NAD awards La Sierra education professor for contributions

Kido, director of the Center for Research on K-12 Adventist Education at La Sierra University’s School of Education, was honored during the NAD’s Year-end meetings where she delivered a progress report on the work of the NAD Education Taskforce which she chairs.

The recognition is the latest of Kido’s decades-long career as an Adventist educator who cares deeply about the church’s mission to holistically educate its youth. In January 2014 Kido, along with La Sierra alum and former California State Senator Bill Emmerson, were recognized with the Charles E. Weniger Society award for their contributions to their communities, the church and broader world.

Kido was born in Hawaii and grew up in California. When time came for her to attend college, an aunt who was Seventh-day Adventist thought Kido would benefit from attending an Adventist school in northern California, and Kido enrolled. “I’m here because of an Adventist aunt who thought I should go to Pacific Union College,” she told NAD administrators upon receiving her award. Her parents, who possessed high school educations and supported their five other children, paid for Kido’s college tuition. “I think they saw what an Adventist college did for my aunt who went on to medical school at the College of Medical Evangelists (Loma Linda University) and wanted the same for their eldest daughter,” said Kido.

Her background includes a doctorate from Boston University and academic administrative posts at several universities and colleges including St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., and Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. She arrived at La Sierra in 2001 as interim assistant provost. Between 2002-2006 she served as dean of the School of Education at La Sierra.

In 2006 Kido, together with statisticians Robert Cruise and Jerome Thayer launched the groundbreaking CognitiveGenesis study which over four years surveyed nearly 52,000 k-12 students at 800 Adventist schools around the United States, Canada and Bermuda. They compared Iowa Basic Skills tests and cognitive ability tests in grades 3-9 and 11 with public and private school students nationwide and as well as other data. In the face of declining enrollment in North American k-12 Adventist schools, survey results showed that students in SDA schools outperformed their peers in all subjects, for all grade levels and school sizes, regardless of ability level. In addition, students in Adventist schools performed above expectations in academic achievement based on their individual ability.

The Martin Doblmeier documentary, “The Blueprint: The Story of Adventist Education” which debuted on PBS television in spring 2014 was inspired by a Christian Science Monitor op-ed piece Kido penned about CognitiveGenesis. The film included data and insights from the study as well as a brief interview with Kido.

In 2010 Kido launched the Center for Research on K-12 Adventist Education as a base for further studies using the CognitiveGenesis data and other research, and dissemination of findings on Adventist education.

The NAD Education Taskforce which Kido currently chairs was charged last year with examining and prioritizing eight recommendations that include developing innovative strategies for the delivery of Adventist education and developing alternative funding streams for such education, including for non-Adventist students in the SDA system.

The taskforce will deliver its final report for next year’s NAD Year-end meetings.

“Many educational systems provide high-quality academic instruction to students,” said Kido. “The difference in Adventist education, however, is that the academic excellence is achieved through a Christ-centered, holistic approach, which seeks to nurture and challenge each child's mind, body, and spirit. Adventist education certainly had a profound influence on my life in all of these ways and brought me to a place wherein I can assist in ensuring today's young people have the same opportunities.”