CFK Weekly: October 28, 2002
We encourage distribution of this information! If reprinting in whole or part, please attribute it to Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org).
NEW ON CONNECT FOR KIDS
**White Oleander Reality Check
**Getting Out the Pro-Kid Vote
IN MEMORIAM
**Senator Paul Wellstone
KIDS AND POLITICS
**Lame Duck—Last Chance for Important Children's Programs
**Congress—To End or Not To End
**Take Your Kids to the Polls
**A Generational Look at the Public: Politics and Policy
**IDEA Funding: A Look at the Politics
**Finding the Hook: Getting Press Attention without a Traditional Press Conference
MENTAL HEALTH—A BETTER WAY
**The Well-Being of Our Nation
**Help for Families and Kids
REDUCING RISKS
**Health Risks of Latino Children
**Ad Campaign Gives Sobering Message to Drunk Drivers
**A Pregnant Women's Guide to Quit Smoking
**The 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
**National Center on Child Welfare and Substance Abuse Formed
COLLEGE—MORE NECESSARY, BUT MORE EXPENSIVE
**Number of Students Receiving Financial Aid Jumps
**House Committee Seeks Higher Education Comments
**Building a Career Pathways System: Promising Practices in Community College-Centered
Workforce
RECESSION HURTING WORKING FAMILIES
**The Price of Inaction
**The State of Working America
OFF THE STREET AND OUT OF TROUBLE
**Out-of-School Research Meets Out-of-School Policy
**Runaway/Thrownaway Children: National Estimates and Characteristics
**Hey Kid: Get Off the Street
**After School Polls Well
IMPROVING LEARNING
**Learning in Mixed Company
**Arthur's 100 Book Challenge
**Dollars and Sense
IMPLEMENTING NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
**State Education Chiefs Call for Flexibility in Implementation
**Secretary Paige Chides States on Implementation
**Desktop Reference on No Child Left Behind
**Overview of Legislation
**Child Trends on No Children Left Behind Act
FOCUS ON THE STATES
**Candidates for Governor on Education
**Get Ready for Food Stamp Reauthorization in Your State (updated)
**State-by-State News
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
NEW ON CONNECT FOR KIDS
**White Oleander Reality Check
When Hollywood takes a novel and turns it into a big budget movie with big-name
stars, can the result be true to life? Four young women who have traveled for
real through the cinematic territory of White Oleander—a young girl's
experience of foster care—screened the movie with Kendra Hurley of Foster
Care Youth United. Here are their reactions.
http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_subject.htm?doc_id=127362
**Getting Out the Pro-Kid Vote
Long-time child advocate Jack Levine has some practical suggestions for helping
busy parents make it to the polls on November 5.
http://www.connectforkids.org/benton_topics1544/benton_topics_show.htm?doc_id=127363
IN MEMORIAM
**Senator Paul Wellstone
We at Connect for Kids are deeply saddened by the loss of Senator Paul Wellstone
and members of his family and staff, who worked tirelessly for policies and
programs to improve the lives of children. Senator Wellstone's dedication to
serving the youngest, smallest and least among us was unswerving. His candor
and integrity set the highest standard for politicians and politics. He will
be sorely missed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17285-2002Oct25.html
KIDS AND POLITICS
**Lame Duck—Last Chance for Important Children's Programs
If you like exciting fourth-quarter politics, tune in to the "lame duck"
session—the period from Congress' return on November 12 until the new
Congress is seated in January. Americans can have an impact on the outcome by
voting with kids in mind on November 5, and alerting politicians that paying
attention to children's needs can make or break elections.
According to advocates, the lame duck session this is the last chance for Congress
to take specific actions needed for kids and families this year—increasing
funding for child care and Head Start, a three-year extension of an improved
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program, and passing
adequate appropriations bills, especially the Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education bill that pays for education, health care, child care and other
important services for families and communities. The Legislative Action Center
has information and tools to act.
http://capwiz.com/cdf/issues/alert/?alertid=647011&type=CO
**Congress—To End or Not To End
A Congressional compromise may be in the works for the Family Opportunity Act,
which would let parents of children with disabilities to buy into the Medicaid
health insurance program, even when their incomes exceed eligibility limits.
