch Children’s Telethon Kids Institute
Ltd Trumpet Early Years Research Institute
Consultancy, WA
2045 – 2115 Networking Session
FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2021
1200 – 1215 Networking Session with other delegates
1215 – 1300 CONFERENCE REFLECTIONS
Conference Reflections
Prof Sally Brinkman, Head, Child Health, Development and Education, and Director of the Fraser
Mustard Centre, Telethon Kids Institute
Prof Sharon Goldfeld, Director of the Population Health Theme (Murdoch Children’s Research
Institute) and Director of the Centre for Community Child Health (Royal Children’s Hospital)
1300 - 1430 KEYNOTE & CLOSING PRESENTATIONS
1300 – 1400 Keynote Presentation - What shifts it will take today to create better futures for our children
Jay Weatherill, Chief Executive, Thrive By Five Initiative, Minderoo Foundation
1400 – 1430 Conference CloseKEYNOTE SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERSKEYNOTE SPEAKERS
NATIONAL SPEAKERS
Commissioner April Lawrie
Position: Commissioner
Company: Aboriginal Children and Young People, South Australia
Biography
In October 2018, April Lawrie was appointed the inaugural Commissioner for
Aboriginal Children and Young People in South Australia.
Commissioner Lawrie’s role is to promote the rights of Aboriginal children and
young people and to address systemic issues to improve their safety and wellbeing,
particularly in the areas of health, education, youth justice and child protection.
Commissioner Lawrie is a proud Aboriginal woman and heralds from the Mirning and
Kokatha people from the Far West Coast of South Australia.
Commissioner Lawrie holds a Social Work Degree which led her to a range of
Executive Leadership roles in South Australian Government Agencies including four
years as the Aboriginal Justice Director in the Attorney General’s Department, ten
years as SA Health Aboriginal Health Branch Director and two and a half years as
Director of Aboriginal Education.
Over the last 30 years, Commissioner Lawrie has contributed to the formation of policy at the State and National level,
and excellence in service innovation and community development with regard to Aboriginal health, education, child and
family services, foster care services, justice services, across the metropolitan and regional areas, including rural/remote.
Commissioner Lawrie strongly believes that we need to bring the voices of Aboriginal children and young people and their
communities into how we are designing and delivering health, education, justice and child protection culturally informed
services so that Aboriginal children and young people can flourish. The Commissioner believes that to improve services
and outcomes, we need to recognise the solutions coming from our Aboriginal communities and families and act upon
them in a meaningful way.
April lives in Adelaide, and is married and has 3 sons.
Dr Georgina Nutton
Position: Senior Lecturer in Education & Course Manager, Bachelor of Education Early Childhood Teaching
Company: Charles Darwin University
Biography
Georgie has enjoyed over 30 years of classroom practice, program management,
policy development and research in education. Most of this time has been
focused on early childhood education and care and school system improvement
including Territory and national government reforms. She has worked with national
and international evidence-based interventions across health, child protection,
community services and education disciplines to support compelling change
agendas. Georgie now works in the initial teacher education program at Charles
Darwin University and enjoys the privilege of working with community and
organisation lead research projects.
Georgie is committed to supporting educators in the NT becoming the best they
can be through professional learning, collective approaches and continuous quality
improvements, and understanding the value of professionalism. An important
aspect of achieving this is to bring understanding for participants and rigor to the
application of big and small data whilst contributing to the practice and research
evidence base.KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
William Tilmouth
Position: Chairperson
Company: Children’s Ground
Biography
William Tilmouth was born in Alice Springs and is of Arrernte descent. A member
of the stolen generations, William was taken to Croker Island where he lived and
attended school with many other children sent there as a result of the Government
policy of that era. In 1967 he was moved off the mission to Darwin, and in 1969, he
returned to Alice Springs. William has worked in various Government and Aboriginal
organisations and was elected the Central Australian ATSIC Regional Chair in the
1980s. From 1988 to 2010 he was the Executive Director of Tangentyere Council.
