Reduce Dropout Rates Research Articles

The Effect of High School JROTC on Student Achievement, Educational Attainment, and Enlistment

The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a high school initiative that serves many at‐risk students. Its goals range from reducing dropout rates and improving academic achievement to preparing students for military careers. Using data from High School and Beyond (HSB) and the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), we estimate average treatment effects on students attending schools that typically host JROTC. Applying a two‐stage matching technique, we find that JROTC participants have poorer academic outcomes than other students; although, a large portion of these differences is explained by their at‐risk status. In addition, program effects appear to differ by demographic group, with black participants having lower dropout rates than white participants. The program also appears to improve self‐esteem scores of females. Although the majority of JROTC participants do not join the military, we find large marginal enlistment effects.

Perception of exertion and attention allocation as a function of visual and auditory conditions

Aim The aim of the present study was to test the role of auditory (e.g., music) and visual sensory modalities on perceived levels of exertion and attention processes across a 30% dynamometer-squeezing task. The study explored the dynamics embedded within the automated nature of the association–dissociation shift process. Method Sixty young adults (33 male and 27 female; M age = 22.21 yrs, SD = 3.49) were recruited to perform a handgrip-squeezing task. They were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 15 participants. After establishing the maximal squeezing value they performed 30% max squeezing-task under one of four assigned condition: full vision and preferred music, full vision and no music, blindfolded and preferred music, and blindfolded and no music until volitional fatigue. Rate of perceived exertion and attention strategies were administered at 30 s intervals. Results A set of Repeated Measures ANOVAs indicated an additive effect of visual and auditory cues on the perception of exertion, and the dynamic pattern of attention shift. Participants who were given both forms of sensory information remained in a dissociative strategy for a significantly longer duration than participants in all other conditions. Conclusions Several sensory modalities are required to affect perceived exertion and attention allocation while engaging in demanding workload. External stimuli may serve as mediating agents in diverting attention away from internal and painful stimuli. This distraction may likely contribute to the pleasantness of the exercise experience, ultimately leading to increased exercise participation and reduced dropout rates.

Preventing HIV in resource-limited settings: evidence for action, from cross-sectional surveys

The current issue of the International Journal of Epidemiology features seven papers that cover a range of issues that are central to our understanding of the HIV epidemic and its control in resource-limited settings. One cross-sectional study highlights the importance of education as a protective factor against HIV in young South African women, another illustrates the complex relationship between socioeconomic position and HIV infection in Tanzania, and a further prevalence study examines the importance of lack of circumcision as a risk factor in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Male circumcision is also the topic of a modelling study and an accompanying commentary, which examine the potential long-term impact of male circumcision on HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Another article in this issue systematically reviews the risk of HIV transmission from orogenital sex, and the final piece estimates the HIV prevalence in Dehong Prefectrue of Yunnan Province China, which is close to the ‘Golden Triangle’ and has a serious HIV epidemic, fuelled by injection drug use. Almost three decades (and a Nobel prize) after the discovery of the virus, HIV/AIDS continues to be a massive burden in many resource-limited settings. Young people aged 15–24 years account for almost half of all new HIV infections in adults, and subSaharan Africa remains the region most heavily affected by HIV. What can be done to stem the epidemic? Keep them in school, say Pettifor and colleagues, based on a nationally representative sexual behaviour and HIV testing survey in South Africa, which showed that not completing high school was the most important risk factor for HIV infection in young women. The authors focused on women aged 15–24 years who reported to have only one life-time partner, and therefore seemingly were at low risk of infection. The prevalence of HIV-1 infection was nevertheless high: 15.0% compared with 3.8% in men of the same age reporting one life-time partner. Over threequarters of women had not completed high school, and their HIV prevalence was 16.9% compared with 8.6% among the minority of women completing their education (crude odds ratio 2.15). The survey was cross-sectional and it is therefore unclear when women contracted HIV, before or after dropping out of school. Dropping out of school was clearly related to sociodemographic and behavioural factors, but unfortunately we are not told which of the variables included in the multivariable model were responsible for the substantial increase in the odds of infection associated with dropping out (adjusted odds ratio 3.75). The study of Pettifor and colleagues supports the notion that social policies which keep young women in school will have many benefits, including the prevention of HIV infection. Interestingly, a randomized evaluation comparing three school-based HIV/AIDS interventions in Kenya recently showed that reducing the cost of education by paying for school uniforms, but not training teachers in HIV/AIDS education, reduced dropout rates, teen marriages and teen pregnancies. The importance of education is questioned by the data from the 2003/2004 Tanzania HIV/Aids Indicator Survey (THIS). Mshisha and colleagues focussed on sexually active adults and found that while education was not associated with HIV infection, there was a positive association between standard of living and HIV infection: in women, the prevalence of HIV infection increased from 2.7% in the lowest category of the household standard of living index to 14.1% in * Corresponding author. E-mail: egger@ispm.unibe.ch 1 Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Finkenhubelweg 11, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. 2 Swiss Tropical Institute, Socinstrasse 57, University of Basel, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association

