Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Achievement Gaps

Vibrant Neighborhoods, Successful Schools: What the Federal Government Can Do to Foster Both

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:52:29 -0500

Every parent recognizes the inextricable connections between where we live and the quality of our children's education. Although public policies have historically contributed to disparities in both neighborhood affordability and school quality, federal programs focused on affordable housing rarely take public schools into account and school officials typically assume that they have no influence over housing patterns.

U.S. Ed Department Outlines Guidelines for "Race to the Top"

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:28:51 -0500

Education Secretary Duncan is outlining priorities for the "Race to the Top" Fund. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, states must offer assurances that they are making progress in adopting rigorous standards; recruiting and retaining effective teachers where they are needed most; turning around low-performing schools; and building data systems to track student achievement and teacher effectiveness.

The Role of Expanded Learning Opportunities in 21st Century Community Learning Center Middle School Programs

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:47:35 -0600

This three-year longitudinal study found an increase in academic achievement and positive youth development for participants in the program over nonparticipants. On February 20, 2009 the American Youth Policy Forum will explore what makes the Childrens Aid approach distinctive.

Change the Game: Create a Federal Innovation Office for Ed

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:29:27 -0600

The Brookings Institution is calling on the federal government to "change the game" in public education by creating a federal Office of Educational Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Department of Education.

Youth Conference on High School Dropout Rate - What do Teens Think?

Tue, 06 May 2008 13:49:28 -0500

In February 2008, about 200 teens gathered to discuss the school dropout rate in New York City, covering such factors as peer pressure, lack of support from parents, schools and the community, barriers for immigrants and gender inequities.

No Child Left Behind: Advocates for Educational Justice Disagree about How to Change It

Wed, 02 May 2007 18:56:46 -0500

As Congress considers how to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act—set to expire in September—many organizations and agencies are weighing in on its successes and shortcomings. This article, by Children’s Advocate writer Kelly Virella, lays out the differing arguments in several areas.

Beating the Odds 2005

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 09:48:35 -0600

According to the Council of the Great City Schools' annual Beating the Odds report, fourth and eighth graders are doing better in reading and math, both on state standardized tests and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).

A New Look at the Nation's Report Card: Poor States Score Better

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:01:01 -0500

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test (often called Our Nation's Report Card) ranks states based on student achievement on standardized tests. But it doesn't take into account student poverty rates, which are correlated with performance. A new Standard & Poor's report adjusts NAEP scores by poverty levels and finds that some persistently low-performing states—like Oklahoma and Louisiana—actually scored above average when student poverty rates are taken into account. The report is designed to help states more accurately assess what's working and what's not, for their populations.

Black Education: A Transformative Research and Action Agenda for the New Century

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:46:24 -0500

CFK reports from: Black Education: A Transformative Research and Action Agenda for the New Century
Event: A book forum and media briefing
Organized by: American Educational Research Association
Where/When: National Press Club, Washington DC, Thursday, October 20, 2005

Prof. Carol D. Lee of Northwestern University started off by discussing how research perspectives can distort our understanding of black student achievement and competence. Too often, said Lee, black experience is perceived as "a deficit that educators have to overcome."

A Community Takes Aim at Achievement Gap

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:57:52 -0500

For 10 years, an extraordinary volunteer effort has taken aim at the troubling racial achievement gap in Madison, Wisconsin public schools. Leslie Huber reports on how the Schools of Hope Literacy Project has helped low-income minority students achieve.

States Could Do More to Support Rural Schools

Tue, 17 May 2005 10:24:33 -0500

Nearly 8.8 million students attend rural schools, according to the "Why Rural Matters 2005" report from the Rural School and Community Trust. More than one-third of these students live in states that are more than 80 percent non-rural, and often receive less attention than their counterparts in less urban states. According to the report, states could do more to enact policies that support small schools, fund education services for students with limited English proficiency, bolster distance learning and high-tech innovations, and expand schools as centers of community support and social and public health services.

Summer Learning Opportunities in High Poverty Schools

Tue, 17 May 2005 10:26:19 -0500

This report from the Extended Learning Opportunities Project profiles five summer learning programs that have contributed to improved student achievement in high-poverty schools.

Beating the Odds 2005: Urban Schools

Mon, 02 May 2005 12:19:02 -0500

The fifth annual Council of the Great City Schools' annual Beating the Odds report compared 2002, 2003, and 2004 test scores in urban districts from 38 states, and found improvements in both fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math. In fourth-grade reading, 51 percent of urban school students scored at or above proficient level, a 7.9 percentage point increase from 2002. Fourth-graders scoring at or above proficient level in math went from 44.1 percent to 55.3 percent, an 11.2 percent increase from 2002.

The Forgotten Third

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:45:29 -0500

With a third of ninth graders not completing high school with their peers, youth advocates say increased rigor for high schools must be accompanied by strengthening services for struggling students

Gaps Narrowing and Achievement Rising for All Students

Wed, 02 Feb 2005 11:36:02 -0600

Many states are making strides to improve elementary students' math and reading scores and close achievement gaps that disadvantage minority students -- but not quickly enough for all students to meet state standards by 2014, according to this Education Trust report.