In 2011 William co-founded Children’s Ground, a national not-for-profit working
with First Nations communities, experiencing extreme disadvantage and inequity, to
create a completely different future for the next generation of children. William is the
founding Chair of Children’s Ground. He believes that Aboriginal children, families
and communities should have every opportunity to be empowered, and to own and
control the decisions that affect them.
Jay Weatherill
Position: Chief Executive, Thrive by Five initiative
Company: Minderoo Foundation
Biography
Jay Weatherill joined Minderoo Foundation in early 2020 as the Chief Executive of its
Thrive by Five initiative. Jay previously served as the 45th Premier of South Australia,
leading a Labor state government from October 2011 to March 2018. Jay is currently
an Ambassador for the international children’s education organisation Reggio Emilia,
and sits on a research project for the Australian Research Alliance for Children and
Youth. Prior to his political career, Jay set up a law firm specialising in employment
law. He holds Law and Economics degrees from the University of Adelaide and has
recently been appointed as Industry Professor at the University of South Australia.
Jay now calls Perth, Western Australia, home with his wife Melissa and two kids
Lucinda and Alice.KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT PRESENTATION
Adjunct Professor Frank Tracey
Position: Health Service Chief Executive
Company: Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service
Biography
Frank Tracey is the Health Service Chief Executive at Children’s Health Queensland
Hospital and Health Service (CHQ HHS). He has 40 years’ experience working in
health systems which includes executive roles in large health organisations and
the Non-Government sector. He has a clinical background in nursing and holds
advanced qualifications in health management and governance. His extensive
experience in health commissioning and provision in clinical and community settings
is complemented by strong executive management and leadership skills. Frank has
an applied interest in population health planning and translational health research.
While working in both government and non-government roles he has focused on
delivering sustainable health strategies that serve the best interests of patients,
health professionals, the broader health system and the community.
Dr Grant Webb
Position: Assistant Director-General
Company: Early Learning and Development Branch, Early Childhood and Education Improvement, Department of
Education QLD
Biography
Over the past 35 years, Grant has undertaken teaching and leadership roles across
a variety of educational contexts, both nationally and internationally. He has had
extensive experience working in both primary and secondary schools as well as in
the tertiary sector. While working for the Queensland Department of Education, Grant
has been a classroom teacher, Learning Support Teacher, Educational Consultant,
Principal, Director and Executive Director. He is currently the Assistant Director General
(Early Learning and Development) in the Early Childhood and Education Improvement
Division. Across his extensive career, Grant has been involved in numerous national
and state education committees and has worked on many and varied educational
projects and programs.KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
WESTERN AUSTRALIA PRESENTATION
Terri Barnett
Position: Executive Director
Company: Child and Adolescent Services Community Health
Biography
Terri Barrett is currently in the role of Executive Director of Nursing and Executive
Lead for Child and Adolescent Services Community Health, joining the Service in
2018. She has been a nurse and midwife for more than 30 years working in both the
public and private sector across metropolitan and rural Western Australia.
Having completed hospital based training nursing and midwifery training Terri worked
as a clinician and education facilitator before moving into management roles. Terri
is an experienced executive, having undertaken a number of leadership roles in
secondary and tertiary services, primarily in the areas of nursing and midwifery and
safety and quality, over the past 15 years.
These senior positions, including acting in the role of Chief Nursing and Midwifery
Officer for WA Health, have given her an in depth understanding of the professional
issues and challenges facing nurses and midwives in all practice settings. She has a
commitment to improving outcomes for all families, especially those who are more
likely to experience challenges in accessing services.
