Welcome to the ASBA’s 71st Annual Conference! We’re happy you have joined us for this opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate the achievements of Arkansas’s school board members and educators.
This presentation seeks to raise awareness of the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Arkansas and their impacts on learning, student achievement, adverse youth outcomes, and, ultimately, communities. It will present ways districts can utilize the 40 Developmental Assets framework to help (1) identify and build on the strengths and “sparks” of youths to facilitate positive outcomes; (2) build resilience in the face of ACEs by strengthening “protective factors” in the lives of all youths; and (3) organize and mobilize community-wide stakeholders as “asset-builders” in the lives of youths. The presentation will feature a sample “getting started” action plan for school board members, with attention to key policy decisions, assessment/ reporting tools for monitoring asset-building progress, and ways to lead not only their school districts but also their communities in asset-building efforts for the benefit of all youth.
