CFK Weekly—Dec. 4, 2000

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
**Growing Independence
**Making Change in D.C.
**Learning to Live Independently
**FosterClub

CONNECT TODAY
**Kids as Community Builders?

KIDS AND POLITICS
**CDF Says Children Shouldn't Have to Wait
**National PTA Urges Approval of  $7.9 Billion Increase for Education Funding
**Letter to Congress on Youth Employment

UNDERSTANDING RISKS, PROTECTING KIDS
**Protecting Teens: Beyond Race, Income and Family Structure
**HHS Releases 10th Special Report on Alcoholism
**Don't Leave ?Out-of-Home? Kids Out of Reproductive Health Services
** Better Health through Physical Activity and Sports
**Nova on PBS: Dying to be Thin
**Smoking Cessation and African Americans

EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
**Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project ?Exemplary?
**Morino Institute Launches Youth Development Collaborative
**Lucas Foundation Profiles Sherman Oaks Experience
**Art Becomes the Fourth ?R?
**Educators Share Lesson Ideas for Using Technology

EARLY YEARS AND EARLY LEARNING
**Heads Up for New Carnegie Report
**I Am Your Child Early Literacy Materials

IMPROVING SCHOOLS
**Monitoring School Quality: An Indicators Report
**Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century

REPORTS IN BRIEF
** Projections of Education Statistics to 2010
**Researchers Identify Gene Common to Many Autism Cases
**Census Bureau 1997 Poverty and Population Estimates for School Districts
**Juveniles and the Death Penalty

FOCUS ON THE STATES
**State Policy Initiatives: Family Planning to Family Caps
**Measuring Up 2000: State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education
**State-by-State News

SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
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NEW ON CONNECT FOR KIDS

**Growing Independence
One year ago, the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 created a new federal commitment to helping foster children make a safe, healthy transition to living on their own. Susan Kellam looks at how the new law is promoting change across the country.
http://www.connectforkids.org/content1552/content_show.htm?attrib_id=314&doc_id=41937

**Making Change in DC
Rita Atkinson was stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide -- no computer, no Internet, and no technology training -- when she learned about a program run by the East Capitol Center for Change in Washington, D.C.  Now, Atkinson is teaching a computer class at the center.
http://www.connectforkids.org/content1556/content_show.htm?attrib_id=343&doc_id=41939

**Learning to Live Independently
Kids transitioning out of foster care at age 18 often face the challenges of independent living by themselves. Connect for Kids features original articles and resources on the topic.
http://www.connectforkids.org/content1552/content_list.htm?attrib_id=314

**FosterClub
Find out what famous people grew up in foster care, listen to the voices of kids in the system and get advice on education and job hunting on this site designed by foster parents for kids in foster care.
http://www.fosterclub.org/grownups/index.html
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CONNECT TODAY

**Kids as Community Builders
Do you know a child or young person who has made your community a better place for kids and families, especially around holiday time? Send stories of civic-minded kids to julee@benton.org
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KIDS AND POLITICS
While we wait for final results in the presidential election, don't forget that there is still important legislative business pending in the current 106th Congress!

**CDF Says Children Shouldn't Have to Wait
Congress postponed work on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (?Labor-H?), the most important spending bill for children, until after the November election and then again until December 4. ?Labor-H? is the major federal funding mechanism for child care, Head Start, education, health care and after-school programs. The Children's Defense Fund has scheduled call-in days for Dec. 5 and 6 to tell members of Congress not to delay any longer.
http://congress.nw.dc.us/cgi-bin/alertpr.pl?dir=cdf&alert=19

**National PTA Urges Approval of  $7.9 Billion Increase for Education Funding
Included in the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill is a bipartisan-negotiated agreement to increase education funding by $7.9 billion, according to the National Parent Teacher Association. Also at stake in the lame duck session is a bipartisan school construction bill (H.R. 4094, America's Better Classrooms Act), which could generate nearly $25 billion in school construction and modernization bonds.
http://congress.nw.dc.us/npta2/elecmail.html