Dr Rosemary Cahill
Position: Chief Investigator
Company: Telethon Kids Institute
Biography
Dr Rosemary Cahill works for Telethon Kids Institute as Chief Investigator on an
evaluation of the Early Years Initiative – a landmark ten-year partnership between
the WA State Government and the Minderoo Foundation. Until recently, she was
the Director of Early Childhood Education, Literacy and Numeracy within WA’s
Department of Education. Rosemary has taught, shaped policy and led system-
level projects for the WA public school system since the 1980s, most recently:
implementation of the Universal Access National Partnership; the National Quality
Standard in WA schools; Child and Parent Centres; and KindiLink.KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Colin Pettit
Position: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA
Biography
Colin has spent his career working to improve the wellbeing of children and young
people, particularly in delivering education services and programs to children and
young people living in regional and remote areas of the State.
Colin has worked with children, young people, families and communities all over the
State as a teacher and then principal in a number of regional schools, before holding
the role of Executive Director Regional and Remote Education at the Western Aus-
tralian Department of Education for three years.
Between 2010 and 2015, Colin was the Secretary of Education for the Tasmanian
Department of Education. He is a former President of the Primary Principal’s Associ-
ation of WA and Deputy President of the Australian Primary Principal’s Association.
Colin is an Ambassador for Barking Gecko Theatre and the Valuing Children Initia-
tive, the Vice-Chancellor of the Children’s University WA Partnership and in Febru-
ary 2019 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Edith Cowan
University. He is a father of three and a grandfather of three.
David Zarb
Position: CEO
Company: Playgroup WA
Biography
David Zarb has been the CEO of Playgroup WA since 2008. He has been actively
involved in promotion and use of the AEDC by local communities since 2005 through
his involvement in the first National pilot whilst Managing the Kwinana Communities
for Children site. David was a long- term member of the WA AEDC Coordinating
Committee and has been on numerous not for profit Boards including roles as the
founding Deputy Chairperson of Nature Play WA, Family Partnership Training WA and
ECA WA. David was also a long- term member of the National Early Years Chapter
of ARACY. A social worker with many years of experience in child protection and
family support, David has worked exclusively in early childhood roles since 2005 and
is a passionate believer in the power of local communities to shape outcomes for
children.KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS
Luis Crouch
Position: Senior Economist
Company: International Development Group RTI
Biography
Luis Crouch (PhD Berkeley) is a Senior Economist at RTI’s International
Development Group. He has been an advisor to governments on complex education
systems changes working in and on countries as varied as South Africa, Egypt,
Peru, Indonesia, Uganda, and many others. He is on the boards of directors of
several NGOs and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. He specializes in education
policy, decentralized finance (e.g., funding formulas), political economy of reform,
education statistics, planning, and projections. He has experience in all key areas of
policy analysis, from the generation of primary data, to statistical and econometric
analysis, to Cabinet-level policy dialogue. He has previously worked at the World
Bank and at the Global Partnership for Education. In the last few years, he has
become interested in early grade reading and Early Childhood Development, as the
key entry-points to improve education systems’ response to the quality imperative
in the Sustainable Development Goal for Education. He is the author of many
reports, technical papers including papers in refereed journals, and contributed to
various technical books. Lately he has authored a series of five papers dealing with
the measurement of, and issues related to, pre-primary education with a focus on
developing economies.