There is also legislation pending that would give states some fiscal support
and protect State Children's Health Iinsurance Program and Medicaid funding
during financial crises. The National Health Law Program is tracking these and
other bills.
http://www.healthlaw.org/pubs/200210.capcomm.oct22.html
**Take Your Kids to the Polls
The Council for Excellence in Government recommends taking your kids with you
when you vote—a civic education in action!
http://www.takeyourkidstovote.org
**A Generational Look at the Public: Politics and Policy
An October 2002 poll finds a generational gap in the way Americans view their
relationship with government. Two-thirds of those over 65, compared with only
one-third of those 18 to 29, said they are certain to vote in November.
http://www.kff.org/content/2002/3273/
**IDEA Funding: A Look at the Politics
Andrew Rotherham argues that making special education for children a political
contest, with reform pitted against funding, has hindered what a good Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) bill really needs—both appropriate
reforms and adequate funding.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06rotherham.h22
**Finding the Hook: Getting Press Attention without a Traditional Press
Conference
Holding a press conference is just one strategy for getting your message in
the media. Another is to take advantage of newsworthy events to insert your
organization and message into a story. This Families USA tip sheet for advocacy
groups describes the steps.
http://www.familiesusa.org/Fall2002ImPRESSive.pdf
MENTAL HEALTH—A BETTER WAY
**The Well-Being of Our Nation
This National Council on Disabilities report says an inadequate public mental
health system is behind the country's mental health crisis. The outpatient system
operates from 9 to 5, so other systems—law enforcement, jails and prisons,
emergency rooms, homeless shelters—have taken on a larger share of people
in crisis. Children and youth with severe emotional disturbances are shuffled
around, often ending up in foster care, juvenile justice or institutions. Even
when kids are legally entitled to services, as they are under Medicaid or IDEA,
the shortage of knowledgeable attorneys makes enforcement difficult.
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/mentalhealth.html
**Help for Families and Kids
This new D.C. Children's Hospital handbook helps caregivers identify signs of
distress and respond appropriately when kids have been exposed to traumatizing
events.
http://www.dcchildrens.com/about/abt5a_mn.asp
http://www.dcchildrens.com/about/institutehandbook.pdf
REDUCING RISKS
**Health Risks of Latino Children
Latino children and youth are at greater risk for fatal traffic injuries and
gun injuries, according to a discussion on Latino health disparities in this
week's Journal of the American Medical Association.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v288n16/ffull/jlt1023-1.html
**Ad Campaign Gives Sobering Message to Drunk Drivers
Is "Don’t drink and drive" coming through loud and clear? A
new ad campaign tries to follow the advice of teens in focus groups who say
grabbing their attention is key. The new TV spots feature before and after pictures
of a young woman who suffered 60 percent burns in a car accident in Texas.
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/oct/texas_dwi/index.html
**A Pregnant Women's Guide to Quit Smoking
We've come a long way in cutting down on smoking during pregnancy—but
there's still room for improvement. This guide offers information and methods
to help women quit smoking.
http://www.sophe.org
**The 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
In an annual survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration,
10.8 percent of youths age 12 to 17 reported using an illicit drug in the previous
month—compared with 9.7 percent in 2000. The rate of current illicit drug
use was highest among American Indians/Alaska Native youth (23.0 percent for
combined 2000 and 2001 data). White youth were more likely to use marijuana
than Hispanic, Black or Asian youth. Among young adults aged 18 to 25 years,
12.4 percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs at least once in the
past year.
http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/topics.htm#Youth
**National Center on Child Welfare and Substance Abuse Formed
The newly formed National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare will focus
on examining and improving the response to the connected concerns of parental
addiction and child welfare involvement.
http://www.cffutures.com/National_Center/Press_Release/Press_Release.pdf
Connect for Kids has links to information on the relationship between child
welfare and parental substance abuse in our topic pages.
http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_list.htm?attrib_id=312&doc_id=82343
COLLEGE—MORE NECESSARY, BUT MORE EXPENSIVE
**Number of Students Receiving Financial Aid Jumps
Six in ten full-time college students get financial aid to supplement family
payments, according to newly released Census data from 1996 and 1997. More than
half of full-time students come from families with annual incomes of less than
$50,000; tuition, book costs and room and board averaged some $8,700 a year.