Late Summer Leadership

INITIATIVES FROM winter-spring legislatures tend to draw much of the public's attention. But by the last spring frost, most of these state legislatures had adjourned. By summer, public attention turned to staying cool and hydrated, and most of us were no longer paying attention to what education policy was hitting the fan. Other states, however, continued to do some legislating throughout June, July, and into the dog days of August. California, for example, sometimes seemed to produce as many bills during August as it did peaches. So fall's cool down is a good time for picking a few bills that ripened in the sunshine. Addressing the needs of the whole In Illinois, H.B. 4456 created the Commission on Children and Youth Act, noting that it has been over 22 years since an Illinois commission explored how the state serves children and youth and allocates resources that most effectively support its younger citizens. The commission will create a comprehensive five-year strategic plan for providing services to children, youth, and young adults from birth to 24, monitor its implementation, and review and revise the strategic plan where needed. The five-year strategic plan calls for the commission to make recommendations to achieve the following outcomes: * Thriving: preventive health. Access to adequate health care and education about healthy lifestyle choices to prevent illness and disease. * Learning: education completion. Opportunity to earn a high school diploma and receive appropriate individualized supports when faced with challenges in doing so. * Working: workforce development. Opportunity for education, skill building, and work experience to prepare them for success in the workforce. * Connecting: social and emotional development. Opportunities to develop essential social and emotional skills to communicate effectively, resolve conflict, and manage stress. * Leading: civic engagement. Opportunities to build relationships with adults and peers and cultivate leadership skills through service learning, mentoring, and other safe activities in their communities. The governor appoints up to 30 public members to the commission. Public members must include rural, suburban, and urban entities; direct service providers; child advocates; human rights organizations; faith-based service providers; philanthropic organizations that invest in children and youth; at least three parents of children under age 16; and at least three young people between ages 16 and 24. Multiple state agencies also are represented, but not in a voting capacity. Also in Illinois, H.B. 3677 requires that a comprehensive health education program include sexual assault awareness in secondary schools. Universities and community colleges must also provide sexual assault awareness education to incoming students. Employing Principals S.B. 273 in Massachusetts changed parameters for school principal contracts. Previously, state law specified that contracts would cover no more than three years. The new provision states that a principal's initial contract will be for at least one year and no more than three years, and a second contract would last at least three years and no more than five years unless both parties agree to a shorter term of employment. All subsequent contracts are to be for at least three years and no more than five years. Regardless of past employment, these conditions apply to the initial contract of each school principal. Calculating and Reducing Dropout Rates Massachusetts S.B. 2766 requires the state department of education to provide districts with a standardized format for reporting graduation and dropout data. This data must include a four-year graduation rate, five-year graduation rate, and adjusted graduation rates and must be disaggregated by limited English proficiency, low-income, special education, race or ethnicity, and gender. …