Michael McAfee
Position: President and CEO
Company: PolicyLink
Biography
Dr. Michael McAfee became President and CEO of PolicyLink in 2018, seven years
after becoming the inaugural director of the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at
PolicyLink. During his time at PolicyLink, Michael has played a leadership role in
securing Promise Neighborhoods as a permanent federal program, led efforts to
improve outcomes for more than 300,000 children, and facilitated the investment
of billions of dollars in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. He is the catalyst
for a new and growing body of work — corporate racial equity — which includes
the first comprehensive tool to guide private-sector companies in assessing and
actively promoting equity in every aspect of their company’s value chain. Michael
carries forward the legacy to realize the promise of equity — just and fair inclusion
into a society in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. He
is a sought-after speaker on community and economic development, leadership,
organizational development, racial equity, and youth development. His articles have
appeared in Academic Pediatrics, Cascade, published by the Federal Reserve
Bank of Philadelphia; Community Development Innovation Review, published by the
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; Harvard Education Press, New York Times,
Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Voices in Urban Education,published by the
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
ABSTRACTSABSTRACTS Twelve Books for Twelve Months: Enhancing the language and pre-literacy teaching skills of Early Childhood Educators using a multifaceted resource Miss Jessica Anton1, Jennie Cusiter1, Ellen McKeown1, Jenny Jesson2, Christine Skinner2, Sarina Leotta3, Debbie Winardi4, Cody Gordon5, Andrea Giunta6, Pio Macri7 1 South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) Speech Pathology Department, Liverpool, Australia, 2SWS Links to Early Learning, Uniting Burnside, Campbelltown, Australia, 3Facilitation Project: Fairfield, Liverpool, Bankstown, Canley Vale, Australia, 4Mission Australia - Miller Pathways (‘2168’ Communities for Children), Miller, Australia, 5Liverpool City Council, Liverpool, Australia, 6Ashcroft Schools as Community Centres Program, Ashcroft, Australia, 7Western Sydney Multicultural Resource Centre (MRC), Liverpool, Australia Introduction Children from low socioeconomic areas are known to be at higher risk for literacy failure at school. The development of complex oral language and early pre-literacy skills in preschool years is foundational for literacy learning. According to the 2018 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), children in the Liverpool area were more developmentally vulnerable overall (23.5%) and in the areas of communication (10.7%) and language (6.9%) than the NSW state averages (19.9%, 8.0%, and 5.2% respectively). Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services have a large role in closing this gap and ensuring children consolidate their language and communication skills. However, high variability in the teaching program and quality of ECEC services exists. Method The Liverpool AEDC working group developed a professional development resource to enhance the teaching practices of early educators in ECEC services. The resource contained language and pre-literacy teaching techniques, practical activities, and instructional videos, referencing the Early Years Learning Framework. The targets included vocabulary, print concepts, and phonological awareness. The pilot project recruited 25 ECEC services from the Liverpool area who were: rated as “meeting” or “working towards” on the National Quality Standards (NQS) and, located in a geographical area of significant socioeconomic disadvantage according to their locations Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) ranking. The program was rolled out over 18-months, with an initial evaluation after the first two resources and a final educator experience and outcome survey at the conclusion of the program. Results Most educators reported changing their teaching and book reading practices because of the resource. Specifically, 100% of educators reported they learnt new vocabulary, language and play extension teaching techniques, 93% reported enhanced phonological awareness teaching practices, and 79% reported acquiring new skills to teach abstract thinking and print concepts. Conclusion Implications and future directions of this pilot study will be discussed. Does Paint the Town REaD Help Turn the Curve? Ms Barbie Bates1 1 Paint The Town Read Ltd, Lapstone, Australia Introduction Paint the Town REaD (PTTR), is a low cost, collective impact, assets based community development movement, using the Results Based Accountability (RBA) Framework to evaluate whether PTTR local communities make a difference in preparing children for learning at school. RBA will only ever tell us that we have helped to contribute to ‘turning the curve’. It is not designed to give a 1:1 attribution. The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is used as a population measure for baseline, review and planning. Currently, there are over 80 communities across Australia in remote, rural, regional and urban settings . But have we helped to turn the curve? Method The 2018 AEDC Data for children having one developmental vulnerability, and specifically the language domain, was reviewed in the thirteen PTTR communities, which had been fully operational for five years prior to 2018, along with 13 ‘control’ communities, of similar type, sharing a common geographic border, which did not have a PTTR presence.
