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Editor's
Note
Are our legislators
"getting a free pass" by claiming to support
children and youth while casting votes that don't
match their rhetoric? Every Child Matters has a new
report showing that where children grow up has a shocking
impact on their health and well-being -- and politics
and funding play a big role. (See New on Connect for
Kids for our coverage, and check out the Politics section
for more tools to "follow the money" for kids).
The Nation's Report Card on Writing is in. Eighth
and 12th grade writing scores show some slight improvements,
as well as some frustrating stagnation, and racial/ethnic
achievement gaps persist. When it comes to real results,
a new Casey Foundation series looks at successful efforts
to close education achievement gaps. Check out the short
and compelling briefs that make up the series.
Educational success depends on a foundation built early
-- so it is particularly notable that public pre-K is
unavailable to most 3- and 4-year-olds. In fact, 12
states offer no public preschool programs. In some states,
however, major efforts are underway to expand the effective
Early Head Start program. (See Child Care and Early
Learning.)
Also this week: The Forum for Youth Investment's
Ready by 21 Challenge isn't a program or a campaign
or even an initiative. So what is it and how can it
improve your work and youth outcomes? Find out in a
free April 23 webinar. (See our section on Reconnecting
Youth). We've also got the scoop on the record numbers
involved in the Youth Court movement, the debate on
measuring after-school programs, evaluation tools and
more.
Happy Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day, everyone!
Caitlin Johnson
weekly@connectforkids.org
 To
read PDF files, download the free Adobe
Reader.
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New
on Connectforkids.org
 Geography
Matters
Where a child is born and raised plays a surprisingly
large role in his or her chances of getting and staying
healthy and surviving to adulthood, according to a major
new report by the nonpartisan Every Child Matters Education
Fund. There's a "huge investment gap" across
the states. Here's what you need to know.
 Communication
Designed to Inspire Community Action: The Under-Achievers
"Because I have a strong belief in the power of community
action and citizen engagement in all areas of child well-being,
I constantly comb major Websites and print publications
for relevant Real People, Real Results stories to share
with CFK readers," writes Hershel Sarbin. His most
recent find in Casey Family Services Voices
publication prompted his thoughts on how nonprofits can
better reach a broad audience.
Coming
this week! CFK Podcast: America's Promise Dropout
Prevention Campaign
We speak with experts at America's Promise Alliance
and get the scoop on the newly released dropout numbers,
what's working and where, and what we can do to help
keep young people on track. |
Reconnecting
Youth
Introduction
to the Ready by 21 Challenge -- Webinar (April 23)
 Ready
by 21 isn't a program or a campaign or even an initiative.
It is a challenge to all who care about children and youth
to learn a different approach to the tasks associated
with trying to manage, make or measure change at any level
from the classroom to the capitol. This webinar will introduce
and guide participants through the essential components
of the Ready by 21 Challenge and offer specific action
steps and materials. Register online.
Community
Education Pathways to Success Re-Engage Dropouts
In New York City, nearly 70 percent of dropouts begin
high school at low literacy levels. The Youth Development
Institute's Community Education Pathways to Success
(CEPS) offers academic, vocational and personal support
to connect youth with GED programs and post-secondary
skills. File this under Real Results: CEPS participants,
many of whom attended their high schools less than 20
percent of the time, have become readers and made gains
on standardized tests. |
 Follow
the Money: Kids & Government Budgets
Hot
off the Presses: Children's Budget 2008!
Only one penny of every new, real non-defense dollar spent
by the federal government has gone to children's programs
in the past five years, according to this new report from
First Focus. This comprehensive guide to all federal spending
on children is a great resource for anyone working to
improve the lives of America's youth.
Where
Do Our
Tax Dollars Go?
 The
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) has a quick
and readable breakdown of where federal tax dollars go.
Spotlight on the States.
Unlike the federal government, states can't
run a deficit and must balance their budgets each year.
And since many state programs rely heavily on federal
funds, cuts are often felt earliest at the state level.
At least 20 states (up from 17) have made or proposed
budget cuts that threaten vital services like public health,
K-12 education, and services for families and people with
disabilities. Read CBPP's report, Many
States Imposing Cuts that Hurt Vulnerable Residents.
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Celebrating
Youth Action
Earth
Day Youth Action (April 22)
Here are some resources for Earth Day, from the Youth
Action Network.
 Global
Youth Service Day (April 25 - 27)
Youth Service Day helps young people address the needs
of their local communities through service and gives them
a chance to be recognized for their contributions and
to be a part of a global youth service movement. It
is organized by Youth Service America in partnership with
the Global Youth Action Network and national and international
organizations. Get
involved in your hometown -- it's not too late! |
Education
News
Nation's
Report Card: Writing in 8th and 12th Grades
The results are in -- average scores on the 2007 National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam in writing
were slightly higher than scores in 1998 and 2002. Among
the results:
- The share of students performing at or above "basic
achievement" is up slightly since 2002: from
85 percent to 88 percent for 8th graders, and from
74 percent to 82 percent in 12th grade.
- The percentage of students at the proficient level
did not improve.
- White students continue to outperform African-American
and Hispanic students by large margins at both grade
levels.
State comparisons.
Two additional reports from the National Center for Education
Statistics compare national and state results: Comparison
Between NAEP and State Reading Assessment Results: 2003
and
Comparison
Between NAEP and State Mathematics Assessment Results:
2003.
 Closing
the Achievement Gap Series
Here's a series of stories, results and lessons learned
from seven years of investing in education by the Annie
E. Casey Foundation. Because the audience is deluged with
information, Casey decided to create these short, topic-focused
publications on specific areas of interest.
Funding
Equity -- How Does Your School Stack Up?