**Letter to Congress on Youth Employment
The ?Labor-H? appropriations bill includes funding for the Workforce Investment Act, which covers summer jobs for youth and Youth Opportunity Grants. The National Youth Employment Coalition is circulating a letter to Congress encouraging approval of the increased spending levels agreed on by Congressional and White House negotiators on Oct. 30. For information, contact David Brown <db@nyec.org>.
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UNDERSTANDING RISKS, PROTECTING KIDS

**Protecting Teens: Beyond Race, Income and Family Structure
?If we make judgments about kids based on the color of their skin, their parents' bank account, or the number of parents they have, we will be wrong much of the time. We have to ask the right questions,? argues Dr. Robert Blum, lead investigator of the latest analysis of the Add Health data, the largest national survey of teens and their parents. According to the report, risk factors like race, income, and family structure (single parents, etc.) have very little predictive value and can mislead parents and policy makers in assessing a teenager's vulnerability for high-risk behaviors. On the other hand, teen reports of trouble concentrating in school, problems with schoolwork, or spending lots of time ?hanging out with friends? are much more predictive of serious risk-taking in adolescence than demographics. The monograph is available online. E-mail for a hard copy <aph@umn.edu>. http://www.peds.umn.edu/peds-adol/di.html

**HHS Releases 10th Special Report on Alcoholism
One in four children under 18 live in a household where a family member is alcohol-dependent or abuses alcohol, placing them at greater risk for violence, abuse, accidents and future alcohol misuse themselves. This 10th special report to Congress documents the scope of alcohol's impact, summarizes the latest research into the genetic and environmental factors that can lead to alcohol addiction and reviews promising interventions for prevention and treatment.
http://silk.nih.gov/silk/niaaa1/publication/10report/10-order.htm

**Don't Leave ?Out-of-Home? Kids Out of Reproductive Health Services
Given the high incidence of sexual abuse and other risk factors among kids in foster care, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association encourages family planning service providers to link up with foster care and homeless service providers in their community so that these especially vulnerable kids are well-served. NFPRHA's issue brief, ?Programming in Reproductive Health for Youth in Out-of-Home Care: A Practical Guide for Managers? is available by emailing Uma Setty <usetty@nfprha.org>.

**Better Health through Physical Activity and Sports
Sports and physical activity may be associated with leisure activities, but there is nothing frivolous about the need for improving the physical fitness of our children. According to the U.S. Depts. of Health and Human Services and Education, ?our nation's young people are, in large measure, inactive, unfit and increasingly overweight,? contributing in the short-run to unprecedented levels of childhood obesity and threatening to reverse decades-long progress in reducing death from cardiovascular diseases. The report identifies a number of ways families, schools and communities can encourage and improve opportunities for physical activities.
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/presphysactrpt

** Nova on PBS: Dying to be Thin
On December 12 (check your local listings to be sure) PBS' Nova series will air ?Dying to Be Thin,? probing the roots of eating disorders, the dangers and possible solutions. http://pbs.org/wgbh/nova/thin

**Smoking Cessation and African Americans
Despite a pattern of starting tobacco use at a later age and smoking fewer cigarettes per day than other ethnic groups, African Americans typically have a harder time quitting tobacco. The Onyx Group reviews some of the research and action steps individuals and communities of color can take to improve these odds.
http://www.onyx-group.com/Cessation.htm
 
Learn more about protecting kids from harm and risky behaviors on the Connect for Kids Substance Abuse topic page. http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1543/index.htm

Our Teen Years feature covers adolescent development and resources for helping teens stay on track.
http://www.connectforkids.org/content1555/content.htm
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EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY

**Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project is ?Exemplary?
Is the classroom computer a toy, a ?drill sergeant,? or a tool used creatively for projects that effectively teach students teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking? The San Jose Mercury News reports on how computers can be used wisely in schools, as demonstrated in the Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project sponsored by Joint Venture Silicon Valley and the San Mateo County Office of Education. The project is one of only two nationwide that the U.S. Dept. of Education recently recognized as ?exemplary? for using technology in schools.
http://www0.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/front/docs/school112800.htm