ABSTRACTS Results In the one developmental vulnerability data, 62% (8) of the PTTR communities, showed a significant decrease in vulnerability, compared to 7% (1) of the communities. In the language domain - 70% (9) of the PTTR communities, showed a significant decrease in vulnerability compared to 15% (2) of the control communities. Conclusion PTTR can only ever make a contribution to these changes. There can be no direct correlation. But it does mean that many more children in communities where PTTR was operating were starting school ready to learn, compared to the control communities, which did not have a PTTR presence. Future study will investigate if these changes be sustained over 10 years+. Sing&Grow - Skills for School: Supporting Early Childhood Educators’ use of Music to Develop Children’s School-Readiness. Ms Lorna Berry1, Dr Alison Stewart1 1 Sing&Grow, Playgroup Queensland, Australia Some families experience barriers to accessing resources needed to provide a nurturing environment for their children, which can negatively impact their children’s development. This is demonstrated in the AEDC data for communities where factors such as poverty and isolation are high. A protective factor for children in these contexts can be engagement with an ECEC service, where their well-being is supported and their educational trajectories can be improved. In response to community need, Sing&Grow has developed a suite of resources to support Educators to use music purposefully to develop children’s school-readiness. Drawing on our evidence-base, Sing&Grow has developed an online workshop and companion booklet that accompanies three pre-recorded sessions for educators to use with children in the year before school. These sessions have been designed to support educators to engage children in music activities focused on school-readiness such as self-regulation, communication, and social skills. Both staff- and child-focused outcomes of the program will be evaluated, including: staff knowledge, skills and confidence gained from the program; staff satisfaction of the program; and observed improvements in children’s school-readiness. Multiple likert-scale surveys and child observation ratings will be completed by educators. Clear instructions, including definitions and descriptions of child behaviours for each rating scale, will be provided at each point of data collection, including: a short survey directly before (staff-pre) and after (staff-post 1) completing the online workshop, after (staff- post 2) facilitating the third recorded session, and 8 weeks after (staff-post 3) starting the program to track longer term impacts. Child behaviours will be rated before (child-pre 1) the first pre-recorded session, after (child-post 2) the third pre-recorded session and 8 weeks after (child-post 3) staff started the program. The quantitative data will be statistically analysed. The evaluation project will be completed by early 2021, and findings and learnings will be shared in this paper. Jurisdictional change over time in the AEDC Professor Sally Brinkman1 1 Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Australia is the only developed country to consistently undertake a developmental census of its children nationwide. The repeated collection of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) has provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the prevalence of developmental vulnerability across Australia’s states and territories, the socio-economic distribution of developmental vulnerability across jurisdictions, and how these distributions might have changed over time. This study compared differences in inequality across jurisdictions and changes over time within jurisdictions. The results of this study found reductions in developmental vulnerability over time in Western Australia (26% to 20%) and Queensland (30% to 25%), with an increase observed in the Australian Capital Territory (27% to 30%). Analysis also indicated an increase in socio- economic inequalities over time in the Northern Territory (+12%), the Australian Capital Territory (+6%) and Tasmania (+4%). Sensitivity analysis found these effects to be robust with an alternative measure of socio-economic
ABSTRACTS position. There is considerable variation in the prevalence and socio-economic inequalities in developmental vulnerability across Australia’s jurisdictions. The presentation will discuss potential changes in policies and practices across jurisdictions that may help to shed light on the results of this study. At What Age Does the Word Gap Emerge? Findings from the Language in Little Ones Study Mary Brushe1 1 Telethon Kids Institute, Adelaide, Australia Language is a critical development accomplishment of early childhood, enabling later literacy, education and employment. Previous studies have highlighted socioeconomic inequalities in the amount parents speak to their child, with researchers estimating by age four parents from professional backgrounds spoke 30 million more words to their children, than parents who were on welfare. The Language in Little Ones (LiLO) study utilises innovative speech recognition technology called Language Environment Analysis (LENA), which counts the number of words children hear and speak over a day. LENA data is collected once every six months from 6 – 48 months of age, across two cohorts of children who are stratified by two levels of maternal education to examine the effects across socioeconomic groups. Results from the first three waves of data collection demonstrate that differences between education groups in