The Federal Education Budget Project, an online database
developed by the New America Foundation, has the latest
data on federal education financing. Find out how your
state or school district rates in terms of per-pupil spending,
student poverty, achievement, school finance equity and
more.
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After-School
News and Resources
Should
After-School Programs be Measured by How Well They Improve
Academic Outcomes?
In our climate of standards-based accountability, after-school
programs -- many of which are funded through education
budgets -- are increasingly evaluated on their ability
to improve education outcomes. Does that crowd out other
important goals or override other approaches that may
appeal more to youth? This report by Robert C. Granger,
executive director of the W.T. Grant Foundation, looks
at research and statements by practitioners and advocates,
and offers promising approaches to effective programming.
 Current-Generation
Youth Programs: What Works, What Doesn't and At What
Cost?
A new RAND report looks at the costs and benefits of youth
programs offered during out-of-school time. The strongest
evaluation results for at-risk youth come from programs
that are costlier and provide more intensive services
for youth.
Building
Community Partnerships: Tips for Out-Of-School Time Programs
Community involvement in out-of-school time programs can
offer strong benefits to programs and students alike.
This Child Trends brief gives programs tools to identify
community resources and develop strategies to gain community
support.
After-school
Lesson Plan Database
This site from the U.S. Department of Education has plans
and activities for six content areas, ranging from Art
to Technology, that can be sorted by grade level. |
Child
Care and Early Learning
 State
of Preschool 2007: Valuable But Unavailable for Many
State-funded preschools passed the "one million children
served" mark last year, and enrollment, quality and
per-child state spending are on the rise. Yet public preschool
is unavailable to most 3- and 4-year-olds, according to
the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER).
Less than half of all 4-year-olds were enrolled in government-supported
preschool and one-quarter received no preschool at all
in 2007. Only 15 percent of 3-year-olds were enrolled
in public programs and 50 percent received no education
at all. Twelve states offered no state-funded preschool.
 Increasing
State Investments in Early Care and Education: Lessons
Learned from Advocates and Best Practices
This report, prepared by Voices for America's Children
for the Casey Foundation, profiles efforts in 10 states
to increase investments in early childhood. These states
-- Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming
-- differ widely in size, political dynamics, budget resources,
and in demographics of the under-five population. But
the report outlines common effective advocacy strategies.
Building
on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to
Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families
(April 22)
The federal Early Head Start program serves infants, toddlers
and their parents, and has been shown to improve child
health and development as well as parents' progress
toward self-sufficiency. Still, federal funds reach less
than 3 percent of all eligible children. Almost 20 states
have taken action to expand and enhance Early Head Start.
Find out more about their efforts and a joint report by
ZERO TO THREE and the Center for Law and Social Policy
(CLASP) in this webinar.
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Spotlight
on Youth Courts
 Youth
Courts: Record Numbers
Youth and teen courts are alternatives to the traditional
justice system that are designed to intervene in early
stages of youth delinquency. They involve young people
and adults as lawyers, jurors and judges. This George
Washington University report, An
Empirical Update and Analysis of Future Organizational
and Research Needs, finds record numbers:
- 116,144 young people who committed a crime or offense
appeared in local youth court and teen court programs
across America in the most recent year;
- More than 97,000 of these young people successfully
completed the program;
- 133,832 volunteers (both youth and adults) participated
in local youth court programs.
A
Matter of When, Not If: Involving Kids in Court
In another angle on court involvement, this article from
the New York-based City
Limits online magazine examines a movement to include
more young people in their own Family Court hearings.
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Tools
for Your Work
 Evaluation
Techniques: A Series of Brief Guides
What works when it comes to effective evaluation and assessment
to help document and analyze the work that grantmakers
support? This free series from GrantCraft, a project of
the Ford Foundation, weighs the advantages of different
approaches, describes how some grantmakers are applying
each method and offers the resources to learn more.
Early
Childhood Program Evaluations: A Decision-Maker's
Guide
This new guide from Harvard University's National
Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation focuses on
evidence-based evaluations of early childhood programs
(but is relevant to other programs and ages). It looks
at five key questions that address both the substance
and the utility of accurate and reliable evaluation research.
Strengthening
the Human Services Workforce: Tools for Sector Employers
As part of their human services workforce initiative,
Cornerstones for Kids developed an online portal to help
sector employers improve their workforce. It provides
hands-on tools, best-practice strategies and solutions
to common challenges. |
Grants
and Funding
 Funding
Exchange: Emergency Fund for Seizing Strategic Opportunities
This national membership organization of publicly supported,
community-based foundations offers emergency funds of
up to $5,000 to support specific social justice projects,
events or initiatives. A small amount of money can make
a difference in educating or mobilizing for social change!
Academic
Enrichment for Educators of Low-Income Students
The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation offers Academic
Enrichment Grants designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular
programs that improve student learning. Eligibility: educators
work with students pre-K to 12 from low-income households.
Deadline: May 1.
Newman's
Own Awards -- Helping Military Families
The purpose of the Newman's Own Awards is to recognize
volunteer and nonprofit organizations supporting our nation's
military families. Eligible organizations must be comprised
primarily of volunteers and support Active Duty, National
Guard, or Reserve units or installations. Deadline:
May 2
Wal-Mart
Community Grant Program
The Wal-Mart Community Grant Program allows local nonprofit
organizations, such as schools, youth programs, fire departments
and libraries, to hold fundraisers at their local Wal-Mart
or SAM'S CLUB. Through the Matching Grant Program,
the store/club can elect to match a portion of the funds
raised up to $1,000.
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
In collaboration with
Hershel Sarbin and the Child Advocacy 360
Foundation.
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