 Bringing you relevant news, research and policy updates
affecting children, youth and families. May 19, 2010 |
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Editor's Note
There are economic indicators everywhere you turn. This past weekend, I attended my son's law school graduation. It was a thrill watching him cross the stage, accompanied by his two young children. Yet at the graduation party, I was struck by how many of the guests -- new graduates and older family members alike -- were looking for jobs. In my life, the list of friends, former colleagues and family members who are looking for work is still growing. So while the data says we've turned the corner after losing 8 million jobs, it's clear to most of us that we aren't out of the woods yet. This week's Update is full of action alerts to keep emergency assistance in place for states and families (especially those struggling with job loss), to urge Congress not to postpone the Child Nutrition Bill and address inequities and funding woes for high-poverty schools and college students in need of financial aid. With the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) moving forward, this week we focus on what needs to be done to improve learning and build on the successes and address the shortcomings of No Child Left Behind. Also this week: some reactions to the new Supreme Court ruling on life imprisonment for juveniles. While we focus on the big picture -- from improving schools and protecting youth from risk to rolling back the obesity epidemic -- we are reminded by Vincent Schiraldi's New York Times letter to the editor that making a difference also means paying attention to details, like loopholes that increase funding inequities or rob local programs of adequate supports. What are some of the economic indicators you're noticing in your life or in your work?
Signs of stagnation, signs of progress -- let us know!
Jan
Jan Richter, editor emeritus, and the CFK Team
CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes the best news, research and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org.
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 Nutrition News: Food for ThoughtChild Nutrition Reauthorization in Jeopardy of Postponement
Senate leaders are thinking about postponing the child nutrition bill for another year or two. Instead of new funding for healthier food, stronger nutrition standards and grants for Farm to School programs, schools could end up with the same-old system next year. Signatures for this "Dear Colleague" letter urging Senate leaders to make time for the bill are due by May 19.
Task Force on Childhood Obesity Issues Action Plan
A new action plan from the Task Force on Childhood Obesity makes recommendations on how to empower families to make better food choices, improve school foods and community access to healthier foods and increase opportunities for physical activity and recreation -- some could be implemented now.
May 20 Webinar: Linking Diverse Communities through Healthy Food: Examples from Metropolitan Areas
This National Good Food Network webinar features several presenters who will share how they have found success.
FoodCorps
Imagine AmeriCorps service members building and tending school gardens and developing Farm to School programs for public schools around the country. That's the aim of FoodCorps, a national school garden and Farm to School service program.
June 9 Webinar: Beauty Redefined: The Future of Girls' Body Image, Health and Media
A 12-year-old told me that she has only one friend who makes her feel "normal." The rest of the time she doesn't feel normal because she is "oversized." The National Assembly invites you to join this Girl Scout webinar on girls' self-images in the midst of media that emphasizes thinness and the growing focus on the obesity challenge.
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Reducing Risks for Young People
Health & Health Care
Health Reform Addresses Low Insurance Rates among Youth Adults
Because 19- to 26-year-olds have the lowest rates of insurance coverage of any age group, a new provision in the health care reform law allowing parents to keep adult children in their family coverage could have broad implications for young adults.
Administration Re-Balances National Drug Control Strategy
President Obama's new National Drug Control Strategy, calling for a 15 percent reduction in the rate of youth drug use over the next five years, shifts policy to strike a balance among prevention, evidence-based treatment in the health care system, innovations in the criminal justice system and international partnerships to disrupt drug trafficking organizations. The new strategy is also designed to provide information and assistance to local agencies, youth and families.
Education & After-School
Hispanics, High School and the GEDHispanics, especially foreign-born students, have a higher dropout rate and a lower GED completion rate than their black or white counterparts, reports the Pew Hispanic Center. An interesting twist: because many foreign-born Hispanics arrive here as adults, those who do earn a GED end up with higher earnings.
May 20 Webinar: How Municipal Leaders Can Engage Parents In Dropout Prevention
This webinar will focus on how municipal leaders can engage parents and communities to address the high school dropout crisis that claims 1.3 million students each year.