the number of adult words spoken to the child are not evident until the children are 18 months old. Average change in adult word counts per day by maternal education show there is a differences of 135.78 words at 6 months, 710.51 words at 12 months and 3,831.83 words at 18 months. This is the first study to be able to identify the age when socioeconomic differences in the amount of talk emerge. This has significant implications for the timing of interventions aiming to reduce the word gap, suggesting targeting the implementation of programs prior to 18 months of age. As the study progresses, developmental assessments at various ages will be measured to understand how parent talk impacts children’s later development. Ultimately, linking children’s trajectories of talk with their Australian Early Development Census results will explore how a talkative home environment may mediate the relationship between social inequality and developmental outcomes at school entry. The Thriving and On Track Program: A Collaborative, Place Based Initiative Responding to High Levels of Developmental Vulnerability. Ms Frances Bugden1, Ms Melissa Taylor Hansford2 1 Brisbane South PHN, Australia, 2Department of Education, Australia The early years of a child’s life provide a foundation for health and wellbeing across a lifetime. There is strong evidence that early identification of developmental issues and early access to intervention/support services leads to improved lifelong outcomes. The 2018 Australian Early Development Census revealed that a number of locations in the Brisbane South area had higher than average levels of developmental vulnerability for children entering school. In response to this data a cross-sector, collaborative committee was formed with key stakeholders in the child and family space (including health, education and community organisations). This group co-designed and resourced the Thriving and On Track (TOTs) project. The project aims to increase access to child development checks and early intervention services for children in the target age group (2.5-3.5 years). The TOTs program developed a service delivery model based in Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres. This involves educators, Child Health Nurses and allied health clinicians working with families in their ECE centre. Additionally, a key focus of the program is capacity building and information sharing between early childhood education centres and early intervention services. Early program data indicates this place-based model is improving access to early intervention services for families and building capacity in the targeted early childhood education areas. Supporting Vulnerable Families & Communities to Achieve Better Developmental Outcomes for Their Children Ms Ruth Callaghan1, Ms Manik Gadre1,2 Woodville Alliance, Fairfield, Australia, 2TAFE NSW, , Australia 1 AEDC data since 2009 has highlighted that an extremely high number of children in Fairfield LGA are developmentally vulnerable on many developmental domains. This disadvantage has continued to increase over these 12 years. A smaller number of children in Fairfield LGA - compared with NSW and national average - attend formal preschool programs, further impacting developmental milestones. Continuation of this trend can set in motion the cycle of intergenerational disadvantages.
ABSTRACTS According to ACECQA, the socio-economic status of the area co-relates to the quality of early childhood education & care services, meaning children from poorer neighbourhoods are less likely to access high quality early education, thus at greater risk of developmental vulnerability. ABS data informs us that the Fairfield LGA has a significantly high number of population who are from CALD backgrounds - almost two thirds of the population speaks English as a second language. ABS data also highlights that a high number of adults in Fairfield LGA have low educational attainment and low-income levels compared with the greater Sydney region. In many cultures around the world, children informally learn from families and community. Early childhood education looks different across various parts of the world, including often informal education through wider community networks and spaces. This research has informed the development of Supported Playgroup at Woodville Alliance, as an informal educational space. We employ a degree qualified early childhood teacher with special education background. Other staff include experienced, multi-lingual community members; all enhancing the informal community networks. Regular family input supports our educational program for children; while feedback from families and observations of staff helps us to arrange ongoing parenting and family support programs. Our playgroups provide high quality, fun learning experiences for children and encourage families to incorporate learning through routines, everyday experiences, thus acting as a ‘soft entry point’ to early education. Enhancing Children’s Well Being through Relationships in Place Ms Susan Cary1, Ms Isabel Stankiewicz1 1 Department Of Education Qld South East Region, Gold Coast, Australia Since 2015 the QLD South East Region has established Early Years Networks which utilise AEDC data to inform action and plan next steps. The relationship building between professionals has established a culture of collaboration between schools and early years services and increased the capacity of teachers and educators to implement evidence based practices and approaches in early childhood. The increased opportunities have supported the