http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p70-83.pdf
**House Committee Seeks Higher Education Comments
The House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce is accepting
public comments regarding reauthorization of the Higher Education Act—including
ideas for expanding access to and addressing the rising costs of higher education,
ensuring accountability in the use of federal funds, simplifying student aid
and institutional aid programs, and preparing kids for college.
http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/107th/education/highereducation/heacomments/index.htm
**Building a Career Pathways System: Promising Practices in Community
College-Centered Workforce Development
Some form of post-secondary training is critical in today's economy. The Workforce
Strategy Center says community colleges can be a bridge to better skills and
further education for many low-wage workers. Community colleges only improve
workers' opportunities for advancement, but boost the skilled workforce for
businesses and communities.
http://www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/Career_Pathways.pdf
RECESSION HURTING WORKING FAMILIES
**The Price of Inaction
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is calling on Congress to strengthen
the Temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, created as part of
economic stimulus legislation in March 2002. This report warns that unless Congress
extends and strengthens the temporary program, approximately 3 million workers
and their families will receive fewer weeks of federal unemployment benefits
than they need.
http://www.cbpp.org/10-1-02ui.pdf
**The State of Working America
With unemployment up sharply and job growth stagnating, the tight labor market
of the 90s is quickly unwinding and its benefits beginning to fade, cautions
this annual report from the Economic Policy Institute. On the positive side,
strong productivity growth remains, and wages continue to outpace inflation—though
they are beginning to slow. Hourly wages for production/manufacturing and non-supervisory
service workers (about 80 percent of all workers) are growing at the slowest
rate since the beginning of 1995. Unless growth accelerates soon, high and rising
unemployment will generate wage stagnation, higher poverty rates, and rising
inequality.
http://www.epinet.org/newsroom/releases/swa090102.html
OFF THE STREET AND OUT OF TROUBLE
**Out-of-School Research Meets Out-of-School Policy
Policymakers want to use scientific research to decide how to allocate public
resources for out-of-school programs. This Forum for Youth Investment Policy
Brief warns that focusing prematurely on inappropriate outcomes or short-term
results, however, may be counterproductive, giving a skewed picture of what
works and what doesn't and leading to false conclusions and bad policies.
http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/comment/ostpc1.pdf
**Runaway/Thrownaway Children: National Estimates and Characteristics
This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Bulletin provides
information on the number and characteristics of children who are gone from
their homes because they have run away or been thrown out by their caretakers.
Youth ages 15-17 made up two-thirds of such episodes during 1999.
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/missing.html#196469
**Hey Kid: Get Off the Street
Youth Today profiles the Portland, Oregon Homeless Youth Services Continuum,
a ground-breaking collaboration that uses case management, one-stop centers,
and a sophisticated data management system to coordinate services for runaway
and homeless youth. Nine out of ten youth in the program report involvement
with the state foster care system at some time in their lives.
http://www.youthtoday.org/youthtoday/story1.html
**After School Polls Well
The most recent Afterschool Alliance poll finds that nine out of ten voters
support out-of-school programs because they provide safe environments and educational
opportunities for kids.
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/poll_reports.cfm
IMPROVING LEARNING
**Learning in Mixed Company
A new study by St. Joseph College has found that low-income children attending
preschool alongside more affluent peers learned vocabulary and language skills
six times faster than those schooled exclusively with other low-income children.
http://www.ctnow.com/news/education/hc-preschool.artoct19,0,7740497.story?coll=hc-headlines-education
**Arthur's 100 Book Challenge
Children's television and book character Arthur is challenging kids to read
this fall. Parents and teachers can submit an entry form and get tips on helping
their classrooms meet Arthur's 100 Book Challenge with a kick-off party, weekly
book themes, milestone celebrations and more.
http://www.pbskids.org/arthur/grownups/events/hundred_books.html
**Dollars and Sense
Many people recognize the merits of small schools, but often think their costs
are prohibitive. This KnowledgeWorks Foundation analysis finds that when you
measure the cost per graduating student, small schools are actually a wise financial
and educational investment.