Strengthening Partnerships and Building Public Will for Out-of-School Time Programs
This National League of Cities guide highlights three key strategies that mayors and other city leaders can use to promote partnerships and build public will in support of out-of-school time programs -- broaden partnerships to take full advantage of community resources, keep out-of-school time on the public agenda and provide leadership to establish common benchmarks and a shared vision. Juvenile Justice (and More) New York Juvenile Justice
In a letter to the editor of the New York Times, Vincent Schiraldi, of the New York Department of Probation, cites a key hurdle in reforming juvenile justice -- "The fewer youth we send to the state, the more it charges us for each child." Supreme Court Rules on Life without Parole for Juveniles
On May 17 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that juveniles convicted of a non-homicide may not be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Check out a video by Equal Justice Initiative's Executive Director, Bryan A. Stevenson, who argued that life without parole for juveniles is cruel and unusual punishment -- and therefore unconstitutional. Preventing Gang Violence and Building Communities Where Young People Thrive
This toolkit draws upon lessons learned over the past three years from the California Cities Gang Prevention Network. Each city is implementing a comprehensive gang reduction plan that blends prevention, intervention and enforcement and includes a focus on increasing opportunities for young people. Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
Students involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems may not be enrolled in local district schools, so responsibility for their education becomes diffused or ignored. Lack of systematic collaboration can cause fragmentation and duplication that wastes agency resources and burdens families. This report argues that child welfare, juvenile justice, education and related systems need to work together to improve education for youth in multiple systems.
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Poor Job Market Hits Young Adults Hard
 Millennial Dreams Deferred
They may be larger in number, better-educated and more diverse than previous generations, but there is something else that marks the generation born between 1982 and 2001 -- their dreams and prospects have been hit hard by the recession.
The Class of 2010: Economic Prospects for Young Adults in the Recession
Young Americans graduating from college or high school this spring are facing the worst job market in at least a quarter century, the Economic Policy Institute reports.
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We've Got News for Washington, DC
Keep Medicaid Solvent
Low-income families are in danger of losing Medicaid benefits due to continued state budget crises. The enhanced federal matching rate for Medicaid ("FMAP"), originally enacted through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is set to expire December 31, 2010.
- Families USA urges using its toll-free number (1-866-922-4970) to call for Senators and Representatives to extend the enhanced FMAP before the Memorial Day recess.
- Stateline reports that only DC and Connecticut have submitted applications to expand Medicaid under the new federal health care law - a move that could save both jurisdictions tens of millions of dollars.
Action Alert: Urge Congress to Extend Emergency Aid to States and Families
While the economy is beginning to add jobs, it will take years to recover the millions of jobs lost since 2007. Families and states have exhausted reserves yet Congress has not extended emergency aid to jobless families and cash-strapped states, including additional Medicaid funding and TANF emergency funds.
- The Coalition on Human Needs says calls (1-877-442-6801) are urgent as House members fear attacks on deficit-spending if they support the emergency aid in H.R. 4213.
Action Alert: Increase Funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers
After school programs keep kids safe and focused. The Afterschool Alliance urges adequate funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
Emergency Funds Needed to Protect Children from Maltreatment
Child abuse and neglect are on the rise during these times of financial strain. Every Child Matters has a petition urging Congressional leaders to make child abuse prevention a higher budget priority, including providing emergency funds to stop state cuts in child protection services.
Keep Tax Credits for Low-Wage Families
The Coalition on Human Needs says May 21 is the deadline to add your organization to a sign-on letter urging Congress to continue tax credits for working families.
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Getting a Good Start
Early Head Start: Research Findings
Child Trends reports that Early Head Start gains persist into the preschool years -- improved math and literacy skills, reduced aggressive or hyperactive behaviors, longer attention spans and a more engaged relationship between the children and their parents.
