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Inside this Issue
- Organization's Statement on Uvalde, TX Tragedy at Robb Elementary School
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EC PRISM: Announcement, A New Home for the IMPACT Measures Tool & Theory of IMPACT Quick Guide
- New Team Members at ICS and EC PRISM
- ICS Founders Luncheon Recap
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Interviewed by The Washington Post, Updates on the Schmidt Matching Gift Challenge and the Schmidt and Shi Endowed Legacy Fund, Attending the Building OneSouthCarolina Forum & Presenting at the National Head Start, Quality Parenting Initiative and Smart Start conferences
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ICS is heartbroken by the mass shooting of children and staff in Texas on Tuesday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the children, families, and community whose lives were forever changed yesterday, who are navigating grief no one should ever know, in a place where children should be safe. Children deserve safe schools and safe communities, where they can learn, grow, and thrive. Violence is antithetical to everything children need to thrive. The adults in their lives—from parents to teachers to policymakers—must step up to protect and foster their development, and to help all those who are struggling.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that “The most effective way to prevent firearm-related injury to children is to keep guns out of homes and communities.” They provide a wealth of resources related to the dangers of gun access among children and adolescents, guidelines for safe storage of firearms in homes, and other steps parents can take:
Children can feel anxiety and depression related to these events even if they are not directly impacted. Be mindful of any changes—in their behavior in the coming days, or complaints of new physical ailments, which may indicate they are experiencing distress. If you are unsure how to talk to your child about this and other traumatic incidents, the Fred Rogers Institute has a one-page guide. The American Psychological Association offers advice with a focus on different age groups.
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ICS is excited to announce that EC PRISM (Early Childhood Precision, Innovation and Share Management) has moved under the umbrella of the Institute for Child Success as of February 1, 2022.
The move allows both ICS and EC PRISM to expand our collective reach, grow our impact, and increase our sustainability. All staff and projects will continue without disruption–the only change being EC PRISM's home.
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A New Home for the IMPACT Measures Tool | |
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The EC PRISM team at the Institute for Child Success is excited to share that our website is now located at ecmeasures.instituteforchildsuccess.org. As always, the IMPACT Measures Tool is free and open to all.
What's New?
30+ New Measures!
More Child Assessments Now on Impact
We have added 34 new early childhood measures onto the IMPACT Measures Tool, to empower you with information to help you choose the measure that's right for your needs. These measures range from popular assessment tools to recently released and smaller-scale tools. Many are used in early education settings, including Head Start programs.
New Topics
Measures Cover a Variety of Subjects
- Daily Living Skills
- Equitable Classroom Interactions
- Family Strengths
- Motor Skills
- Parent Experience
- Symbolic Behavior
- Temperament
- Vocabulary
New Measures
Following are a few of the dozens of added measures.
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EC PRISM's Theory of IMPACT Quick Guide | |
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We encourage you to bookmark the EC PRISM Impact Measures Tool's Learn page to access the Theory of IMPACT Quick Guide.
EC PRISM Research Specialist Aimée Drouin Duncan, PhD and EC PRISM Director of Science Communication Katie Hammond, MPH have penned a blog about the cultural relevance in early childhood measurement. The writers emphasize the importance of finding an appropriate assessment tool for children and their families. They state, "The early childhood field must work together to address this misalignment and cultivate a culture of assessment which reflects the lived experiences of all practitioners, children, and families. This requires a systematic review of all measurement and assessment practices in early childhood through the lens of cultural relevance."
Read the full blog, Rising Together: Systemically Reshaping Culturally Relevant Early Childhood Assessment Standards.
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ICS and EC PRISM Welcome: | |
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In her role, Deborah DePaoli will inform ICS's SC-related policy and research portfolio, thereby boosting our direct family engagement. She will also lead the mission of our Early Childhood Common Agenda work and other SC-specific policy initiatives.
Deborah brings a wealth of experience to this new position. She is the former SC State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network where she recruited and equipped grassroots volunteer advocates across South Carolina. In previous positions, she worked with the state office of South Carolina First Steps as a Regional Coordinator, coaching 4K teachers for effectiveness in curriculum and instruction. Deborah previously taught Spanish in a dual-language immersion program, developing curriculum/procedures/instruction for new a magnet program in Richland County, SC and she worked in California with migrant laborers and their families to advance student achievement and child wellbeing.
Deborah is a native of California and now lives in Columbia, SC.
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Manya Jyotishi is a Research Specialist working with EC PRISM’s Fuel for 50 project and other service initiatives. She is based in Pawcatuck, CT.
Manya is a developmental psychologist with extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative methods, project management, and vulnerable populations (children with ASD, justice-involved youth, women with history of substance use). She earned her PhD at the University of Connecticut and her undergraduate degree at Hunter College of CUNY, New York, NY. Manya brings a background in early childhood development, experience working with clients at a service-oriented firm, and the ability to lead and manage the complexities of fee-for-service service projects. Manya also has vast experience in qualitative research methods and cross-cultural research.
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Haley Armstrong is a Policy Research Intern for the summer of 2022. Haley is a rising senior education major at Furman University. She has a multitude of hands-on classroom and volunteer experience and is also interested in working more deeply on education policy. Haley's work will entail policy research projects, including supporting the SC child mental health work. | |
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Clockwise: The Honorable Richard "Dick" W. Riley; Desmond P. Kelly, MD and ICS President and CEO Jamie Moon; Founders honored: (l to r) presenter and Vice Chair Calvin L. Calhoun III; Susan Thomson Shi, PhD; William F. Schmidt, MD, PhD; Ann Robinson; Desmond P. Kelly, MD; Frances Ellison; the Honorable Merl F. Code; and Linda K. Brees (not pictured, Ted Hendry and Natalma (Tami) McKnew); and Former and current Chairs of ICS Board with Jamie Moon, from left: Ann Robinson, Desmond P. Kelly, MD and on the right is Gary Glickman.
