Starting Strong Summit: Working Together for Early Social Emotional Development

The 2016 Starting Strong Summit was a unique opportunity for early childhood stakeholders to come together and develop a list of solutions, ways to collaborate, and/or policy recommendations to ensure that all children gain the social emotional skills they need to start kindergarten. CES hosted key stakeholders from across Massachusetts, including early childhood and elementary educators; researchers; advocates; mental health and health providers; educational policy experts; and representatives from the Departments of Mental Health, Children and Families, Early Childhood and Care, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Public Health, in working sessions to discuss how Massachusetts can support all children in gaining the social emotional skills they need to succeed in school and life.

Starting Strong Summit Resources

Below we have provided a number of resources for download related to the Summit and its goals. 

Summit Overview and Recommendations

• Overview and Recommendations Report
• Overview and Recommendations Report Appendices

The Summit Work: Breakout Sessions

• Full summary of all sessions
• Workforce Development session 
• Service Gaps and Alignment session
• Family Support and Engagement session
• Data and Measurement session

Summit Presentations and Presenters

• Dr. Stephanie Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education - Click to download presentation
• Jennifer Poulos, Rennie Center - Click to download presentation
• Kate Roper, MA Department of Public Health - Click to download presentation
• Dr. Jayne Singer, MassAIMH, Boston Children's Hospital, Brazelton Touchpoints Center

Articles and Resources: Social Emotional Learning

• Amie Bettencourt, Deborah Gross & Grace Ho, "The Costly Consequences of Not Being Socially and Behaviorally Ready by Kindergarten: Associations with Grade Retention, Receipt of Academic Support Services, and Suspensions/Expulsions" 
• CBHI - ECMH Guide (submitted by Margot Tracy, CBHI)
• Stephanie M. Jones, Rebecca Bailey and Robin Jacob, "Social-emotional learning is essential to classroom management"
• Stephanie M. Jones and Suzanne M. Bouffard, "Social Policy Report: Social and Emotional Learning in Schools From Programs to Strategies" 
• Nonie K. Lesaux, Stephanie M. Jones, Kristen Paratore Bock and Julie Russ Harris, "The Regulated Learning Environment: Supporting Adults to Support Children"
• Deborah F. Perry and Nicola Conners-Burrow, "Addressing Early Adversity Through Mental Health Consultation in Early Childhood Settings" 
• Jayne Singer, "The Brazelton Touchpoints Approach to Infants and Toddlers in Care: Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning and Loving"