development of shared language between the sectors and a common approach to children’s learning. An additional strategy of Connect 4 Children (QLD DoE 2019) encouraged community input into birth to 5 planning to improve children’s wellbeing within place (QCOSS Place Based Frameworks). However many networks find it challenging to include the voices of children and families despite collective understanding that children’s outcomes are at the centre of these collaborations. This session will explore the journey taken through the lens of the networks. Successes and challenges of network leadership, staff turnover and participation will be examined as they move forward with the challenge of the additional layer of community, family and children. Early Physical Development: Its fundamental importance to later academic success. Deb Cavanagh1 Elf: Education Linked To Families, Perth, Australia 1 A child’s first years of life, their physical health, the connections they form and the ECEC they receive has lasting impacts on future outcomes (Cassells R. et al, (2020). 90% of brain development occurs in the first five years (ECA-ECEC-Policy- Statement-April-2019). Early predictors of success indicate that the child needs to be accomplished across more than one AEDC identified developmental domain, the domains being highly inter-related. Despite the 2018 AEDC showing that development of Australian children is improving, the social competence and physical health and wellbeing domains have small fluctuations; the percentage of children developmentally vulnerable was higher in 2018 compared to baseline. There is variance across the population, indicating further need to provide high quality ECEC that incorporates support for parents and carers (Jordan and Kennedy, 2019), as well as equity of access. Christian et al, (2018) examined physical activity in children aged 2 to 2.5 years found 66% of children do not get the required physical activity for growth and development. Research by Leonard, H. and Hill, E.L, (2015) identifies links between physical and cognitive development. Critically, Christian et al, (2018) found only 16 per cent of ECEC services had a written physical activity policy in place. Providing opportunities for children to learn alongside/with other young children, through age-appropriate experiences and intentional play-based activities facilitated by qualified educators is crucial, (ECA-ECEC-Policy-Statement-April-2019). It is our imperative to ensure children are central to policymaking, focusing on the first five years with passion and as advocates. This presentation will discuss how educators need to understand why play based learning ignites and builds the neural pathways. They need to develop their understandings so they can clearly articulate to parents and ECE organisations that it is the provision of high quality, informed ECEC that ensure that early physical and language skills inform future academic learning success.
ABSTRACTS Improving educational outcomes in a disadvantaged community: using AEDC as a reference point for cross-sector collaboration Ms Liz Chapman1 Tomorrow Today Foundation, Benalla, Australia 1 Children who live in disadvantaged communities do not do as well at school as children who live in more advantaged communities. Benalla in northeast Victoria is highly disadvantaged, sitting in the lowest decile of disadvantage in Victoria, and second-worst decile nationally. A community-driven approach to measurably improve child development and educational outcomes at the population scale is ten years into a twenty year endeavour. The Education Benalla Program consists of multiple, coordinated and complementary projects and activities. It is driven by ‘Tomorrow Today’, Benalla’s independent community foundation, and is supported by preschools, schools and 140 collaborating organisations. The AEDC has been instrumental in helping Tomorrow Today to focus the attention of organisations in Benalla that relate to children and families. Tomorrow Today, local government and the Vic. Dept. Education together hosted AEDC forums in 2016 and again in 2019. Attended by representatives from education, health, welfare and community organisations, the forums discussed the Benalla data and planned cross-organisational activity for the next three years. Tomorrow Today’s approach includes running weekly parent-child facilitated playgroups and actively addressing vulnerabilities identified in the AEDC community profile. It also encourages and coordinates the collaborative effort in the belief it takes a village to educate a child. From having the worst rates of child vulnerability of any Victorian local government area in 2015, to a significant turn around in 2018, the AEDC provides the reference point for a united effort. This infiltrates a myriad decisions and actions weekly across civic, government and private sectors. The overall approach is “whole of community, child by child”. Children’s neighbourhood physical environment and early development: an individual child level linked data study A/Prof Hayley Christian1,2, Dr Megan Bell2, Prof Gavin Turrell3,4, Dr Bryan Boruff5, Prof Stephen R Zubrick6 1 Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 2 School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 3 Healthy Liveable Cities Group, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 4 Centre for Research and Action in Public Health, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 5 School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia 6 Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Identification