CFK Weekly - October 18, 2004
Connect for Kids.org: Better Policies for Kids
October 18, 2004
Caitlin Johnson, contributing writer to Connect for Kids, wrote this week's CFK Weekly. Send questions/comments to caitlin@connectforkids.org
Table of Contents. Click on heading to jump to that section.
NEW ON CONNECTFORKIDS.ORG
**Homecoming: More Than Football
**National Adoption Month
**Vote with Kids in Mind
EDUCATION NEWS
**Study of College Readiness Finds No Progress in Decade
**U.S. Warns Schools on Racially Separate Activities
**E-Rate Funds to Resume
**Misled on NCLB?
**Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy
KIDS & POLITICS
**National Media Recognizes Connect for Kids
**No New Budget Means Status Quo for Now
**Get Out the Vote for Kids
**Tools for Classroom Discussions of Foreign Policy
KEEPING KIDS HEALTHY
**The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools
**Medicaid is the Fastest Growing Component of State Budgets
**Capitol Hill Hears about Childhood Obesity
HEALTH IN THE EARLIEST YEARS
**Fetal Exposure to Common Solvents May Affect Brain Development
**Smoking During Pregnancy Down
**Expert Weighs in on Vaccines and Autism
ANTIDEPRESSANTS AGAIN MAKING HEADLINES
**Antidepressant Kid News
**A Whole Family Approach to Meds
JUSTICE MATTERS
**Disproportionate Minority Confinement Update
**Criminal Neglect: Substance Abuse, Juvenile Justice and the Children Left Behind
THINGS TO DO! PLACES TO GO!
**October 19: CDF’s Get-out-the-Vote Conference Call
**Schools & Community: Public Education in a Democratic Society
**Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood: Rethinking Public Policy
RESOURCES FOR FUNDING
**National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
**National Association of Youth Service Consultants
**Funds for School Health Programs
**Community Health Care Program Grants
FOCUS ON THE STATES
**State-by-State News
**Homecoming: More Than Football
Can 21st century schools build community by turning to traditional events like homecoming? Some educational leaders think so. Robert Capriccioso reports.
http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_show.htm?doc_id=243225
**National Adoption Month
November is National Adoption Month – a time to raise awareness about the 129,000 children in foster care nationwide waiting for permanent families. Answering the Call is the theme for 2004.
http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/general/adoptmonth/index.cfm
**Vote with Kids in Mind
Depending on whether or not you live in one of the hotly-contested "battleground" states, you may be bombarded between now and November 2nd with campaign ads, endorsements, and high pressure to commit to one side or the other. No pressure here – Connect for Kids reminds us all that the children in our lives deserve our participation in this election. Check out our Kids & Politics Web site.
http://www.kidsandpolitics.org/
**Study of College Readiness Finds No Progress in Decade
American high school students are no better prepared for college than they were 10 years ago, according to a new report by ACT, an organization that creates college entrance tests. Of the 1.2 million students nationwide who took the ACT tests this year, only 22 percent were ready for college-level work in English, mathematics and science. An additional 19 percent were prepared in two of the three areas, and could succeed in the third area "by doing just a little bit more," according to the report, which urges schools to strengthen the high school core curriculum to help improve students' readiness for college and the workforce.
http://www.act.org/news/releases/2004/10-14-04.html
**U.S. Warns Schools on Racially Separate Activities
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, concerned about school practices including holding segregated high school proms or allocating awards and honors based on race, recently sent an open letter to U.S. school districts and state agencies warning that such segregating is illegal and will be prosecuted.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/segprom-2004.html
**E-Rate Funds to Resume
In August, the FCC froze all new funds from the $2.25 billion E-Rate program
amidst concerns that the Universal Service Administrative Company, which administers the program, failed to comply with government accounting standards. E-Rate provides schools and libraries with funds for technology acquisition and use. Some advocacy groups have publicly decried the freeze. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission announced that the funds will resume soon. More information about the FCC and E-Rate are available online.
http://www.fcc.gov/learnnet/
**Misled on NCLB?
A new GAO report on state implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) suggests that President Bush misled the public when he declared, in the summer of 2003, that every state had complied with NCLB. Only 11 state plans were approved at that point,
and 24 state’s plans today have not bee approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04734.pdf
**Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy
This report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York outlines the fifteen key elements of an adolescent literacy intervention and how they can boost the academic achievement of today’s middle and high school students. The report’s authors recommend using research-based and results-driven strategies to aid struggling students.