Holding NCLB accountable: achieving accountability, equity & school reform

Acknowledgments About the Editor About the Contributors Introduction Part I. NCLB and Accountability 1. The Pending Reauthorization of NCLB: An Opportunity to Rethink the Basic Strategy - Daniel Koretz 2. Toward a More Effective Definition of Adequate Yearly Progress - Robert L. Linn 3. Beyond Standardization in School Accountability - Mindy L. Kornhaber 4. Promises and Pitfalls: Implications of No Child Left Behind for Defining, Assessing, and Serving English Language Learners - Michael J. Kieffer, Nonie K. Lesaux, Catherine E. Snow Part II. Evidence on How NCLB Is Working 5. Tracking Achievement Gaps and Assessing the Impact of NCLB on the Gaps: An In-Depth Look Into National and State Reading and Math Outcome Trends - Jaekyung Lee 6. Evidence on Education Under NCLB (and How Florida Boosted NAEP Scores and Reduced the Race Gap) - Walter M. Haney Part III. State Capacity to Implement NCLB 7. Interstate Inequality in Educational Opportunity - Goodwin Liu 8. Massive Responsibilities and Limited Resources: The State Response - Gail L. Sunderman, Gary Orfield 9. Low-Performing Schools Programs and State Capacity Requirements: Meeting the NCLB Educational Goals - Heinrich Mintrop Part IV. NCLB: Impact on School Reform and Effects on Minority Students and Schools 10. No Child Left Behind and High School Reform - Linda Darling-Hammond 11. No Child Left Behind and Continuous School Improvement - Willis D. Hawley 12. No Child Left Behind and Reforming the Nation's Lowest-Performing High Schools: Help, Hindrance, or Unrealized Potential? - Robert Balfanz, Nettie Legters 13. Reforming High Schools to Reduce Dropout Rates - Russell W. Rumberger Conclusion - Gail L. Sunderman Index

Improving informed consent: pilot of a decision aid for women invited to participate in a breast cancer prevention trial (IBIS-II DCIS).

Patients and clinicians report difficulties with the process of informed consent to clinical trials and audiotape audits show that critical information is often omitted or poorly presented. Decision aids (DAs) may assist in improving consent. This study piloted a DA booklet for a high priority breast cancer prevention trial, IBIS-II DCIS, which compares the efficacy of an aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole) with tamoxifen in women who have had surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Thirty-one Australian women participating in the IBIS-I breast cancer prevention trial and who are currently in follow-up agreed to read the IBIS-II DCIS participant information sheet and the DCIS DA booklet, complete a set of standardized questionnaires, and provide feedback on the DA via a semi-structured phone interview. Women found the DA helpful in deciding about trial participation, reporting that it aided their understanding over and above the approved IBIS-II DCIS participant information sheet and was not anxiety provoking. Women's understanding of the rationale and methods of clinical trials and the IBIS-II DCIS trial was very good; with more than 80% of items answered correctly. The only areas that were not understood well were the concepts of randomization and blinding. This study suggests that the DA will be acceptable to and valued by potential participants in the IBIS-II DCIS study. The revised DA is currently being evaluated prospectively in a randomized controlled trial. If successful, such DAs could transform the consent process to large clinical trials and may also reduce dropout rates.

Who Drops Out of Early Head Start Home Visiting Programs?

Research Findings: Early Head Start home-based programs provide services through weekly home visits to families with children up to age 3, but families vary in how long they remain enrolled. In this study of 564 families in home-based Early Head Start programs, “dropping out” was predicted by specific variations in home visits and certain family characteristics. It also was negatively related to several targeted program outcomes. Home visits to dropout families focused less on child development, were less successful at engaging parents, and had more distractions. Dropout families had more risks and changes of residence, were more likely to be headed by a single mother, and were less likely to have a mother with poor English skills or a child with a documented disability. Practice or Policy: Home visiting programs may be able to reduce dropout rates, and thereby increase the duration of services to each family, by keeping home visits engaging and focused on child development and also by individualizing to the specific needs of families at risk for dropping out. To keep families involved longer, home visiting programs should consider (a) planning home visits that are longer, more engaging for both parent and child, scheduled at a time when there are fewer distractions for the family; and (b) spending the majority of time on child development activities and topics.

Student Engagement, Peer Social Capital, and School Dropout Among Mexican American and Non-Latino White Students

Policy makers are especially concerned about persistently high dropout rates among U.S. Latinos, the largest minority population in the United States. This study used a national longitudinal database to show that the behavioral and social aspects of schooling are dynamically linked in the process of school completion and dropout among Mexican American and non-Latino white adolescents. In contrast to the tendency of academically disengaged students to develop street-oriented friendships, students who are involved in school tend to befriend others who also make schooling a priority. Thus, student engagement influences competing friendship networks in a manner that contributes to the completion of school. Furthermore, engagement behaviors and school-oriented friendship networks have the potential to reduce dropout rates. To their social and educational detriment, however, Mexican American students appear to be less engaged in unorganized academic endeavors and formally sponsored extracurricular activities than are white students. The results of this study support policies that combine targeted educational and social reforms to bolster school completion among Mexican origin youths.

