Message from the Executive Director
I am proud to welcome you to our new web site! I hope this site is useful in informing you of new research and initiatives at the Picard Center and provide you with valuable updates on existing Center projects to paint a clear picture of Louisiana’s state of education, health care, quality of life and workforce.
As Louisiana strives to improve the well-being of its children and families, The Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette plays a crucial role in informing stakeholders and influencing public policy through high-quality applied research, strategic evaluations and technical assistance. It is proven that data-driven decision making breeds successful outcomes, and through our work, we hope that scientifically based research can encourage crucial and necessary policy changes in all areas of education, health, well-being and lifelong learning. Since our establishment at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2005, our Center has brought more than $38 million into the university, through contracts, state appropriations, capital construction dollars and foundation contributions. Many of our research professionals and education leaders focus on early childhood education, such as evaluating the state’s nationally acclaimed early childhood program, the Cecil J. Picard LA 4 program. Promising progress is being made in these programs, with research showing that LA 4 students outperform their no-public-PreK peers on the LEAP exam and are placed in special education at a reduction rate of 33-43% lower than peers who had no public PreK. Additionally, LA 4 participants show consistent reductions in kindergarten grade retention year after year. However, while education is indeed a large piece of the puzzle for Louisiana’s success and economic prosperity, the Center has expanded into the critical issues of health care and quality of life projects. The Center is working with school districts to implement Coordinated School Health to improve children’s health by integrating health strategies of schools, public health agencies, families and community leaders through schools. Additionally, the Center has focused much of its efforts on the neediest children in the state by using poverty data to adopt proactive measures and model programs to reduce the risk factors related to poverty. With the design and establishment of our integrated longitudinal database project, the Center has grown to include lifelong learning by conducting broad-based long-term studies on Louisiana’s children from birth through 25. When complete, this system will identify trends as children advance from birth through various stages into the workforce, and it will allow each state agency to gauge the benefits and effectiveness of its services. Thank you for your support of the Picard Center’s work and mission. Through scientific research, Louisiana can make informed decisions to enhance the education, health care and quality of life for its children and families. Sincerely, Billy R. Stokes, Ed.D., MBA Executive Director, Cecil J. Picard Endowed Fellow in Child Development
As Louisiana strives to improve the well-being of its children and families, The Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette plays a crucial role in informing stakeholders and influencing public policy through high-quality applied research, strategic evaluations and technical assistance. It is proven that data-driven decision making breeds successful outcomes, and through our work, we hope that scientifically based research can encourage crucial and necessary policy changes in all areas of education, health, well-being and lifelong learning.
Since our establishment at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2005, our Center has brought more than $38 million into the university, through contracts, state appropriations, capital construction dollars and foundation contributions.
Many of our research professionals and education leaders focus on early childhood education, such as evaluating the state’s nationally acclaimed early childhood program, the Cecil J. Picard LA 4 program. Promising progress is being made in these programs, with research showing that LA 4 students outperform their no-public-PreK peers on the LEAP exam and are placed in special education at a reduction rate of 33-43% lower than peers who had no public PreK. Additionally, LA 4 participants show consistent reductions in kindergarten grade retention year after year.
However, while education is indeed a large piece of the puzzle for Louisiana’s success and economic prosperity, the Center has expanded into the critical issues of health care and quality of life projects. The Center is working with school districts to implement Coordinated School Health to improve children’s health by integrating health strategies of schools, public health agencies, families and community leaders through schools. Additionally, the Center has focused much of its efforts on the neediest children in the state by using poverty data to adopt proactive measures and model programs to reduce the risk factors related to poverty.
With the design and establishment of our integrated longitudinal database project, the Center has grown to include lifelong learning by conducting broad-based long-term studies on Louisiana’s children from birth through 25. When complete, this system will identify trends as children advance from birth through various stages into the workforce, and it will allow each state agency to gauge the benefits and effectiveness of its services.
Thank you for your support of the Picard Center’s work and mission. Through scientific research, Louisiana can make informed decisions to enhance the education, health care and quality of life for its children and families.
Sincerely,
Billy R. Stokes, Ed.D., MBA
Executive Director, Cecil J. Picard Endowed Fellow in Child Development