White Children More Positive
toward Blacks after Learning about Racism
Challenging the idea that
racism education could be harmful to students, a new study from The University
of Texas at Austin found the results of learning about
historical racism are primarily positive. Psychologists Hughes found white
children who received history lessons about discrimination against famous
African Americans had significantly more positive attitudes toward African
Americans than those who received lessons with no mention of racism. African-American
children who learned about racism did not differ in their racial attitudes
from those who heard lessons that omitted the racism information, the study
showed.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/white-children.php
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Adolescence and Autism:
a Difficult, but not Hopeless, Combination
The challenges that autistic
patients face become more pronounced during adolescence, a crucial period
when many kinds of social behaviours are developed
and when these individuals can become more keenly aware of their relationship
difficulties. A paper by the Head of the Division of Child Psychiatry at
the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) describes the effectiveness of
social skills training groups for autistic adolescents. They wanted to address
the needs of autistic adolescents who had no major delay in their language
development or who were not cognitively challenged (high-functioning autism
and Asperger syndrome).
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/adolescence-and.php
Largest Study to Investigate
Risk Factors of Autism to Begin Enrolling Families
Researchers from Kaiser
Permanente and the California Department of Public Health, as well as from
five other sites nationwide, will begin enrolling families in the largest
study to date investigating the genetic and environmental factors that may
cause autism and other developmental disabilities. "We hope this study
will help us learn more about the factors that may lead to autism and other
developmental disabilities, and how genes and the environment may affect child
development," said the study's local principal investigator and an epidemiologist
with Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/largest-study-t.php
Girls will be Girls Longer
When Home Life is Stable
New research by researchers
at The University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, indicates that girls who grow up
with supportive parents who themselves have a strong relationship are more
likely to delay the onset of puberty. The results of the study show that
children living in families with greater parental supportiveness, from both
mothers and fathers, less marital conflict and less depression reported by
the fathers experienced the first hormonal changes of puberty later than other
children.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/girls-will-be-g.php
A Higher Risk of Obesity
for Children Neglected by Parents
Strategies for decreasing
a child's risk for obesity often focus on improving eating habits and maintaining
a high level of physical activity. While this is one way to address the issue,
another way to reduce the risk of childhood obesity could simply come down
to positive parenting, according to a Temple University study published in
the November issue of Child Abuse & Neglect. "This is the first
study to show the association between neglect in childhood and childhood obesity.”
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/a-higher-risk-o.php
Model Explains How Abused
Moms Decide to Leave
Two University of Illinois scientists have found a way to help
health-care providers, social workers, and abused women's families understand
the stages that these women go through when deciding to leave their partners.
"The process of leaving an abusive relationship can take years, and there
may be many attempts before a woman finally leaves permanently. It can be
a frustrating experience for the people who are trying to help her, especially
if they don't understand the stages that women go through before they are
able to leave.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/model-explains.php
Researchers Explore How
Violent Video Games are Exemplary Aggression Teachers
Through a study of nearly
2,500 youths, they found that video games are indeed effective teaching tools.
Students who played multiple violent video games actually learned through
those games to produce greater hostile actions and aggressive behaviors over
a span of six months. The paper presents conceptual and empirical analyses
of several of the "best practices" of learning and instruction,
and demonstrates how violent video games use those practices effectively to
teach aggression. It documents how violent video games motivate learners
to persevere in learning and mastering skills to navigate through complex
problems and changing environments -- just like good teachers do.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/researchers-exp.php
**Civic Engagement
People Can Put a Price
Tag on Economic Justice, Economists Say
How much would you pay to
live in an equitable society in which people get what they deserve and deserve
what they get" Economists at Carnegie Mellon University and the Free
University of Berlin have developed a mathematical model to measure the value
that people place on distributive justice -- whether goods are distributed
fairly among all members of society. Applying their model to pre-existing
survey data, the authors found that, on average, people are willing to sacrifice
about 20 percent of their disposable income to live in an equitable society
-- but they also found that the value a person places on equity is substantially
affected by their race and educational background.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/people-can-put.php
**Economic Security
Living Arrangements of
Low-Income Children May Not Play a Key Role in their Well-Being
The living arrangements
of low-income children do not significantly predict their well-being, regardless
of their race or ethnicity. The study was conducted by researchers at the
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Chicago. Using data on approximately 2,000
low-income families, the researchers sought to compare the development of
children living only with their mothers with children in other arrangements
(those living with their biological fathers, in blended families, and in multigenerational
households) to determine the effect of living arrangements on the children's
cognitive achievement and emotional adjustment.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/living-arrangem-1.php
Risk of Disability Rises
in States with Income Inequality
A massive survey conducted
by researchers at the University of Toronto reveals Americans living in states
with high rates of income inequality are significantly more likely to have
a disability that limits the completion of daily tasks such as dressing, bathing
and mobility at home. "We've always known personal income and education
can affect one's health outcomes," says the study co-author. "What
we didn't know until now was the substantial strength of the relationship
between state-level income inequality and disability. In states with greater
inequality, the rich were also at a health disadvantage.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/risk-of-disabil.php
Agenda for Shared Prosperity
Event on Retirement Security
As late baby boomers face
the prospect of being the first generation in modern U.S. history with less retirement security
than their parents, and presidential candidates trade barbs over Social Security,
the Economic Policy Institute will sponsor a timely forum on retirement.