Predictors of Attrition During Initial (Citalopram) Treatment for Depression: A STAR*D Report

Premature attrition from treatment may lead to worse outcomes and compromise the integrity of clinical trials in major depressive disorder. The purpose of this study was to identify the pretreatment predictors of attrition during acute treatment with citalopram in a large, "real world" clinical trial. A total of 4,041 adult outpatients with nonpsychotic major depressive disorder were enrolled in treatment with citalopram for up to 14 weeks. Attrition was defined as "immediate" (patients who attended a baseline visit only) or "later" (patients who attended at least one postbaseline visit but who dropped out before the 12-week visit). Overall, 26% of enrolled patients dropped out of the acute phase treatment for nonmedical reasons. Of these, 34% dropped out immediately, 59% dropped out by week 12, and 7% dropped out after 12 weeks. Immediate attrition was associated with younger age, less education, and higher perceived mental health functioning. Attrition later in treatment was associated with younger age, less education, and African American race. Experience with more than one episode of depression was associated with less attrition. In clinical trials and clinical practice, several time points in treatment may provide opportunities to engage and encourage populations at higher risk for attrition and populations with high-risk presentation of illness. Additionally, more aggressive forms of treatment implemented earlier in the treatment process in order to increase the likelihood of more rapid efficacy may reduce dropout rates.

Perfil de casos de tuberculose notificados e fatores associados ao abandono, Belo Horizonte, MG

To describe the profile of notified tuberculosis cases and analyze the factors associated with treatment dropout. A total of 178 cases of tuberculosis notified in the western region of Belo Horizonte (Southeastern Brazil) in 2001 and 2002 and recorded in the National System for Notifiable Diseases were described. An unmatched case-control study was conducted, with data collected by means of interviews, to compare patients who dropped out of treatment with those who achieved cure. The following variables were analyzed: sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics, associations with AIDS, side effects, information on the disease and interest in treatment. Univariate analysis and unconditional logistic regression for multivariate analysis were used. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence limits were used as the measurement for associations. The coefficient of incidence was 56.6/100,000 inhabitants. There was predominance of men aged 30 to 49 years and of the pulmonary form (76.4%) and bacillary form (72.5%). Among the notified cases, 65.2% achieved cure, 12.4% dropped out of treatment and 9.6% died. Treatment location had no influence on the results. In the case-control study, there was no difference regarding gender, color, schooling, income, occupation, family support, association with AIDS and alcohol consumption. The use of drugs, interest in treatment and information about the disease were shown to be independently associated with dropout. Adherence to treatment is a challenge in controlling tuberculosis. The protection factors (interest in treatment and information about the disease) and recognition that drug use is a risk factor must form part of the strategies for patient care in order to reduce dropout rates and restore health.

Creating Small Learning Communities: Lessons From the Project on High-Performing Learning Communities About “What Works” in Creating Productive, Developmentally Enhancing, Learning Contexts

Personalizing the school environment is a central goal of efforts to transform America's schools. Three decades of work by the Project on High Performance Learning Communities are considered that demonstrate the potential impact and importance of the creation of “small learning environments” on student motivation, adjustment, and well-being. Findings about how to effectively create such small learning environments in middle and secondary school are presented. Of particular focus are the ways in which ecological changes that create smaller schools within large ones, teacher and student teams, and other personalization strategies may engage diverse, socially, and economically disadvantaged students, in middle and high schools, to improve academic performance, reduce dropout rates, enhance developmental outcomes, and close equity gaps.

Why have the members gone? Explanations for dropout from a community‐based insurance scheme

AbstractA common challenge faced by voluntary community based insurance (CBI) schemes is ensuring re‐enrolment of their members. This study examines factors that may explain dropout from a CBI scheme targeting poorer self‐employed women in Gujarat. Members who exited from the scheme were poorer and less educated; had weaker links with the promoting institution; and used the scheme less in the preceding year. The primary reason for dropping out was that members were not contacted by programme staff to re‐enrol. Scheme administrators can reduce dropout rates by maintaining better contact with scheme members and systematically seeking them out at the time of enrolment. Such relatively simple improvements in scheme administration can enhance the efficiency and equity of the scheme. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Student's expectations of service quality in tertiary education: A comparison between prospective and current students

The competition for quality students in a highly competitive environment between newly formed tertiary institutions necessitates the employment of managerial techniques to improve the efficiency and quality of their provisions. By examining the factors that influence the buying decisions of prospective and existing students, the most important service quality variables are determined to enable an institution to attract quality prospective students and reduce dropout rates. The overall objective of the article is to determine the most important service quality variables for predegree and degree students when deciding on an educational institution. The most important identified factors that influenced buying decisions among prospective and existing students, in order of importance, were security on campus, computer and library facilities, academic reputation of the institution and reasonable class fees

Is the Superior Efficacy of New Generation Antipsychotics an Artifact of LOCF?