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/ReadingNext/index.html
**National Media Recognizes Connect for Kids
MSNBC linked to Connect for Kids’ coverage of election 2004 in a recent news story called “Politics and parenthood: How to talk with your child about the upcoming election.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6142663/
**No New Budget Means Status Quo for Now
The 2005 fiscal year began October 1, without a 2005 budget. To prevent a government shutdown, Congress has authorized status quo funding until after the election. (The House and Senate return on November 15.) The National Education Association offers an overview of how final decisions will have implications for schools and programs serving families and communities.
www.nea.org/lac/funding
**Get Out the Vote for Kids
The Every Child Matters organization is encouraging concerned adults to vote with kids in mind. Their Web site offers guides for adults on issues affecting families and children, and activities to help kids learn more about democracy.
http://www.everychildmatters.org/site/R?i=QgU7BskyK5PPo2mmAHvgwA
**Tools for Classroom Discussions of Foreign Policy
For teachers wondering how to address today’s most controversial subjects, from the war in Iraq and the election to America’s role in the world, there is help on the Web. Teaching with the News -- an online resource developed by the Choices Program at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies -- offers lesson plans, policy options and background information to generate balanced, reasoned and critical classroom discussions.
http://www.choices.edu/curriculum_twtn.cfm
**The Value of Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity in Our Schools
A large rise in poor nutrition, inactivity and weight problems can adversely affect academic achievement and may cost schools millions of dollars each year, according to this report from Action for Healthy Kids. Among the findings: even well-nourished students who skip breakfast perform worse on tests and have poor concentration.
http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/AFHK/specialreports/index.htm
**Medicaid is the Fastest Growing Component of State Budgets
The cost of the Medicaid program – the public safety net program that serves more than 50 million Americans – increased faster than any other area of state budgets in
FY2003. For the first time, state spending on Medicaid is expected to surpass education spending, according to an annual review of state budgets from the National Association of State Budget Officers.
http://www.nasbo.org/Publications/PDFs/2003ExpendReport.pdf
**Capitol Hill Hears about Childhood Obesity
On October 5, St. Louis University’s Ross Brownson testified before the Senate on preventing childhood obesity. Brownson is a member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee for Prevention of Obesity in Children and Youth.
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimon.nsf/d03c70dbda7d2499852565e0004d4a2a/099b040e912da8ab85256f2a0070e267?OpenDocument
**Fetal Exposure to Common Solvents May Affect Brain Development
Children whose mothers were exposed to several common solvents during pregnancy score lower on language and behavior tests than those whose mothers were not exposed, according to a study published in the October 10 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The study tested several organic solvents used in dry cleaning, manufacturing, nail salons and other workplaces - including toluene, xylene, ethanol, methanol, acetone and isopropyl alcohol.
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/158/10/956
**Smoking During Pregnancy Down
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report finds that the smoking rate among U.S. pregnant women has declined by more than one-third since 1990.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5339a1.htm
**Expert Weighs in on Vaccines and Autism
Harvard University's Marie McCormick testified before Congress on October 5
about vaccines and autism. McCormick chaired the Institute of Medicine's
Committee on Immunization Safety Review.
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimon.nsf/d03c70dbda7d2499852565e0004d4a2a/aebe3fbf425af17285256f2a006fe606?OpenDocument
ANTIDEPRESSANTS AGAIN MAKING HEADLINES
**Antidepressant Kid News
On October 15, the federal Food and Drug Administration announced that it will require all antidepressant manufacturers to include expanded warnings on their drug labels alerting health care providers to an increased risk of suicide in children and adolescents. The move comes after a short-term (four-month) analysis showed a greater risk of suicide during the first few months of treatment in teens receiving antidepressants. The average risk of such events on a drug was 4 percent, twice the placebo risk of 2 percent.
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antidepressants/SSRIPHA200410.htm
**A Whole Family Approach to Meds
Growing concerns that some antidepressants may be linked to an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thinking in children and teens has raised the stakes for families struggling to help a depressed child. In February, Connect for Kids spoke with two experts—Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Lawrence H. Diller—and found powerful similarities in their messages for parents.
http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_show.htm?doc_id=211133
**Disproportionate Minority Confinement Update
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has released the 2002 update of its "Disproportionate Minority Confinement” report. Minority youth account for one-third of the U.S. juvenile population but make up two-thirds of the detention and corrections population. The update addresses the wide-ranging consequences of this disparity and highlights national and state efforts to address the problem.
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/Publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=11816
**Criminal Neglect: Substance Abuse, Juvenile Justice and the Children Left Behind
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has released an analysis of substance abuse and state juvenile justice systems. The study found that 1.9 million of 2.4 million juvenile arrests had substance abuse and addiction involvement and that only 68,600 juveniles receive substance abuse treatment.
