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February 29, 2008Dads in the Mix: The Future of Responsible Fatherhood InitiativesChapin Hall: Governing for Children and Families: Almost 25 million children in the U.S. are growing up in families without a father present, a number roughly two-and-half times higher than four decades ago. A growing body of research documents ways children benefit when they have engaged fathers, including better school performance, reduced substance abuse, less crime and delinquency, fewer emotional and other behavioral problems, and less risk of abuse or neglect. Federal initiatives have helped states create a broad array of programs that actively engage fathers in the lives of their families. This web conference will analyze fatherhood research and programming as part of a broader movement to strengthen families. Web Conference Panelists will also discuss promising strategies that some states are implementing to increase father involvement, and the potential for expanding and improving programs as new and continuing funding sources become available. Moderator: Patrick Boyle, Youth Today The web conference is free and space is limited. If multiple people in your office want to participate, please have only one person register and your group can view the web conference together. To join the web conference, you need a computer with an Internet connection. You can listen to the conference by telephone or over the Internet. We will post a recording of the web conference on our web site for those who cannot attend the live event.
Posted by Michael at 9:17 PM | TrackBack February 28, 2008Class Size Alone Not Enough to Close Academic Achievement GapFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A Northwestern University study investigating the effects of class size on the achievement gap between high and low academic achievers suggests that high achievers benefit more from small classes than low achievers, especially at the kindergarten and first grade levels. "While decreasing class size may increase achievement on average for all types of students, it does not appear to reduce the achievement gap within a class," said Spyros Konstantopoulos, assistant professor at Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy. The Northwestern professor worked with data from Project STAR, a landmark longitudinal study launched in 1985 by the State of Tennessee to determine whether small classes positively impacted the academic achievement of students. For most school advocates, parents and policy makers, that finding was enough to call for smaller class size. However, Konstantopoulos found that that the children who already were high achievers were the primary beneficiaries of the extra attention smaller classes afforded. "Given that class size reduction is an intervention that benefits all students, it's tempting to expect that it also will reduce the achievement gap," he added. The Northwestern study findings suggest that small classes produce significantly higher variability in achievement than regular classes in kindergarten mathematics and in first grade reading. Overall the results indicate that class size reduction increases not only achievement for all students on average, but the variability in student achievement as well. "It is unfortunate that data about classroom practices that could be useful in identifying ways of improving academic success for lower achieving students were not available in Project STAR," Konstantopoulos said. Posted by Michael at 9:05 PM | TrackBack Governor Rendell Says Pennsylvania's Job Growth Off to a Strong Start in 2008From PR Newswire: Government and Policy: Despite rising to 4.8 percent, the state's unemployment rate remains lower than the national rate. Because of national economic uncertainty, Governor Rendell emphasized the need for the state to provide targeted economic stimulus now. "Since January 2007, we have added a net total of 23,400 jobs --185,700 jobs since I took office," Governor Rendell said. "While Pennsylvania's economic picture has been a positive one thus far, we do have concerns about the national economy and the negative impact it may have on our future growth. "That is why I proposed an economic stimulus plan to the General Assembly earlier this month that will protect Pennsylvania's progress. Governor Rendell's $2.3 billion "Protecting Our Progress" economic stimulus package focuses on investing in Pennsylvania's infrastructure, communities and citizens to create jobs and continue to grow the state's economy. -- Extending the Keystone Opportunity Zone program to encourage the development of underutilized land and buildings. "My fiscally responsible budget proposal and Protecting Our Progress initiatives are part of my commitment to improve the lives of individuals and families so we can provide a better future for our children. The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. It is a monthly survey of employers conducted by L&I's Center for Workforce Information & Analysis in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, reaching about 18,000 businesses. It is a monthly household survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, reaching about 2,500 households in Pennsylvania. Posted by Michael at 8:34 PM | TrackBack Statement from HUD on the Redevelopment of Public Housing in New OrleansFrom HUD Press Releases: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Housing and Independent Expert on Minorities are misinformed about the state of public housing in New Orleans.The charges that the federal government has not consulted with the local community during the development process is untrue. We do not want to relegate thousands of minority and low-income families back into the sub-standard conditions of New Orleans' public housing - conditions only made worse by Hurricane Katrina. Instead of letting public housing turn into downtrodden and unsafe housing for minority and low-income Americans, people should have live