It has been argued that the efficacy superiority found in meta-analyses for some of the atypical antipsychotics is an artifact of higher dropout rates due to side effects in the haloperidol group combined with last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) analyses. We therefore reanalyzed a number of pivotal studies comparing new generation antipsychotics (NGAs) and conventional antipsychotics (CAs). A total of 5 studies (n = 1271) comparing amisulpride and 3 studies (n = 2454) comparing olanzapine with CAs were reanalyzed using original patient data. We applied 4 different models: LOCF, completer analysis, LOCF but excluding dropouts due to adverse events, and LOCF but excluding all dropouts with the exception of dropouts related to efficacy. Effect sizes expressed as standardized mean differences between NGAs and CAs based on the 4 different analysis models were compared. The overall results were not different irrespective of the model used. Single studies, however, showed higher effect sizes when LOCF instead of other models was used. Overall, it does not seem that higher dropout rates due to side effects in the haloperidol groups together with LOCF analyses consistently biased the results in favor of amisulpride and olanzapine. Because the results of the single studies, however, showed that this may occasionally be the case, future studies should look at the data from different angles applying sensitivity analyses, and they may use alternative statistics such as mixed models, which need to be developed further. Ultimately, strategies to reduce dropout rates are needed.

How Studies of the Educational Progression of Minority Children Are Affecting Education Policy in Denmark

Abstract Over the past decade, the number of ethnic minorities in Denmark has increased rapidly, now accounting for over 8 per cent of the total population. This paper presents results from a number of recent studies regarding the educational choices of minority children from less developed countries. An important social concern is that the educational attainment of these children is much lower than among native Danes. The studies show that that a main reason for the education gap is very high dropout rates from vocational schools among minority children and that inadequate Danish language proficiency of immigrants, parents and their children, is an important reason for the high dropout rates, as are inadequate educational preparedness from grade school and insufficient apprenticeship positions available for minority youth. Socio‐economic background, however, has relatively little effect. Recent policy changes to reduce dropout rates from vocational schools are reviewed and additional policy interventions are proposed.

Progressing through PROGRESA: An Impact Assessment of a School Subsidy Experiment in Rural Mexico

Abstract A new antipoverty program in Mexico, PROGRESA, provides monetary transfers to families that are contingent upon their children’s regular attendance at school. The benefit levels vary with the grade level and gender of the child and are intended to offset the opportunity costs of not sending children to school. The initial phase of the program was implemented as a randomized social experiment. This article uses a Markov schooling transition model applied to the experimental data to assess the impact of the subsidy program on schooling attainment and on the underlying behaviors that determine schooling attainment, including ages of matriculation, dropout rates, grade repetition rates, and school reentry rates. Results show that the program increases schooling attainment effectively by reducing dropout rates and facilitating grade progression, particularly during the transition from primary to secondary school. Many of these effects would not be clear if attention were limited to enrollments as in m...