http://www.kwfdn.org/ProgramAreas/Facilities/dollars_sense.pdf
IMPLEMENTING NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
**State Education Chiefs Call for Flexibility in Implementation
The Council for the Chief State School Officers, which represents state education
heads, submitted a letter to the Department of Education warning that NCLB regulations
don't give states enough flexibility to develop strong accountability systems
or determine progress. Some of the Act's components would override state and
local laws and constitutional provisions.
http://www.ccsso.org/positions/TitleIdraftregs.pdf
**Secretary Paige Chides States on Implementation
In a letter to State School Chiefs, Education Secretary Rod Paige praised states'
progress on implementing the accountability measures of the No Child Left Behind
Act, but urged those lowering standards or in other ways departing from accountability
measures to rethink their actions.
http://www.nclb.gov/media/news/102302.html
**Desktop Reference on No Child Left Behind
The U.S. Department of Education has issued this Desktop Reference to give state
and district officials a substantive overview of policy changes and emphases
in the 2001 NCLB act. The manual details the purpose of the programs and how
they work, what's new in the law, how performance is measured, and the responsibilities
of state education departments.
http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/10-2002/10212002.html
**Overview of Legislation
The Education Testing Service (the SAT people) offers a briefing in lay language
with some detail on key components of the No Child Left Behind Act.
http://www.ets.org/aboutets/child/overview.html
**Child Trends on No Children Left Behind Act
The latest Child, Youth and Family Indicators newsletter from Child Trends explores
the impact of the No Child Left Behind legislation on state education measurements.
http://www.childtrends.org/PDF/ChildIndicatorSummer02.pdf
FOCUS ON THE STATES
**Candidates for Governor on Education
Education Week summarizes the education positions of each state's gubernatorial
candidates.
http://www.edweek.com/ew/vol-22/08govsbox.htm
Find this and other information for making your vote count for kids in the
Connect for Kids "Kids and Politics" feature.
http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_subject.htm?doc_id=82346
**Get Ready for Food Stamp Reauthorization in Your State (updated)
This Food Research and Action Center report has been revised to include the
new guidance from USDA's Food and Nutrition Service on implementing the legal
immigrant food stamp benefit restorations. The law requires states to take some
positive steps and also gives states a range of new options to improve the program
for low-income residents.
http://www.frac.org/pdf/implementation081402.PDF
**State-by-State News
Arizona
Arizona's schools have ranked low among the states, but new figures released
by the state show that a majority of reviewed schools demonstrate satisfactory
performance. Less than 14.5 percent, or 227, of Arizona's schools were found
to be "underperforming," meaning they had not met state performance
goals during the past three years nor shown progress toward improvement.
http://www.ade.state.az.us/services/pio/press-releases/2002/pr10-15-02.asp
Arkansas
According to KARK TV, 20 percent of children living in Arkansas are malnourished.
As food banks struggle to meet the growing demand, many eligible families are
not getting food stamps.
http://www.kark.com/karktv/news/story_tmp.asp?cmd=view&Storyid=4750
California
Children Now's two new Kids Count reports "California Report Card 2002"
and "California: The State of Our Children 2002"—find that California
trails the nation in education, health and economic security measures, despite
comparatively high levels of median personal income. Just over half of the state's
3- and 4-year-olds attend preschool, compared to almost two-thirds nationwide,
and just 41 percent of eligible children are enrolled in Head Start, compared
with 58 percent nationwide. California has the 8th highest child poverty rate,
the second highest student/teacher ratio and the highest student/counselor ratio
in the country.
http://www.childrennow.org
California is one of a few states to raise its minimum wage above the federal
level. Although it raises wages for working families at the bottom of the wage
scale without hurting job growth, it is still not enough to support a family's
minimal standard of living, reports the California Budget Project. The purchasing
power of the minimum wage has eroded since the 1960s and remains below its pre-1982
value.
http://www.cbp.org/2002/bbminwage0210.htm
California state leaders announced that 84 percent of the state's first-year
teachers were still on the job after four years—largely because of salaries,
training, and support. Some advocates say the results don't include teachers
with emergency credentials. State officials say future studies will be inclusive
and that current data will be disaggregated to show the schools, districts and
subjects that teachers are leaving.
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/
The Children's Partnership has responses from 70 candidates on youth access
to technology, reflecting the importance of technology readiness as a public
policy issue that candidates for elective office are taking seriously.
http://www.techpolicybank.org/candidateresponses.html
District of Columbia
The demographics of the wider D.C. metro region are becoming increasingly diverse,
as noted in this Urban Institute brief.