in a socially- and economically-integrated environment where their children can play safely and families can thrive. Our mixed-income, mixed-use strategy for housing redevelopment has been in place for decades, has worked in communities around the country, and has even been successful elsewhere in New Orleans. Every resident affected by redevelopment has a roof over his or her head, either through a voucher or a home in a redeveloped unit. The current effort to redevelop public housing in New Orleanshas benefited from input from local residents and has in turn received widespread support from them and from the City leadership. Today, nearly 300 units in the existing, outdated public housing complexes remain open and "key-ready," yet few families are interested in returning to those conditions. As a result of the overall redevelopment efforts of HANO, 5,108 affordable low-income units will be built and 3,000 new housing vouchers will be provided. Our commitment is not only to the displaced families that will return home, but for those that will call these units home in the future. Posted by Michael at 8:29 PM | TrackBack Foundation Giving Grows Across All Program AreasFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: The nation's largest foundations increased funding for all major subject areas in 2006, with a record number of exceptionally large grants helping to drive this growth. The continued growth of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation had a significant influence on the direction of foundation giving in the latest year: most notably, health surpassed education based on the share of grant dollars received, for the first time on record. While grant dollars awarded by sampled foundations rose 16.4 percent overall between 2005 and 2006, they still climbed by a double-digit 11.6 percent with the Gates Foundation excluded and benefited a range of fields beyond health and international development. "Foundation Giving Trends" (2008 Edition) provides a comprehensive analysis of all grants of $10,000 or more awarded by 1,263 of the largest private and community foundations in the United States in 2006 and tracks changes in funding trends since 1997. The report examines giving by subject focus, recipient type, type of support, population group served, and geographic focus. The Center's web site receives more than 54,000 visits each day, and thousands of people gain access to free resources in the Center's five regional library/learning centers and its national network of over 350 Cooperating Collections. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call 212-620-4230. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press. Posted by Michael at 8:29 PM | TrackBack How Men and Women View Marital and Parental Time PressuresFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Only about one-fifth of employed women and men are completely satisfied with the time they spend with their spouse and their children according to a recent study published in the Journal of Family Issues. "Typically in past studies, full-time workers and parents tend to be more time pressured than those who work part time or who don't have children," says Dr. Susan Roxburgh, associate professor of sociology at Kent State University. In a study funded by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, Roxburgh examined how employment and parenthood influence time pressures pertaining to marital partners and the parental role. She found that men are significantly more likely to want more time with their spouses, while women were more likely than men to say they wanted to improve the quality of time they spend with their spouse. Both women and men equally were likely to say that they wanted to slow down the pace of time spent with their spouse. However when it comes to time spent with children, only women felt that a hectic pace affected the time they spent with their children. "Current social trends --- increasing work hours and consumer debt, declining real wages, and a failure to define time pressure as a social problem --- leave little doubt that family time pressures will continue to be a significant part of American family life," says Roxburgh. She can be reached at 330-672-4724 or sroxburg@kent.edu. Posted by Michael at 8:27 PM | TrackBack New Child Health Data Show State-to-State Differences in Quality of CareFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A new government survey reveals children with special health care needs, such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and asthma, don't consistently get the care that is federally recommended and that there are vast state-to-state differences. This is the first time standardized data at the national and state level has been available to the media and families in an easily accessible way. "Parents of children with special health care needs often have obstacles in getting the information they need," said Christina Bethell, Ph.D., director of the Data Resource Center and associate professor of pediatrics in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine. "The Maternal and Child Health Bureau, which designed and sponsored this survey, is committed to making this data available to the public, parents and media through the Data Resource Center, where you can find specific information about how your state fares in an easy-to-use Web site." The survey is especially significant because it finds that more than 10 million American children have a special health care need -- that amounts to one in five households with children younger than 18. In addition to state-by-state comparisons, the Data Resource Center Web site housed at OHSU allows media and families to search by other factors such as income or race/ethnicity. The health benefits packages for one-third of currently insured children with special health care needs do not adequately cover needed services or have reasonable co-pays. OHSU is Portland's largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government), with 