The Promise of Opportunity

THE SIMPLE bargain at the heart of the American dream offers opportunity to every American who takes the responsibility to make the most of it. That bargain is the great source of American strength, because it unleashes the amazing talent and determination of our people. As our people seize the opportunity to build a better life, they build a stronger country. Now as never before, education is the key to opportunity, essential to a strong America. In an age when our people compete with workers on every continent and information flows across oceans, high-wage jobs are more dependent than ever on high-level skills. Together, we must build an America that offers the best education to all our children -- wherever they live, whatever their background. That means we need more resources and more reform for our schools. Resources-without-reform is a waste of money, and reform-without- resources is a waste of time. John Edwards and I are committed to an agenda that offers both. For the sake of our children, we must set the bar high. Every child should come to school ready to learn. Every student should be held to high standards, and every school should have the resources and responsibility to meet those standards. Every classroom should have a great teacher, and every student should get enough personal attention to foster talents and overcome difficulties. Every teenager should expect to graduate from high school with a meaningful diploma. Every qualified young person who wants to go to college should be able to afford it. And every adult who needs additional job training should be able to get it. Today, our country is not living up to those ideals. The shameful truth is that too often the quality of a child's education depends on the wealth of that child's neighborhood. Our best public schools are the best schools in the world, but too many children go to schools that just don't work. Too many children who beat the odds and succeed in school can't afford to go to college. Too many adults who need added training are not able to get it. When the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was signed, the Bush Administration said the right things -- asking more from our schools and pledging to give them the resources to get the job done. But by now, funding for NCLB has fallen $27 billion short of the promised levels, literally leaving millions of children behind. The Bush Administration proposed eliminating the smaller schools initiative and the dropout prevention initiative, both proven methods of reducing dropout rates. Over the last three years, public college tuition has risen by 35%, pricing 220,000 students out of college. Yet President Bush has tried to charge more for student loans and eliminate Pell Grants for 84,000 students. If we're going to give all of our children the education they deserve, we have to be willing to make tough choices. While extending and expanding tax cuts for the middle class, John Edwards and I will roll back the Bush tax cuts for those making over $200,000. We just can't afford to keep those tax cuts and make our schools work as they should. With those savings, we will fully fund No Child Left Behind -- so our children have smaller classes, more textbooks, and more after-school opportunities. We will also fund our other education priorities -- like getting on the path to full funding for special education and making college affordable for all young people through a generous new tax credit. John Edwards and I will make reform work for our schools. That means high standards -- and common sense. Today, many states are measuring student achievement with fill-in-the-bubble tests that limit both teaching and learning. We will offer the support needed for states to use sophisticated tests that capture the full range of skills that we want students to develop. We will also ensure accurate assessments of schools' success. Having correctly revised key regulations measuring school achievement under No Child Left Behind, the current Administration is refusing to apply those new regulations retroactively. …

Factors associated with drug treatment dropout among injection drug users in Puerto Rico

This study examined factors associated with drug treatment dropout among injection drug users (IDUs) in Puerto Rico, a group that has contributed significantly to the self-sustaining AIDS epidemic in the island since the mid-1980s. A total of 557 IDUs were recruited from communities in a semirural region of Puerto Rico, as part of a longitudinal study testing the efficacy of a two-facet intervention model, based on motivational interviewing. Of 124 IDUs who had entered drug treatment at follow-up, 33 (26.6%) dropped out before completing all recommended sessions. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age, homelessness, and speedball use were significantly associated with drug treatment dropout. Conversely, participants who received the two-facet intervention were significantly less likely to drop out of drug treatment. Receiving psychiatric services also reduced the odds of treatment dropout. Improving adherence to drug treatment and reducing dropout rates are complex processes that need to be addressed at the individual behavioral and social support levels, as well as the program process and resource levels.

