As part of the B. F. Skinner Lecture Series at the ABA International 2009 Annual Conference, Dr. Betina Jean-Louis will be speaking on the programs of the Harlem Children's Zone, Inc., the brainchild of Geoffrey Canada.
By reports in the media, some of the premises of some of the Harlem Children's Zone programs, such as Baby College were inspired by the work of behavior analysts--Drs. Betty Hart, Ph.D. (now emeritus, University of Kansas) and the late Todd Risley Ph.D. (University of Alaska, then of the University of Kansas), whose research showed that the biggest determinant of school and social achievement was tied to the amount of language exposure and the kind of feedback given to young children, ages 0-3, by their parents. Their work was later written up and published in the widely read book, Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children.
#282 B. F. Skinner Lecture Series
5/24/2009
3:30 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.
West 301 AB
TBA
Applications of Behavior Analysis in Urban Education
Chair: Denise E. Ross (Chicago School of Professional Psychology)
Applications of Behavior Analysis in Urban Education (Applied Behavior Analysis)
BETINA JEAN-LOUIS (Harlem Children’s Zone, Inc.)
Abstract:"The Harlem Children’s Zone is an innovative and unique community service program that has served the educational and social needs of children and families in New York City’s Harlem since 1970. As Director of Evaluation, Dr. Betina Jean-Louis has spearheaded the Harlem Children’s Zone’s evaluation efforts since March 2002. In this capacity, she assesses the implementation and impact of a variety of programs, including: 1) The Harlem Children’s Zone Project, Geoffrey Canada’s innovative approach to improving the lives of thousands of children living in Harlem, 2) Beacon Schools, 3) Preventive (family preservation) programs, and 4) Charter Schools. In this lecture, Dr. Jean-Louis will describe the programs of Harlem Children’s Zone and the behavioral philosophy that guided the organization’s development. Specifically, Dr. Jean-Louis will discuss the role that principles of behavior have had in the development of the organization’s programs along with applications of its principles to educational and social issues in urban communities."
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For further reading,
The Harlem Children's Zone Project
Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children.
Betty Hart and Todd Risley, 1995
Article on Baby College
Taking the measure of the Zone, One Life at a Time
Volume 1, Number 1, Summer 2002
The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3
American Educator. Spring 2003
The Everyday Experience of American Babies: Discoveries and Implications.
Todd R. Risley
This American Life, Public Radio International
Episode 364: Going Big
9/26/2008
"Host Ira Glass introduces a story on the most ambitious and hopeful solution to urban poverty in the country—the Harlem Children’s Zone. The project’s goal is nothing less than changing the lives of thousands of children in Harlem, starting at birth and continuing until they go to college.
Act One. Harlem Renaissance.
Paul Tough reports on the Harlem Children’s Zone..."
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24 days and counting...