12,400 employees. OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. Posted by Michael at 8:26 PM | TrackBack Children's Under-Achievement Could be Down to Poor Working MemoryFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Children who under-achieve at school may just have poor working memory rather than low intelligence according to researchers who have produced the world's first tool to assess memory capacity in the classroom. The researchers from Durham University, who surveyed over three thousand children, found that ten per cent of school children across all age ranges suffer from poor working memory seriously affecting their learning. Nationally, this equates to almost half a million children in primary education alone being affected. However, the researchers identified that poor working memory is rarely identified by teachers, who often describe children with this problem as inattentive or as having lower levels of intelligence. The new tool, a combination of a checklist and computer programme informed by several years of concentrated research into poor working memory in children, will for the first time enable teachers to identify and assess children's memory capacity in the classroom from as early as four years old. The researchers believe this early assessment of children will enable teachers to adopt new approaches to teaching, thus helping to address the problem of under-achievement in schools. Without appropriate intervention, poor working memory in children, which is thought to be genetic, can affect long-term academic success into adulthood and prevent children from achieving their potential, say the academics. Lead researcher Dr Tracy Alloway from Durham University's School of Education, who, with colleagues, has published widely on the subject, explains further: "Working memory is a bit like a mental jotting pad and how good this is in someone will either ease their path to learning or seriously prevent them from learning. Posted by Michael at 1:19 AM | TrackBack February 27, 2008Despite Popularity, Researcher Finds Not Everyone Can Successfully Learn through Online CoursesFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Since the 1990s, online courses have provided an opportunity for busy adults to continue their education by completing courses in the comfort of their own homes. A researcher at the University of Missouri has found some students may find success in these types of courses more easily than others. Shawna L. Strickland, clinical assistant professor in the MU School of Health Professions, studied the demographics and personality types of distance learners. "Correlations between learning styles and success in distance education have shown to be inconclusive," Strickland said. "However, one common theme reappears: the successful traits of a distance learner are similar to the successful traits of an adult learner in traditional educational settings." With a mere 30 percent of distance learners actually completing their courses, learning more about the characteristics of these students would help educators structure online courses to be as beneficial as possible. Considering the lack of institutional support and isolation involved in the nature of online courses, success in these courses requires a person that is determined and responsible, Strickland said. "The success of distance learning is dependent on communication among the learner, his or her peers and the instructor," Strickland said. Shy individuals have a tendency to be uninvolved in the typical classroom setting. "Distance learning allows the learner to overcome traditional barriers to learning such as location, disabilities, time constraints and familial obligations," Strickland said. The study -- "Understanding Successful Characteristics of Adult Learners" -- was published in the most recent edition of Respiratory Care Education Annual. Posted by Michael at 9:21 PM | TrackBack UCLA Launches Network to Study Health Care Disparities Affecting MinoritiesFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: The UCLA Department of Family Medicine, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has launched the Network for Multicultural Research on Health and Healthcare, a group that will study health care disparities affecting minorities with chronic diseases. The new group --- to be directed by Dr. Michael Rodríguez, associate professor of family medicine, and William Vega, professor of family medicine, both of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA --- will draw on the talents of distinguished faculty from several national universities. "Research has shown us that disparities in health care do exist for certain racial and ethnic groups in the United States," Rodríguez said. Understand how social, ethnic, linguistic and economic factors affect the way health care providers serve minority populations. Study how personal, cultural and social factors promote or impede adequate health care and disease management. Explore how various factors --- including sources of health information, diet and exercise, self-management of chronic conditions, and levels of health literacy among patients and their families --- influence minorities' health status. The network's senior investigators are Dr. José J. Escarce, Dr. Carol Mangione, Dr. Leo S. Morales and Ninez Ponce of UCLA; Margarita Alegría of Harvard University; Dr. Bonnie Duran of the University of Washington; Kyriakos Markides of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable of the University of California, San Francisco; and Roberto Suro of the University of Southern California. Understanding how variations in cultural factors such as immigration status, language ability, generational status and acculturation may impact the health and health care experiences of various immigrant groups is an important step toward those solutions. Posted by Michael at 9:13 PM | TrackBack U of Minn Researchers Find Primary Alcohol Prevention Programs Are