**Morino Institute Launches Youth Development Collaborative
The Morino Institute took a ?hands-on? attitude in establishing pilot computer centers in four different Washington schools. It argues that giving computers to schools is not enough unless you train staff and fund technical support.
http://www.youthlearn.org

**Lucas Foundation Profiles Sherman Oaks Experience
What does a good integration of technology and learning look like in a school? The George Lucas Educational Foundation describes the experience of the Sherman Oaks Community Charter School in San Jose.
http://glef.org/FMPro?-DB=articles1.fp5&-Format=ShermanOaks.html&-lay=layout%20%231&-Op=eq&type=shermanoaks&-sortfield=feature%20order&-Find

**Art Becomes the Fourth ?R?
Those who support the arts in education have often been on the defensive when it comes to fighting for education dollars. Now a new argument claims that the Internet revolution has boosted art to the head of the class. Jason Ohler, director of the education technology program at the University of Alaska Southeast, argues that "the multimedia environment of the Web, as well as much of what we experience through our computers, requires students to think and communicate as designers and artists." Ohler's latest article, ?Art as the Fourth R,? is published in the October 2000 issue of Educational Leadership. Information and a petition are available online.
http://www2.jun.alaska.edu/edtech/fourthr/4thR.html/4thR.fs1.html

**Educators Share Lesson Ideas for Using Technology
If you want some creative, ready-to-use ideas for using computer resources in teaching and learning, check out these ?e-tools? shared by educators around the country.
http://www.nea.org/technology/resource.htm

Visit the Connect for Kids ?Technology? topic page for background information and previous reports. http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1543/index.htm
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EARLY YEARS AND EARLY LEARNING

**Heads Up for New Carnegie Report
When the Carnegie Corporation published the ?Starting Points? report in 1994, it drew attention to school-readiness and the importance of children's early years as a public policy matter. Carnegie's newest report ?Starting Now? (to be released in spring 2001) documents our progress since ?Starting Points? was published. The findings will be previewed at a national press conference on early childhood development on Dec. 5.
http://www.carnegie.org/sub/news/newsweek.html

Barbara Kantrowitz summarizes Carnegie's ?Starting Now? report in the current ?Your Baby? special 2000 edition of Newsweek. Copies of the Newsweek Special Edition are available on newsstands through Dec. 8, 2000.
http://www.neodata.com/Newsweek/jjsi/msnbc_baby_USA.htm

**I Am Your Child Early Literacy Materials
Talk with your baby, listen and respond, name feelings, pictures, and activities?these are the basics in being your child's first teacher. The ?Ready to Learn? video from the I Am Your Child Foundation translates into everyday activities the steps that experts say lead the way for babies, toddlers and preschoolers to enter school ?ready to learn.? Available in English and Spanish. Cost: $5.
http://www.iamyourchild.org/order/order.html
 
Learn more about early learning and the importance of the early years by visiting the ?Early Years? feature on Connect for Kids.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1548/index.htm
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IMPROVING SCHOOLS

**Monitoring School Quality: An Indicators Report
Focusing on the school characteristics that lead to improved student learning, this National Center on Education Statistics report reviews 13 ?education indicators? that recent research suggests are factors related to why some schools may be better than others at helping students learn. The indicators are school leadership, goals, professional community, discipline, academic environment, teacher academic skills, teaching assignment, teacher experience, professional development, course content, pedagogy, technology and class size.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001030

**Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century
This Carnegie Corporation report was released at the national conference of the National Middle School Association. Turning Points 2000 emphasizes the importance of a challenging curriculum and high expectations for young adolescents, but also the importance of understanding and addressing the unique needs of early adolescents and the role of stronger partnerships between families and communities.
http://www.nmsa.org/turningpoints.htm
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REPORTS IN BRIEF

