Distinguished Researchers in Early Childhood Education To Advise on Universal Preschool in Los AngelesMarch 3, 2006 |
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| (LOS ANGELES)—Twenty of the nation's top early childhood research and evaluation experts will gather March 7 and 8 in Los Angeles at the inaugural meeting of the Universal Preschool Research Advisory Committee convened by First 5 LA and Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP). The committee will assist First 5 LA and LAUP in developing research and evaluation strategies for the most ambitious universal preschool program in the nation. LAUP, an independent nonprofit organization created in 2004 and funded by First 5 LA, is dedicated to increasing access to high-quality preschool across the largest and most diverse county in the United States. LAUP-supported preschools are expected to serve more than 100,000 4-year olds in LA County, regardless of their family's income, by 2014. "The group we are convening represents a broad spectrum of expertise in the field of early education research," said First 5 LA Executive Director Evelyn V. Martinez. "Because we are making an unprecedented $600 million investment in preschool for LA County's 4-year-olds, we felt it was important to make sure we have the best and most up-to-date thinking to advise us on how to evaluate the program." "We are excited to begin our work with the distinguished members of this Research Advisory Committee," said Dr. Graciela Italiano-Thomas, LAUP's Chief Executive Officer. "Their input and advice will be invaluable, especially as the impact of LAUP programs begins to reach every community in Los Angeles County." Co-chairing the committee are Linda Espinosa, Ph.D. and John Love, Ph.D. Espinosa is a professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and former codirectorof the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. Love is a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research Inc. in Princeton, NJ, and is a veteran director of numerous national studies on Head Start and other early learning programs. (A full list of committee members and their affiliations is attached.) Facilitating the work of the committee are Katie Fallin, Ph.D., First 5 LA research analyst; Osnat Zur, Ph.D., LAUP Director of Research and Evaluation; and Michael López, Ph.D., National Center for Latino Child and Family Research. First 5 LA is a unique child-advocacy organization created by California voters to invest tobacco tax revenues in programs for improving the lives of children in Los Angeles County, from prenatal through age 5. First 5 LA champions health, education and safety causes concerning young children and families. -moreMembers of the First 5 LA/LAUP Research Advisory Committee Linda Espinosa, Ph.D. (Co-Chair) University of Missouri-Columbia John Love, Ph.D. (Co-Chair) Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Mark Appelbaum, Ph.D. UC San Diego Peg Burchinal, Ph.D. University of North Carolina's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center Kenyon Chan, Ph.D. Occidental College David Elkind, Ph.D. Tufts University Claude Goldenberg, Ph.D. Cal State Long Beach Vera Gutiérrez-Clellen, Ph.D. San Diego State University Gary Henry, Ph.D. Georgia State University Jacqueline Jones, Ph.D. Independent consultant Alice Kuo, M.D., Ph.D. UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities Faith Polk, Ph.D. LA County Office of Education Marie Kanne Poulsen, Ph.D. USC Keck School of Medicine-Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Arthur Reynolds, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison Donald Rock, Ph.D. Educational Testing Service Carrie Rothstein-Fisch, Ph.D. Cal State Northridge Robert Rueda, Ph.D. USC Rossier School of Education Floraline Ingram Stevens, Ed.D. Floraline I. Stevens and Associates Carol Sutherland, Ph.D. Carol Sutherland Consulting and Coaching Martha Zaslow, Ph.D. Child Trends |
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