Teresa Ghilarducci will unveil and discuss her Guaranteed
Retirement Accounts plan which combines the best features of traditional defined
benefit pensions and 401(k)-style defined contribution plans--including steady
contributions, low administrative costs, and portable retirement benefits
guaranteed to last a lifetime.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/agenda-for-shar.php
**Education
Environment Plays Key
Role in Children's Readiness for School
Early school success seems
to depend largely on children entering school ready to learn, and many policy
initiatives have highlighted the importance of preparing children for school
entry. A new study finds that children's environment plays a major role in
their readiness for school, suggesting that intervention could help boost
readiness in at-risk youngsters. It is one of the first studies to consider
both environmental and genetic influences on children's readiness for school.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/environment-pla.php
Report Shows Less than
Half of Kids in California are Being Read To Daily
A report reveals that California ranks in the bottom half of the nation
--- 42nd out of 50 states and the District of Columbia --- in the percentage of children
who are read to daily by their parents. According to "Reading Across
the Nation: A Chartbook," prepared by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children,
Families and Communities for the nonprofit Reach Out and Read National Center,
only 44.6 percent of Californian children between birth and the age of 5 are
read to every day by a parent. Research has shown that up to one-third of
American children enter kindergarten underprepared
to learn, mostly because their early years leave them without the necessary
language and literacy skills.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/report-shows-le.php
U.S. Department of Education, First Book
and Townsend Press Launch 2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative
Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings, First Book Senior Vice President Lynda Lancaster, Townsend Press
author Ben Alirez, and Texas Commissioner of Education
Robert Scott announced the national distribution of free books as part of
the 2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative. The initiative will provide 520,000
free, new books to improve the literacy skills of struggling adolescent readers
in low-income schools and communities.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/us-department-o-3.php
State-by-State Comparison
of U.S. Students' Math and Science Proficiency
versus International Students
The first-of-its-kind report
provides a comparison of the mathematics and science skills of 8th-grade students
in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Department of Defense schools
with those of their counterparts around the world. "If you think of
states and nations as in a race to prepare the future generation of workers,
scholars and citizens to be competent and competitive in a technologically
complex world, then the states are in the middle of the pack," said a
chief scientist at American Institutes for Research. The take away message
from this report is that the United States is losing the race to prepare the
minds of the future generation," said Dr. Phillips.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/eighth-graders.php
Consider Supplemental
Math Programs as Holiday Gifts
Parents of school-aged children
might want to think of giving their children an enduring holiday gift this
year: enrollment in a supplemental mathematics program. While it can cost
anywhere from $80 to $110 a month, the results of practicing mathematics nearly
daily is rewarding to both students and parents. Kimura said the reason that
many parents are seeking supplemental help for their children in mathematics
is the American method of teaching and the contents taught.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/consider-supple.php
Researchers Find that
Experienced Teachers Reap the Benefits of Pension Spikes, then Retire
Teacher shortages and requirements
associated with the No Child Left Behind Act combine
to make experienced teachers valuable assets. However, despite their high
demand, an increasing number of seasoned educators are retiring. Economic
researchers have found the structure of many teacher pension plans is the
primary reason that many elect to retire. Likewise, the researchers said
those plans have the effect of locking younger teachers, who may want to leave
or are better suited for another job, into "putting in time" so
as to receive a large spike in pension wealth.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/researchers-fin.php
**Health
Commonwealth Fund Commission
Issues Reform Recommendations for Next President
Ensuring that everyone in
the United States has health insurance is essential,
but it is not enough to drive the kind of reform the health system needs,
according to a new report released by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on
a High Performance Health System. Guaranteeing affordable health insurance
for all, changing the way doctors and other health care providers are paid,
better organizing and coordinating care delivery, investing in implementing
an electronic information system in a reasonable period of time (aiming for
five years), and establishing national goals and doing what it takes to reach
them through strong national leadership should all be on the next President's
health care agenda, says the report.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/commonwealth-fu-2.php
Healthy San Francisco: Local Model for Universal Coverage
Healthy San Francisco (HSF)
is a new program that provides medical homes to the city's uninsured adults.
