The Impact of Asthma on 3 rd Grade Reading: An Equity-Based, Data-Driven Approach to Health and Learning Interventions Urban Strategies Council urbanstrategies.org 1720 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94610

Urban Strategies Council …is a social impact organization using tools of research, policy, collaboration, innovation and advocacy to achieve equity and social justice. education health economic development community safety and justice

An Equity Lens on Health and Education Addressing equity in the context of the relationship between health and learning Focusing on the relationship between asthma and 3 rd grade reading Addressing Health Promotion component of First 5 Strategic Plan – “Health Literacy education focused on health promotion and chronic disease prevention”

Why we are here today 1.Demonstrate how to apply the Equity Model 2.Get feedback on the model 3.Get advice on implementing the model

The Equity Model 1. ESTABLISH OUTCOMES 2. DETERMINE SOURCES OF DISPARITIES 3. CONSIDER TARGETED & UNIVERSAL STRATEGIES 4. APPLY INTERVENTIONS & POLICIES THAT INCREASE EQUITY AND OUTCOMES PLANNING 5. CONTINUALLY ASSESS EQUITY AND OUTCOME - H OLD L EADERSHIP A CCOUNTABLE - C LEAR M ARKERS OF P ROGRESS - T RANSPARENCY OF I NFORMATION IMPLEMENTATION ASSESSMENT ADAPTATION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT ALL LEVELS

Establish Outcomes Problem definition: How is asthma impacting learning in 0-3 rd grade in Fresno? Identify targeted outcomes 1.What are the over-arching issue(s) that need to be addressed? 2.What are the underlying issues that bridge asthma to 3 rd grade reading? What do we need to address to impact the over-arching issue(s)? Data analysis

Outcome Measurement Important Considerations Improve overall outcomes & close gaps Show early progress & longer-term outcomes Clear, ambitious goals and targets to inspire, align, and focus efforts Outcomes relevant to all effected groups Challenges Competing camps over what outcomes they care about Mismatch between what we can measure and what matters Setting overly modest or unachievable goals and targets Not addressing the experiences of different groups

Using Data to Establish Outcomes How is asthma impacting learning in young children in Fresno? What are the over-arching issue(s)? What are the underlying issue(s)? What will need to be measured? How are the outcomes and experiences of different groups different?

How might these influence the impact of asthma on learning? Language barriers (child or parent) Parent education levels Transportation Place of residence Income Medical costs/insurance Discrimination Other???

Strategies Exercise Criteria: 1.Which are more critical? a)To all children b)To particular vulnerable groups 2.Which are there more resources for? 3.Which are more supported by public will?

Implementation: Interest in 3 rd Grade Reading and Asthma  Is there capacity/interest in the community to participate in a work group?  Is there interest and excitement around 3 rd grade reading and/or asthma?  Are there allies that would help?  Is there a saturation of “work groups” in the community? If so, is there an existing group whose work aligns?  Is there an interest in equity issues? In asthma?  Is there a saturation of people working on 3 rd grade reading?

Implementation: Community Engagement  Which communities would need to be engaged?  What communities would be most excited about the issue?  Which would be more difficult to engage?  What would be the barriers and how could we get around them?

Implementation: Data Availability Will it be possible to get data on a pilot school? Individual level education data on students: asthma, attendance, CST scores, grades, addresses for geo-coding, demographics Access to school personnel and caregivers for qualitative data collection: School nurse, office staff, principal, teachers, parents and caregivers Who should we approach for data? Who will champion our cause for getting data if we come across barriers?

Implementation: Intervention  What resources are available for an intervention?  What political will is there around this topic to support which level of intervention (resource investment, political support, policy impact, advisory council)?  Who will be supportive and ally with us?  What public will is there around this topic to support an intervention (community support and engagement, participation in intervention)?  How willing do you expect the pilot school to be to implement an intervention?

Implementation: Evaluation  What resources are available for evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention?  Is evaluation viewed as important by the Brain Trust? By the community?  Who will be the proponents of evaluation?

Junious Williams, CEO Rebecca Brown, Ph.D., Research Coordinator