Blue Ribbon Winners at the 2003 State Policy Fair

YOU'LL find the winners of the blue ribbons for state policy right down the aisle from the prize-winning canned peaches and lattice-top cherry pies. Many more deserved blue ribbons, and the competition was fierce. Beefy intent and symmetry won out over pretty. The Beefiest Award. A number of states passed omnibus bills this year. The meatiest emerged from Iowa, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Evenhandedness Award. Tough budgetary times call for fairness. Louisiana H.B. 573 requires that when education appropriations are reduced to avoid a deficit, the total dollar amount of the reductions must be split equally between the board of regents and the state board of elementary and secondary education. Good for Kids Awards. Connecticut S.B. 886 requires the State Prevention Council to determine long-term goals, strategies, and outcome measures related to the health and well-being of children and families. These include early intervention strategies, an increase in the proportion of healthy pregnant women and newborns, a decrease in child neglect and abuse, an increase in school-ready children, an increase in children who succeed in school, a decrease in children who are unsupervised after school, and a decrease in juvenile suicide and crime. The Carrot Award. Oklahoma H.B. 326 offers higher education assistance to eighth- to 10th-grade students who qualify on the basis of financial need, providing they 1) attend school regularly and do homework regularly; 2) refrain from substance abuse; 3) refrain from committing crimes or delinquent acts; 4) have schoolwork and school records reviewed by mentors designated by the program; 5) provide information requested by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education or by the state board of education; and 6) participate in program activities. Arts Supporters Awards. Kentucky S.B. 154 requires the education department to create a program to promote the integration of the arts and foreign languages into the elementary school program. Meanwhile, New Mexico enacted the Fine Arts Education Act (H.B. 12), which provides funding for fine arts in public schools. Care and Feeding Award. H.B. 1094 creates the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board. The board is to promote school readiness by supporting community-based efforts to increase the number of children who are ready to succeed by the time they enter school. Productive High School Awards. New Mexico H.B. 305 requires next-step plans for high school students in which the students set personal postgraduation goals. The law requires a final next-step plan as a prerequisite for graduation. North Carolina created the Innovative Education Initiatives Act to develop cooperative efforts between secondary schools and institutions of higher education. The goals are to reduce dropout rates, increase high school and college graduation rates, and decrease the need for remedial programs in higher education. In addition, H.B. 601 in North Carolina encourages early entry of motivated students into four-year college programs. Part of Texas S.B. 1108 requires staff members to identify each student who 1) hasn't performed well on assessments and 2) is not likely to receive a diploma before the fifth year of high school. For each such student, a graduation plan is to be developed that identifies educational goals and includes diagnostic information, appropriate monitoring and intervention, and so on. Connecticut H.B. 6391 acknowledges and addresses the educational needs of children in the juvenile justice system. Part of Texas S.B. 976 establishes the Middle College Education Pilot Program to serve students who are at risk of dropping out of school or who wish to complete high school at an accelerated pace. Yardstick Awards. North Dakota S.B. 2065 requires the state to develop and implement state assessments and specifies that the fiscal impact will fall entirely on the state. …

Pay Now — Or Pay Later

SIXTEEN governors spoke this year in their state-of-the-state addresses about early learning issues. And many of them focused on the issues surrounding kindergarten. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano looked for creative solutions to funding problems: must tackle the root problems of Arizona's illiteracy, which has led to chronic academic underperformance and a shameful dropout rate. The more we learn about the importance of early childhood learning, the more obvious it is that voluntary all-day kindergarten and universal pre-K should be standard offerings in our public schools. . . . Our current budget crisis should not deter us from moving forward with voluntary all-day kindergarten. My administration is already exploring ways we can use private/public partnerships to provide the funding to phase in all-day kindergarten. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove of Mississippi focused on the good outcomes of kindergarten and sought some flexibility in meeting children's needs: In 1982, kindergarten became a cornerstone of the Education Reform Act. In 2003, I want to take it to the next step. The Summer Start program would bring the kids to the classroom two months before, and continuing two months after, their kindergarten year. Taught by qualified kindergarten teachers, this program would give our kids a running start for the schoolhouse door. Summer Start will reduce dropout rates, increase the skills of our future workforce, and ultimately save the state millions. Giving our children the opportunity to succeed -- giving them a good education -- still remains the best hope for lifting us to greater heights. Gov. Kenny Guinn of Nevada put it this way: We need to create a generation of young Nevadans with stronger, sharper, and more sophisticated skills. Therefore, I propose that we start at the beginning by providing full-day kindergarten for our children. These and other comments by governors on early education can be found on the Education Commission of the States website at www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/42/51/4251.doc. State Policy Research Kristie Kauerz, Jessica McMaken, and Michael Griffith, who are policy researchers at the Education Commission of the States, contend that giving districts the same amount of funding regardless of whether they provide full- or half-day kindergarten in effect creates a disincentive to offer full-day programs. After all, why should a district choose to offer the more expensive full-day program when it can offer a half-day program for the same amount of money? Here are two conclusions from their research, which was funded by a grant from the Foundation for Child Development: * Seven states provide an incentive to districts to offer full-day kindergarten instead of half-day. These states are Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These states provide a higher level of funding for full-day kindergarten than for half-day kindergarten. In six of these states, the level provided for full-day kindergarten is the same as that provided for first grade. In Georgia, the level of funding for full-day kindergarten is even higher than that provided for first grade. * Nineteen states provide a disincentive to districts to offer full-day kindergarten. These states are Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. In most of these states there is no difference in the funding provided for full-day kindergarten and for half-day kindergarten. However, in Colorado, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, additional categorical funding for full-day kindergarten programs is offered in some districts or for some children (typically low-income children). Kauerz, McMaken, and Griffith also found that the cutoff dates for entering kindergarten are far from uniform across states. …