State Early Childhood Policy Profiles
The National Center for Children in Poverty has released their updated Early Childhood Profiles that provide a comprehensive view of state policies affecting the health and well-being of the youngest low-income children.
Helping Pregnant and Parenting Teens Find Housing
Up to 400,000 teen girls are pregnant and homeless. The American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law and the Healthy Teen Network have developed an overview of programs and housing-related legal and policy issues for advocates working with young families in need.
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Improving Learning
High Lead Levels Impair Learning
The Detroit Free Press reports that 60% of Detroit public school students who performed below their grade level on 2008 standardized tests had elevated lead levels, demonstrating for the first time a clear link between lead poisoning and academic performance.
Reading Comprehension Programs Yield Few Gains
A Mathematica Policy Research evaluation of "reading to learn" curricula found that of supplemental reading-comprehension curricula evaluated, only ReadAbout improved students' reading comprehension; in that case, only in social studies for teachers experienced with the program. Two teacher practices, classroom management and explicit reading strategy guidance such as teachers explaining text structure and modeling comprehension strategies, were positively correlated with improvements in reading comprehension.
Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters
The ability to read is central to a child's success in school, life-long earning potential, and the ability to contribute to the nation's economy and its security -- but two-thirds of fourth graders are not proficient in reading according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The ratio is even worse for low-income students, increasing their risks for educational failure and poverty into the next generation. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is focusing attention on the importance of achieving grade-level reading proficiency for all children by the end of third grade. Check out the May 18 release.
Vote for a DASH+ Grand Winner
 Help choose the grand winner for DASH+, the national contest that challenged students to design the eco-friendly automotive dashboard of the future. The public can vote once per day for their favorite team until May 31.
Teens and Mobile Phones
Parents and teachers may find teen phone use disruptive, but this Pew report also finds that mobile phones are helping disadvantaged teens with no home computer to bridge the Digital Divide. The report was based on phone interviews of 800 youth ages 12 to 17 and their parents.
ESEA Reauthorization
In her testimony to Congress on ESEA reauthorization, Karen Pittman, President of the Forum for Youth Investment. argued for taking a broad view where it counts -- including the quality of the classroom learning environment when evaluating teachers, including family and community supports when defining the educational system, expanding outcomes when setting criteria for major funding streams and broadening measures of student success beyond literacy and math to include 21st century skills.
- When a leading expert changes her mind, people listen. Diane Ravitch's new book "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education" concludes that relying on narrow testing and school choice fall far short as strategies for improving student learning.
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Funding Woes Threaten Teachers & Students
 Keep Our Educators Working Act
School leaders nationwide are bracing for deep budget cuts in the upcoming school year. But the "Keep Our Educators Working Act of 2010" (S.3206) may offer hope. - But, the Education Trust cautions that a loophole in the bill could let states use $23 billion in assistance to replenish state reserves, rather than save teacher jobs. Education Trust has an action alert urging Congress to amend the Keep Our Educators Working Act so federal investments actually reach schools and keep the best teachers in front of our children.
Close the Hidden Funding Gaps in Our SchoolsUsing data from New York public schools, Education Trust reports that loopholes in federal law allow funding gaps to persist between high-poverty schools and their wealthier counterparts. Inside Higher Ed reports on the disparity between ambitious goals and dwindling state and local resources as community colleges try to provide a critical bridge to higher education for disadvantaged students. Are States Running Out of College Grant Money?
Some states are suspending or cutting college assistance in the face of budget shortfalls, leaving students with fewer options, like federal student assistance, to help pay for their college education. But wait, there's more...!
Find funding alerts and tools to help your work in the CFK Updated Funding Toolkit.
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 Test our new site!
CFK, the Youth Policy Action Center and National Youth Development Information Center are merging and relaunching as SparkAction: for children, for youth, for change in a few short weeks. Want a sneak peek now? Become a beta tester and you don't have to wait to experience the new site! It's easy
and it give you the chance to lend your voice to the growing SparkAction
community. Visit SparkAction.org to get in on the action.
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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