of features of the neighbourhood physical environment that have a causal association with positive child development is important for promoting long-term developmental health. Previous research on these associations have been conducted at the neighbourhood level, and do not account for individual variation in exposure to these features. This cross-sectional study utilised de-identified linked administrative data. Neighbourhood features were measured with Geographic Information Systems and identified within a 1600 m service area around the child’s home address. A random selection of 5024 Western Australian children who participated in the 2012 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC; median age 5 years, 5 months) were included. Multi-level logistic regressions modelled the odds of children scoring in the bottom 10% on the physical, social or emotional AEDC domains as an outcome of neighbourhood features. After adjustment for individual and neighbourhood sociodemographic factors, lower odds of physical vulnerability were associated with increased neighbourhood residential density, presence of a railway station, and higher counts of playgroups and kindergartens. Larger areas of neighbourhood home-yard space were associated with increased odds of physical and social vulnerability. Presence of high-quality green spaces was associated with lower odds of social vulnerability. Increased road traffic exposure was associated with higher odds of social and emotional vulnerability. The neighbourhood physical environment has a weak but significant association with early childhood development. Future research should consider the interplay between the neighbourhood environment and proximal influences, including parenting attributes and socioeconomic status, and how they influence early child development.
ABSTRACTS Exploring how schools can influence children’s academic achievement trajectories through planning and programs in the early years Mrs Ashleigh Collier1, Dr Yasmin Harman-Smith2, Dr Jessie Jovanovic, Dr Sarah Wight3, Prof Paul Ward1 1 College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia, 2Telethon Kids Institute, Adelaide, Australia, 3College of Education, Psychology & Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia Introduction In the past decade there has been significant interest and investment in nationwide standardised testing of literacy and numeracy. Although NAPLAN is not a holistic assessment of children’s educational achievement and success, it is a consistent and reliable national indicator that is able to identify educational disparities. However, in spite of increased focus and investment aimed to improve educational attainment, NAPLAN results have shown little change over time. Although not provided at an individual level, the predictive validity of the instrument demonstrates that aggregated AEDC school data could be used by schools to provide an indication of where children may require additional support before they reach their first NAPLAN assessment. The underlying factors influencing children’s development in the community are unlikely to change significantly between collection periods, providing classroom teachers with an opportunity to use these data to identify where children have experienced challenges, identify factors influencing these mechanisms and plan their supports accordingly. Methods South Australian schools who performed either better, worse, or as expected in NAPLAN literacy and numeracy in year 3, given their AEDC score at school entry, were identified through linear regression modelling. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were undertaken to explore the potential reasons behind these differences in academic performance. Findings The findings of the analyses will be presented, discussing the key elements of those schools whose children performed better than expected in an effort to understand how developmental trajectories can be shifted in the early years. Conclusion The time between children starting school and their first NAPLAN assessment in grade 3 is crucial for brain development and has been shown to predict children’s later academic achievement. Therefore, understanding how schools can shift these academic trajectories through the use of planning and programs is of significant importance to both public health and education research. AEDC informing policy development, implementation and evaluation Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow1 Early Years and Child Development, Department for Education, Adelaide, Australia 1 The vision for South Australia is a state where the conditions exist for all children and young people to thrive.* The South Australian Department for Education is currently developing a 10 year Early Learning Strategy. The strategy recognises the importance of supporting children’s learning from birth and that there are a range of factors at family, community and government levels that impact this. To date strategy planning and design has been heavily informed by AEDC data and this will continue into the implementation and evaluation stages. AEDC data has been critical in supporting the identification of current strengths and issues within the SA early learning arena and is an important element of our nuanced exploration of these. Work to date has reinforced the persuasive value of AEDC data across a wide range of audiences and for a range of policy purposes from government, to key agencies, local government, and communities. * taken from the CDC Outcomes Framework page 5
You can also read