Early enrollment exceeded expectations---there were 1,900 members as of late
September---and the program could eventually enroll all of the city's estimated
82,000 uninsured adults. Championed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom,
HSF is based on recommendations by a Universal Healthcare Council comprised
of local stakeholders including health care industry, business, labor, philanthropy,
and research representatives.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/healthy-san-fra.php
Promoting Healthy Living
This summary is based on
the article "Public Programs Are Using Incentives to Promote Healthy
Behavior" in the September/October 2007 issue of States in Action. Wisconsin is incorporating incentives for healthy
behaviors into BadgerCare Plus, an expansion of
its SCHIP program, known as BadgerCare. By piloting
and evaluating at least five "Healthy Living" demonstration projects,
Wisconsin hopes to identify creative, evidence-based
approaches under the Healthy Living portfolio that could potentially be rolled
out across the state. By providing rewards for healthy behaviors, these states
are trying to give members a greater stake in improving their health status,
enhance prevention and health outcomes, and reduce program costs.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/promoting-healt.php
Washington State: Cultural Competency Training
In an effort to reduce racial
and ethnic disparities in health care, Washington State has joined New Jersey
in requiring cultural competency training for certain health care professionals.
The legislation calls for the establishment of an ongoing multicultural health
awareness and education program to raise awareness and educate health care
professionals regarding the knowledge, attitudes, and practice skills necessary
to care for diverse populations to achieve a greater understanding of the
relationship between culture and health. All professions regulated by the
Washington State Department of Health must integrate multicultural education
into their basic curriculum by July
1, 2008.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/washington-stat.php
Project to Help 3.6 Million
Consumers Reap Benefits of Electronic Health Records
In a move that will improve
health care for millions of Americans, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced
a five-year demonstration project that will encourage small to medium-sized
physician practices to adopt electronic health records (EHRs). By linking higher payment to use of EHRs
to meet quality measures, we will encourage adoption of health information
technology at the community level, where 60 percent of patients receive care,"
Secretary Leavitt said.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/hhs-announces-p.php
HHS Honors People Making
a Difference in the Lives of Persons with Disabilities
At an awards ceremony in
Washington D.C., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presented
the Secretary's Highest Recognition Award to four individuals in celebration
of National Disability Awareness Month. They include: pioneer of the first
infant hearing screening program Marion Downs, Ph.D.; autism advocate Temple
Grandin, Ph.D.; the U.S. Paralympics; and documentary filmmakers
Kathleen and John Ryan.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/hhs-honors-peop.php
HHS Signs Agreement with
Canada to Improve Indigenous Health Care
Delivery and Access
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canadian Minister of Health
Tony Clement to improve the health status of indigenous communities through
enhanced international collaborations, identification and reinforcement of
best practices, and innovative approaches to learning opportunities. The
MOU will focus on improving health care delivery and access to health services
for American Indian and Alaska Native people of the United States, and the First Nation and Inuit of
Canada.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/hhs-secretary-l.php
**Homelessness
Homelessness in LA County
The purpose of this Research
and Policy Brief is to summarize what we know about the homeless population
in Los Angeles County, the causes and costs of homelessness,
and several policy options for preventing and ending homelessness in the region.
In contrast to other major urban areas, the vast majority of homeless persons
in Los Angeles County do not tend to spend the night in
emergency or transitional shelters. According to a study by Shelter Partnership
done last year on LA County's family shelters and agencies, existing capacity
in terms of short term housing programs and beds accommodates only about a
quarter of homeless families.15 In addition, 85% of surveyed agencies and
shelters that serve families regularly turn away families because of the lack
of beds available.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/homelessness-in.php
**Substance Abuse
Local Bars, Not Liquor
Stores, Associated With Heavy Drinking
"Usually people think
that liquor stores define a neighborhood's alcohol consumption, but a study
funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
didn't find any relationship between them and problem drinking among the adult
population in California. Instead, the investigators say that
overall, their findings point to so-called "minor-restricted establishments"
-- adults-only bars and nightclubs -- as having the most consistent and sizeable
effects on adult problem drinking, even though they accounted for only about
six percent of the total number of alcohol retail licenses in the area studied.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2007/11/local-bars-not.php