View additional photos at the TALK Greenville magazine gallery and on our ICS Founders Luncheon Facebook photo albums–Highlights and Event). You may also visit Amy Randall photography if you would like to purchase photos.
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ICS Founders Luncheon Celebration
The ICS Founders Luncheon, filled with tributes and optimism, was held on May 19 at The L in downtown Greenville. Attendees learned that it all started with a group of community leaders declaring that Greenville needed an organization dedicated to advancing the causes (from the medical field to child care, to education, housing, transportation, etc.) of children and their families. Those leaders made sure that it happened.
Highlights of the event included reverent remarks by the Honorable Richard "Dick" Riley; recognition of our visionary founders; proclaiming the Nurturing Developing Minds Conference to be known as the Desmond P. Kelly, MD NDM Conference; an announcement that the Schmidt and Shi Endowed Legacy Fund has raised $175,000 to date; a keynote address by Paul H. Dworkin, MD (founding director of the Help Me Grow National Center and ICS Board Member); a promising look to the next decade; the passing of the gavel(s); and a rousing close by the Honorable Merl F. Code who cited the poem, The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole, explaining that building bridges is in essence what ICS does.
Desmond P. Kelly, MD said of the eponymous conference, "Thank you for the honor you bestowed on me with the naming of the Nurturing Developing Minds Conference. I am filled with gratitude for the way ICS has embraced the conference. My hope is that we can continue to leverage and evolve it in whatever way will best nurture the developing minds of the children we serve, and their champions and advocates who might benefit from a boost of networking, knowledge, and affirmation each year."
We are eternally grateful to our founders: Susan Thomson Shi, PhD | Linda K. Brees | The Honorable Merl F. Code | Frances Ellison | Ted Hendry | Desmond P. Kelly, MD | Natalma (Tami) McKnew | Ann Robinson |
William F. Schmidt, MD, PhD
Thanks to Amy Randall Photography who captured the event.
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ICS VP of Research and mother of two Megan Carolan was interviewed by The Washington Post for an article on the Uvalde, TX tragedy, ‘I just want to scream’: Parents aghast after another school shooting.
Carolan reflects on everything violence takes from childhood, and that "we’re not seeing grown-ups do enough to try to give it back to them."
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You Gave, the Schmidts Matched!
ICS is thrilled to announce that the matching gift challenge met its goal! We raised $25,000, in addition to the overall total match of $25,000 pledged by the Schmidts. This is the second time that Mrs. Jean and Dr. Bill have matched gifts made to ICS. The first round was in 2021.
Dr. Bill Schmidt is the retired Medical Director of the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital and a founding and active ICS board member.
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Schmidt and Shi Endowed Legacy Fund
ICS is pleased to report that the total amount raised by the Schmidt and Shi Endowed Legacy Fund is $175,000! The fund was established last July.
The funds will enable us to have a profound impact on young children and their families. ICS focuses its work on policy, research, and capacity building in the early childhood issue area.
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Presenting Before the Youth Law Center’s National Child Welfare System Change Initiative | EC PRISM Executive Director Tyson Barker presented at the 2022 QPI Virtual National Conference, “Building the Movement Together: Excellent Parenting for Every Child, Every Day" on May 25. His session, "Child-Centered Evaluation: Measuring Systems Change Through the Lens of a Child’s Experience," was about measuring success in terms of one's ability to maintain and build strong relationships for children in care. EC PRISM provided an overview of the new QPI Site Measurement and Evaluation Guide. | | |
Building OneSouthCarolina Forum | |
Picture clockwise, ICS's Jamie Moon and Linda Brees, Don Gordon, Executive Director of The Riley Institute at Furman University and Susan Shi, ICS Board Member Emerita.
ICS was pleased to attend the Building OneSouthCarolina Forum presented by The Riley Institute at Furman University on May 11. The Riley Institute presented its inaugural Partners in Progress Award to the Spartanburg Northside Initiative, an ongoing, holistic effort to increase wellbeing and opportunity for the people of the Northside Community.
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Presenting at National Head Start Conference | |
EC PRISM Executive Director Tyson Barker, EC PRISM Research Specialist Aimée Drouin Duncan, and National Head Start Association Senior Director of Data Victoria Jones gave a virtual presentation, "Child Assessments Matter: Choosing the Right Tool" on May 4.
The session focused on bringing value to child assessments. Scenarios were selected and options were evaluated, as well as EC PRISM's free IMPACT Measures Tool was reviewed.
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Presenting at the Smart Start Conference | |
Vice President and General Counsel Bryan Boroughs led the panel, "Hello Family Spartanburg: Transforming Systems with Universal and Tiered Supports" (which featured City of Spartanburg Manager and ICS Board Member, Chris Story) on May 2. Attendees learned how ICS leveraged impact investing to improve the outcomes for young children and their families by providing a continuum of evidence-based services from prenatal care to age five.
VP of Research Megan Carolan presented the session, "The Early Childhood Workforce Across Sectors: Building a Sustainable Workforce," on May 3. She explored systems that support young children and their families–health care, child welfare, and early care and education.
Please review session materials such as slide presentations and PDFs, and view the YouTube conference recordings.
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