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/1104-3CE8/15399255/clickto2_pprov-shop-item.asp-itemid=73.html
**October 19: CDF’s Get-out-the-Vote Conference Call
The Children's Defense Fund is hosting a series of conference calls with key national leaders to share their nonpartisan Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) message. Join the call with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Marian Wright Edelman on Tuesday, October 19 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (EST). Call: 1-800-214-0745. The passcode is 931658.
http://www.childrensdefense.org
**Schools & Community: Public Education in a Democratic Society
This year’s Public Education Network Annual Conference – to be held in Washington, DC from November 13–16 – will examine the link between public schools and a civil, democratic society. Among the messages: a strong system of public education is characterized by schools and communities working together in an effective, coordinated process to address the needs of children, youth, and families.
http://www.publiceducation.org/AC2004.asp
**Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood: Rethinking Public Policy
The Chapin Hall Center for Children is hosting a conference to bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and funders to examine the findings of new research and evaluate how well U.S. social institutions have adapted to support the needs of young people transitioning to adulthood in the 21st century. The conference will be held from November 8-9, 2004 in Chicago.
http://www.nfpainc.org/
**National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information
Visit the new and improved Grant and Funding Information section of the Web site, revised to provide more comprehensive information on federal and private sources of funding by topic, and on grant writing and fundraising.
http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/profess/grant/
**National Association of Youth Service Consultants
This is a directory of consultants and technical assistance providers in workforce development, education, juvenile justice, mental health, disabilities, non-profits, and more. NAYSC also provides a listing of consulting jobs and funding opportunities nationwide.
http://www.naysc.com/
**Funds for School Health Programs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has information on grants for school health programs and services on its Web site.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/funding/index.htm
**Community Health Care Program Grants
The Johnson & Johnson Community Health Care Program, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Council of La Raza are sponsoring grants to assist nonprofit, community-based, healthcare organizations in improving access to quality healthcare for the medically underserved. Priority consideration will be given to organizations that focus on women and children, including infants and adolescents. Targeted areas: Alabama, Florida, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ohio and
Washington DC.
http://www.healthinschools.org/grants/ops195.asp
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**State-by-State News
Arizona
A new Annie E. Casey Foundation study finds that one of three Arizona families are considered “working poor.”
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=local&story_id=101404a4_poverty
Arkansas
The state’s Department of Human Services has received a $1.2 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for accuracy in managing the Arkansas Food Stamp Program.
http://nwanews.com/story.php?paper=bcdr§ion=News&storyid=12888
California
The San Francisco Chronicle reports on a “Double Dose of Bad News for Schools in California.” The number of schools facing possible penalties because they failed to meet federal test-score standards under No Child Left Behind increased 45 percent to 1,626 since last year. In all, 20% of the state's 8,000 schools failed to meet the standards.
http://www.ecs.org/00CL5547
This Kaiser Family Foundation brief examines maternal and infant health disparities among California women of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic groups.
http://www.kff.org/womenshealth/7157.cfm
Connecticut
CT Voices for Children has posted candidate briefing materials and some other election-related resources on their Web site.
http://www.ctkidslink.org/elections.html
District of Columbia
Personal stories help reporters and policymakers see hunger’s human face. The D.C. Hunger Solutions Web site encourages visitors to enter their personal experiences into a
database of stories.
http://dchunger.org/Story.html
Indiana
Indiana's Education Roundtable unanimously approved a measure linking more rigorous classes in high school to state financial aid for college. (See, “Student Aid Could Be Tied to Tougher Classes by 2011.”)
http://www.ecs.org/00CL5544
Massachusetts
Education officials unveiled a new version of Governor Mitt Romney's controversial plan to award free public-college tuition to students with high Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores, recommending a revised proposal that would send more money to needy and minority students in urban school districts.
http://www.ecs.org/00CL5541
Mississippi
In a forgotten corner of Mississippi's state capital, test scores are going up at a middle school for struggling students, thanks to a program imported with the state’s guidance. EdWeek reports. (See, “At State's Urging, Mississippi Schools Use Reform Model.”)
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2004/10/13/07fix.h24.html
New Mexico
Think New Mexico, a Santa Fe think tank, is urging the state legislature to cap the salaries of school administrators and use the money to cover for voluntary pre-kindergarten.
http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/news04/101304_news_think.shtml
Pennsylvania
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, parents who catch up on child support by October 22 will have any bench warrants rescinded. (See, “Pay up on support, get amnesty.”)
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/9912214.htm
Texas
The state’s education commissioner has proposed waivers to increase class sizes in elementary schools -- leaving many school officials concerned.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13136922&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=532215&rfi=6
West Virginia
Performance measures indication that 53 of the state’s 55 county school systems failed to meet standards under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Although nearly 72 percent of West Virginia's 720 public schools met guidelines during the 2003-2004 school year, Gilmer and Wirt were the only two counties to fully make adequate yearly progress, the state Department of Education has announced.
http://www.dominionpost.com/a/news/2004/10/08/ay/
Be sure to visit http://www.connectforkids.org each Monday for coverage of the latest issues that affect kids and families
Caitlin
Caitlin Johnson, Contributing Writer and the Connect for Kids team
caitlin@connectforkids.org
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