I
nect these agencies with the families ed around the state. (The Legislature __ _,    _____V  _  
that need their services. My work will originally estimated that 500 centers _ A —* ‘      
mainly be done in the home —visiting would ultimately be needed. Based on   ` i (   I  
families, being sure that each child has statistics for this school year, over 1,000 _,     
food, clothing and shelter, helping par- sites meet the qualifying guidelines.) In I     
ents find what they need. When these its research, the task force found 29   ~   , · ; 
basic needs are addressed, then chil- youth centers in Newjersey and less than   `   V Q    
dren will be ready, able and willing to I5 family resource centers in Maryland.      
learn with the support oftheir parents." “Our state," says Meszaros, “has an        
Among the tools in Chapman’s arse- opportunity to make a real difference.   _     tj
nal is a comprehensive guide for imple- What is so exciting about this, as an edu- I     y _ if   -·.·  
men ting family resource/youth ser- cator, is that we get to work with human it  A   i g ‘  
vices centers and the phone number of behavior in the environment in a posi- I        ll  
Steve Wilson, director ofthe Center for tive, preventative way so that we’re " --»: . ;   i}    [ "   ·  
Kentttcky Children and Families spending money on the front end of   5 n _    ‘  l
Research in the College of Human these children’s lives instead ofthe other    I y ff    A  
Environmental Sciences. end on remedial education, welfare and To   Q  Vr>Y,,;  ` gk  t
"l was thrilled to death to find prisons. We are doing something about ._    Q ,  [  - . ,  A
Steve," says Chapman. He is so in tune the realilatiorl that ifwe dOU’iL 1`€21Ch the Ni i i , ai      lj    
with what we are doing. He has been so child before school to build supportive i`  t H , if   ·
responsive. ln fact, everyone has been. family environments, those children are   { l      ‘—   if    _  
, . . . . , . ,, * I     , - ..   ·{‘·._.  »,
[he first time I called, I didn t really already severely p€H3llZ€d. _ ` ' __ 9.. A" ‘    Q     ,  ·‘=’_ _ ` V: 
know who l was calling so I_just dialed The Task Force is now preparing for      1,, A    
the UK operator. She was wonderful. the next step. "We are meeting with var- y _ » b      I  `·-’`‘‘  
She worked with me; tried this number ious people connected to KERA and _ i `* It  , .   “ V     i
and that one, until finally she got me from that input will develop a work      _  _'     
connected to Steve." plan for l992.” V”’W =#‘ ,  g . 
The Center, like the manual, and an "Additionally," says Meszaros, "there F .      
explanatory video about what family are so many appropriate ways for us, as     l·   T ; _
resottrce and student services centers faculty, to integrate KERA into our regu- yy; L     K
do, training workshops, a networking lar responsibilities in keeping with the   Fr    
newsletter and the Ellen Rice Child lancl-grant mission of the university.”   if C P r fi;
l)eve|opment Library and Resource As examples, Meszaros cited plans   ,, if
Center are an outgrowth of the UK for implementing a curriculum aimed before any answers were available. The i
lnterdisciplinary `l`ask Force on Family at potential state certification for teach- pieces are now coming together. 5
Resource and Youth Services that began I er/daycare providers ofinfants through Come, take a test. Here is the first 1
work in September 1990 ttnder the age 5; curriculum emphases which pre- question. (
direction of l ll·LS dean Peggy Meszaros. pare very effective directors for the cen- Imagine a toy boat floating in a
ln keeping with the collaborative ters; student practicums in the FRYRC, bucket of water. Put a rock in the boat {
model which is the basic presumption and research that will prove or disprove and mark the water level on the side of t
throughout Rl·2R.»\, Meszaros began or improve the value of the centers. the bucket. Now remove the rock and E
pttlling together people within the uni- Positive outcomes will be necessary drop it in the water so it sinks. Is the (
versity as well as meeting with the Gov- to sustain funding and demonstrate the water level now higher, or lower, or the t
ernor`s Interagency Task Force on rewards of prior investtnent to taxpay- same as before? I
l·`R\S(I. Before long. the group`s were ers and patents. "I don’t doubt," says That’s the type of question Kentucky ' t
working in concert, gathering data from Meszaros, “that the reward for all of us school children will be seeing as part of (
other states with sitnilar service delivery will be better students, better educated the new Kentucky Assessment Pro- (
programs. combing the research litera- citizens and better leaders so that this gram, designed to measure the perfor- ‘ E
tttre for relevant information, and l state can be truly prosperous." mance of schools under the Kentucky
bringing it altogether into workshops Education Reform Act. }
and the guidance manual. .·\ll this was I A UK education professor Edward 5
. l ` _ , _ . l ssessmenl ,, . ,, . . . . .
tn plat e xx hen the l\l·.R.·\ timetable , Skip Ktfer likes questions like this one ‘
called for designation and implententa-   Assessment is another piece ofthe pie, because they test not only a student’s (
tion of the first centers. l another one of those areas where so knowledge but also his or her ability to l
’l`here are 134 centers currently fund- 5 many questions were being asked reason. Unlike other types ofstandard-
lll lientuckv .\lutuuus \#Vinter 1991 \