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/where_we_live_1.pdf
Illinois
The 19th annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival takes place October
24 through November 3, 2002.
http://www.cicff.org
Kentucky
Applications are now available for the Early Childhood Advocacy Fellowship,
an opportunity for citizens to learn advocacy skills and meet the people who
shape early childhood policy in Kentucky. Fellows will receive a $500 stipend
for completing the 7-month commitment.
http://www.kyyouth.org (Look in the Green
Box)
Louisiana
A report from the Academic Distinction Fund (ADF), a local education fund, provides
key facts, dispels some myths and makes a few suggestions to involve all citizens
in improving teaching and learning.
http://www.publiceducation.org/cgi-bin/downloadmanager/publications/p119.asp
Maine
Effective July 25, 2002, the Maine Department of Human Services adopted a new
policy to guide its work with siblings in out-of-home care, with the help of
the Maine Youth Leadership Advisory Team.
http://www.ylat.usm.maine.edu/leadership/policy/siblingposition.htm
or
http://www.ylat.usm.maine.edu/publications/newsletter/index.htm
Michigan
Get prepared to vote by studying the ballot measures and candidates before you
go to the polls on November 5. Print out a customized ballot and click to candidates'
websites at http://www.publius.org.
Read more about the ballot measures at http://sosntsl01.sos.state.mi.us/voterguide/proposals.asp.
Need an absentee ballot?
http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633_8716_8728---,00.html
Missouri
The state of Missouri spends much more to fix problems than invest in the services
that foster healthy youth development, according to the Youth Development Policy
Handbook from Citizens for Missouri's children. The report finds that the state's
youth development programs suffer from poor funding, a lack of coordination,
and little oversight. More after-school programs are needed throughout the state.
http://www.mokids.org/youthdevelopmentpublications.htm
New York
Teenagers are a rapidly increasing percentage of the New York City foster care
population—as fewer children are entering foster care and those already
involved are aging. The Center for New York City Affairs at New School University
says more attention must be paid to teens aging out of the system who are at
high risk for homelessness, premature parenting, or crime.
http://www.nycfuture.org
North Carolina
Charlotte Advocates for Education has released their "Community Guide to
Understanding the School Budget" with information on Charlotte-Mecklenberg
Schools, the state's largest district. The guide includes a budget calendar,
sample letters and e-mails, and contact information for organizations and elected
officials directly involved with the budgeting process.
http://www.advocatesfored.org/communityguide.htm
Ohio
The Akron Beacon Journal reports that strict rules make receiving unemployment
benefits difficult. According to Zach Schiller of Policy Matters Ohio, "Ohio
is one of only five states in the country in which a worker making minimum wage
working all year for 20 hours a week would not be eligible." Even a person
working four days a week at minimum wage would not qualify for benefits in the
state.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/4303727.htm
Pennsylvania
"Early Care and Education: The Keystone of Pennsylvania's Future"
details research findings and recommendations for the future of Pennsylvania's
early care and educational delivery system. The report calls on the state Legislature
to lower the compulsory school age from 8 to 6, make preschool programs available
to 3- and 4-year-olds, and give school districts funding for full-day kindergarten.
http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=431616.
Washington
The Seattle Times asserts that in the weeks since discovering a gaping $33-million
budget hole, Schools Superintendent Joseph Olchefske has tackled the problem
with refreshing candor and aggressive action. But the Public Education Network
says that Olchefske and Seattle Schools need all the help they can get to balance
the budget while maintaining quality education and financial integrity.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=skul06&date=20021006&query=33-million
PRIVACY POLICY
In an effort to better serve the subscribers of our electronic newsletters,
the Connect for Kids Weekly and Connections, periodically we may employ
tracking software that lets us know how subscribers move from the e-mail
newsletter to our Web site. The information we gather is strictly intended for
internal evaluation and will not be shared with any individual or
organization.
http://www.connectforkids.org/information1537/information_show.htm?doc_id=9207
Stay in touch, everyone!
Jan Richter, Policy and Outreach Specialist, and the Connect for Kids team
Jan@benton.org
connect
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