** Projections of Education Statistics to 2010
This National Center for Education Statistics publication provides projections for enrollment, graduates, teachers and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/projections/

**Researchers Identify Gene Common to Many Autism Cases
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a gene that may predispose people to developing autism.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov2000/nichd-27.htm

**Census Bureau 1997 Poverty and Population Estimates for School Districts
Poverty and population estimates from 1997 for the nation's approximately 15,000 school districts, used by the U.S. Dept. of Education to allocate funds to aid disadvantaged children under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, are now available. Census 2000 data on poverty at the school district level will not be released until 2002.
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe.html

**Juveniles and the Death Penalty
This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Bulletin examines the history of capital punishment and Supreme Court decisions related to its use with juveniles. The bulletin profiles those sentenced to death for crimes committed as juveniles and notes the international movement toward abolishing this sanction.
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/court.html#184748
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FOCUS ON THE STATES

**State Policy Initiatives: Family Planning to Family Caps
Child Trends surveyed all 50 states to learn about their specific state programs and policies to discourage teenage and nonmarital childbearing. Among their findings: in recent years more states have been placing emphasis on teen pregnancy prevention. Out of the 14 states that did not have a policy requiring or encouraging STD education and did not provide contraception education statewide, four states -- Alabama, Indiana, New Mexico and Texas -- provided abstinence education. Nineteen states reported ?family caps? (i.e., they no longer increased TANF benefits when a mother receiving assistance had an additional child). Eleven states reported using welfare rules other than family caps to discourage nonmarital child-bearing, and 26 states ran youth development or young adult education/employment programs.
http://newfederalism.urban.org/html/anf_a43.html

**Measuring Up 2000: State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education
The state you live in, along with family resources and ethnicity, plays a major role in determining your college opportunities, according to this first-ever rating of the states' performance in preparing students for higher education and making post-secondary education accessible.
http://measuringup2000.highereducation.org/getpress.cfm

**State-by-State News
Check out news about kids in your state in the ?state-by-state? section of the Connect for Kids Web site.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1576/index.htm

Here's a sample of this week's additions to our state pages.

California -- San Jose
Lucas Foundation Profiles Sherman Oaks Experience
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=1661

District of Columbia
?Election Day 2000: Impact on the District?? an Urban Institute Forum, explored the relationship between the District and the federal government.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=385

Iowa
An American Humane Association review of Iowa's child-protection services says the system is hampered by inadequate training, unmanageable caseloads and an inability to deal with substance abuse issues in families.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=392

Michigan
The Kids Count in Michigan 2000 Data Book confirms that Michigan has a long way to go to achieve the majority of its goals of child well-being set for this year. http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=399

Missouri
KWMU-FM in St. Louis, MO and its partner, St. Louis Children's Hospital, are producing in-depth reports, call-in programs, and a special documentary to help educate the St. Louis community about injury prevention for infants and young children.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=402

New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Human Services has released an RFP for expanding statewide psychiatric crisis services. http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=407

New York
The Children's Defense Fund-NY reports on a new Student Health Outreach Project at the University of Rochester.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=409

North Carolina
State health officials have announced that North Carolina's children's health insurance program will freeze enrollment January 1, 2001. http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=410

Oregon
The Oregonian reported on a shift in priorities for the next state budget, as Kitzhaber, with Republican support, plans to spend more on early childhood and prevention services.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=414
 
Texas
Texans Care for Children and various co-sponsors are holding Grassroots
Skill Building Conferences in Austin on December 6, in San Antonio on December 13, and in Houston on Jan. 11, 2001.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=421

Utah
According to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt has accepted recommendations from an advisory commission of business and community leaders appointed to study child care issues.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=422

Wisconsin
The Capital Times reports on the findings of the Dane County Youth Assessment 2000 -- a survey of county teens taken every five years.
http://www.connectforkids.org/homepage1667/index.htm?state_id=427

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Jan Richter, Outreach Specialist and the Connect for Kids team
Jan@benton.org