**Children, Youth &
Families
Parents As Teachers National Center Gives Tips To Help Families Celebrate/Embrace
the Holiday
Season
Experts with Parents as
Teachers National Center, based here, offer holiday tips for
families with young children, who are often at the center of holiday celebrations
and family get-togethers. By remembering that holiday stress can affect children
differently, that sharing cultural traditions helps parents create special
memories for their kids, and that seasonal music offers a learning opportunity,
families can celebrate together in peace and prosperity.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56790
Toxic Playground: Growing
Up In Skid Row
The children of "skid
row" have been ignored far too long. We must start now - before they
succumb to illness, crime, despair and death - to improve their environment
and provide them with opportunities for the future. Remarkably, the children
themselves are leading the way. In conjunction with the United Coalition East
Prevention Project (UCEPP), young people have designed a survey and administered
it to their peers. The results are highlighted together with background information
that provides a context for the challenges these young people confront. Finally,
this report sets out practical recommendations for steps public agencies can
take to make a qualitative difference in the lives of our children living
in "skid row".
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2005/11/toxic_playgroun_1.html
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Parental Discipline,
Life Events, and Peers Affect Teens' Risk of Depression
New findings suggest that
environment can affect a child's likelihood of depression, regardless of genetic
predisposition towards the mental illness. This study of 328 identical twins
showed twins who experienced greater numbers of negative events and who were
punished more frequently were more likely to suffer from depression than their
siblings. These findings suggest a need for research on ways to help teen
reduce adverse life events as a protection against adolescent depression.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/sfri-pdl110805.php
Prevent Risky Behavior
in your Teen: Get to Know their Friends in and Out of School
As antisocial children move
into adolescence, they begin to form alliances and gain acceptance with other
antisocial children. Researchers surveyed 577 sixth through eighth graders
and their teachers about antisocial behaviors such as stealing, lying, and
using drugs or alcohol. The results showed that by eighth grade, the antisocial
children begin to accept each other and form broader networks with other antisocial
peers. Such networking may increase risk for already antisocial youth.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/sfri-prb110805.php
Foster Care Adoption
in the United States: An Analysis of Interest in Adoption and a Review of State Recruitment
Strategies
Commissioned by the National
Adoption Day Coalition, a report from the Urban Institute provides a first-time
look at foster care adoption recruitment in the United States. Using data from the 1995 and 2002
National Survey of Family Growth and the state Child and Family Services Reviews,
the report describes women's interest in adoption and strategies to find adoptive
families for foster children. Findings indicate an overall increase in women
interested in adoption, perhaps due to extensive recruitment efforts in recent
years.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9501
The Evaluation Exchange
- Democratic Evaluation
This issue of The Evaluation
Exchange periodical focuses on democratic evaluation. At the forefront of
the discussion are equity and inclusion in the evaluation of programs for
children, families, and communities, as well as evaluation to promote public
accountability and transparency.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue31/
**Civic Engagement
A Successful America Requires Active Citizens
Without that base of civics
and history knowledge, young people miss out on their heritage and are prone
to cynicism and apathy. It has been reported that more than 50 percent of
students polled agreed with the following statement: "You can't trust
politicians because they are dishonest." Another poll has shown that
more high school students can identify the Three Stooges than can identify
the three branches of our government. A lack of understanding becomes a lack
of involvement that leads to a withdrawal from the public life of our republic.
http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.social,pubID.23447/pub_detail.asp
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Get more information on
these issues at http://www.ecommunityissues.com.
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Voters Deserve Fair,
Impartial Process For Drawing Legislative Boundaries
The president of Demos,
a national voting rights and public policy research organization, issued the
following statement calling for renewed efforts to reform redistricting in
California after voters rejected Proposition
77, a ballot initiative that would shift authority for drawing legislative
boundaries away from state legislators to a panel of three retired judges.
The organization also called on California to establish a fully independent
redistricting commission with clear and voter-protective criteria, as set
out in the recently published Demos-Center for Governmental Studies report
"Drawing Lines: A Public Interest Guide to Real Redistricting Reform."
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20051110.132254&time=13%2048%20PST&year=2005&public=1
Genes Contribute to Patriotism
and Group Loyalty
Research showing how genes
affect group loyalty and patriotism was published in the October 2005 issue
of Nations and Nationalism, an academic journal of the London School of Economics.
Entitled "Ethnic nationalism, evolutionary psychology, and genetic similarity
theory," it shows how genes provide "social glue" in groups
as small as two spouses and best friends or in those as large as nations and
alliances.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/cdri-gct111305.php
**Education
Head Start's Broken Promise
The American Enterprise
Institute reports that the results of a large-scale evaluation of Head Start
have recently been released. Under a congressional mandate, the study was
commissioned by the Clinton administration as a 383-site randomized experiment involving about 4,600
children. Confirming the findings of earlier, smaller evaluations, this new
report found that Head Start has disappointingly small impacts on disadvantaged
children.
http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.23373/pub_detail.asp
Study Falsely Links Low
Teacher Quality to Union Contracts
The American Federation
of Teachers expressed outrage at the lack of real solutions for hard-to-staff
schools-as well as meritless attacks on unions-in The New Teacher Project
(TNTP) report, "Unintended Consequences: The Case for Reforming the Staffing
Rules in Urban Teachers Union Contracts." "The TNTP report completely
misses the mark on the challenge of retaining new teachers in urban schools."
Almost 50 percent of new teachers leave schools within five years. If we want
to solve this problem, we need to spend more time on retention strategies
like peer mentoring and other supports, and less on human resource management
issues, like how the districts are managing teacher transfers."
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56850
Unintended Consequences:
The Case for Reforming the Staffing Rules in Urban Teachers Union Contracts
Analyzing teacher movements
within five large urban school districts, The New Teacher Project found that,
on average, fully 40 percent of all school vacancies were filled by incumbent
teachers over whom schools had little or no choice in hiring. As a result,
these mandates effectively prevent school principals from focusing on quality,
school fit, or the needs of the children in each classroom when making a significant
portion of their staffing decisions.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2005/11/unintended_cons.html
Measuring the Impacts
of Educational Interventions on Student Achievement
A paper from MDRC examines
how controlling statistically for baseline covariates (especially pretests)
improves the precision of studies that randomize schools to measure the impacts
of educational interventions on student achievement.
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/417/abstract.html
International Leader
in K-12 Computer Technology Training Unveils Enhanced Web Site
The Institute of Computer
Technology (ICT) has rolled out its improved and expanded Web site in an effort
to make its highly regarded professional training and computer science curricula
available to a broader international audience. The new site offers a more
extensive and user-friendly overview of the full range of ICT's consulting
services and its history of successful partnerships with major corporations
and foundations such as Intel, Microsoft, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20051115.093413&time=11%2042%20PST&year=2005&public=1
**Health
Health Centers Hampered
by Flu Vaccine Delays; Distribution Back- Ups Put High-Risk, Low-Income Populations
at Risk
Community, Migrant and Homeless Health Centers around the country are reporting inadequate
supplies of vaccine as the influenza immunization season gets underway. Health
centers in North Carolina,
Virginia, Ohio, New
Mexico, Idaho, Oregon, West
Virginia, South Dakota, and California say they have received only a fraction of their pre-ordered
flu shots and few answers about why the problem is occurring.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56711
On World Diabetes Day,
Joslin Center President Warns of Explosion in Diabetes
and Its Complications
World Diabetes Day - on
the heels of new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
which show an alarming 14 percent increase in the number of people with diabetes
in the U.S. in the past two years alone, Joslin Diabetes Center President
C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., warned of a coming "explosion" in diabetes
and its complications unless action is taken to curb the mushrooming incidence
of type 2 diabetes.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20051114.122957&time=14%2017%20PST&year=2005&public=1
Illinois Law Offers Coverage for Uninsured
Children
Political leaders in other
states, the experts said, are certain to be watching whether the measure succeeds.
Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich signed a measure on Tuesday intended to allow all
children in Illinois, including those in working-class and middle-class families, to obtain
health insurance. National experts on health care said the new law, which
will offer discounts on premiums for those who qualify, was the broadest plan
to insure children by any state.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/16/national/16children.html?ex=1289797200&en=e6c266e635bc2b1d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Century Foundation Fellow
Provides Analysis of Prescription Drug Benefit as Confusion among Beneficiaries
Increases
Starting November 15th,
Medicare beneficiaries will be able to sign up for Medicare Part D, the new
prescription drug benefit that allows seniors to choose between Medicare-covered
plans offered by private insurers. Seniors are already expressing confusion
over selecting between dozens of plans offering different benefits and varying
access to specific drugs. In fact, only a quarter of beneficiaries say they
are sure they will participate in the voluntary drug benefit.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20051114.150951&time=15%2027%20PST&year=2005&public=1
Bush Education Officials
Continue Outreach Efforts for National Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
As part of the national
campaign to highlight the benefits of the Medicare prescription drug program,
offices throughout the U.S. Department of Education are working to ensure
that eligible Americans are informed of the details of the new plan.
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/11/11142005.html
Raising the Medicare
Eligibility Age with a Buy-In Option: Can One Stone Kill Three Birds?
An analysis from The
Urban Institute finds that gradually increasing the Medicare eligibility
age to 67, while allowing people age 62 to 66 to buy into the program, could
potentially address three pressing public issues. This approach could reduce
Medicare costs; improve insurance coverage among older adults younger than
65, and increase labor supply at older ages. However, simulations show that
cost savings would be modest and, unless the buy-in option were heavily subsidized
for low-income adults, many older African Americans, Hispanics, and poor adults
would be left uninsured.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9500
**Substance Abuse
Low-Income Pregnant Latinas
Drink Despite Universal Alcohol-Warning Messages
Language and cultural differences
may discourage some women from drinking alcohol, but may also present a barrier
for others to understand the risks of drinking during pregnancy. Researchers
have found that low-income pregnant Latinas drink similar amounts of alcohol
during the three months before recognition of a pregnancy as do other racial/ethnic
groups.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/ace-lpl110705.php
Settlement Money Seemingly
Spent on Everything but Prevention
Proceeds from the 1998 nationwide
tobacco settlement have been spent on improvements on a race track in Virginia and a golf-court sprinkler system
in New York, but only 3 percent of the $250-billion
fund has been spent on antismoking campaigns.
http://www.jointogether.org/saredirect/?Object_ID=578596&ID=saFunding