Needed for 'Tweens'From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A study by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the University of Florida suggests that 'tweens' should receive alcohol prevention programs prior to sixth grade, when nearly one in six children are already alcohol users. Intervening at earlier ages, specifically between third and fifth grade, would allow for truly universal anti-alcohol messages that would also provide support for high-risk students. The study, published in the journal Health Education and Behavior, compared sixth-graders who had used alcohol in the past year to those who had not, in a multi-ethnic, urban sample of more than 4,000 students in 61 Chicago schools. The study found that sixth-grade users of alcohol were significantly different from the non-users on almost all risk factors examined. For example, users were more likely to be male, engage in violent or delinquent behavior, and have friends who used alcohol. Factors such as lacking the confidence to refuse alcohol and failing to perceive and value the negative consequences of alcohol use are critical in at-risk children. "These are important to note because they are amenable to intervention," Pasch said. Students should receive developmentally-appropriate messages that correct inaccurate perceptions that 'drinking is normal' and that provide tweens with the skills to refuse alcohol. In addition, interventions should include parental involvement in order to help create opportunities for increased parent-child communication and provide parents with the skills to increase monitoring. "Parents and the general public don't realize how early alcohol use starts," Pasch said. "However, in early intervention, parental involvement is a key factor in delaying alcohol use." Posted by Michael at 9:02 PM | TrackBack Performance of Students Attending District of Columbia SchoolsFrom Urban Institute: Only 37 percent of tested students in District of Columbia Public Schools and the city's public charter schools earned proficient or advanced rankings in reading in 2007, and only 32 percent reached those levels in math, Jennifer Comey told the city council. However, between 2006 and 2007, the share of all public school students testing proficient or advanced increased. In 2007, public charter school students tested slightly higher on average compared with DCPS students. Posted by Michael at 12:21 AM | TrackBack State E-Health Activities in 2007: Findings From a State SurveyFrom The Commonwealth Fund: Motivated by a desire to improve performance, assure quality, and maximize value from health care, states are promoting a wide variety of "e-health" initiatives that exploit the capabilities of health information technology and electronic health information exchanges. A new Fund report describes the range of state e-health activities, the challenges states are facing, and emerging best practices. Posted by Michael at 12:02 AM | TrackBack February 26, 2008U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Testifies Before House Appropriations SubcommitteeFrom Education Newsfeed: Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings testified before the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee to discuss the Department of Education's fiscal year 2009 budget request. Following is her prepared opening statement: Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 11:55 PM | TrackBack Heart attack rates fall following national smoking bansFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: French researchers announced a striking 15 percent decrease in admissions of patients with myocardial infarction to emergency wards since the public ban on smoking came into effect last January. Researchers in Rome found an 11.2 percent reduction of acute coronary events since the January 2005 smoking ban took effect in Italy. The European Society of Cardiology wishes to stress the positive impact of smoking bans in all European countries that have adopted laws banning tobacco use in public places. Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 11:52 PM | TrackBack HUD Announces More Ohians Turning to Affordable Government-Backed MortgagesFrom HUD Press Releases: Thousands of Ohioans are turning to HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to find an affordable mortgage refinancing solution, and many more could be helped by bipartisan legislation awaiting final approval by Congress, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced today. While participating in a roundtable discussion with Ohio Congressman Pat Tiberi (OH-12), Columbus-area realtors and local community stakeholders, Jackson said Ohio families refinancing with FHA more than doubled in December 2007, compared one year earlier. FHASecure refinances mortgages that are current or past due because of an interest rate reset. More than 90 percent of borrowers who refinanced from the subprime market into FHA now have 30-year fixed rate loans with much lower monthly mortgages. Nationwide, FHA has seen a dramatic increase in business from homeowners trying to refinance out of their high-cost, high-risk subprime loans. Those rebate checks can be used to help pay off overdue mortgage payments or other essential bills," Jackson added. To encourage more families to consider FHA as an affordable mortgage-insurance alternative, HUD is sending letters to 850,000 Americans with resetting rates who might qualify for more affordable FHA loans. It would provide flexible down payment requirements and higher loan limits. The bill also would enable FHA to fairly price premiums, taking risk into account. To combat predatory lending, HUD's created a Fair Lending Division. These "best practices" will be made available to all 50 states. Jackson also highlighted the HOPE NOW Alliance, an industry effort to help families avoid foreclosure. Posted by Michael at 11:51 PM | TrackBack HUD Applauds NeighborWorks America for Awarding $130 Million for Foreclosure Prevention CounselingFrom HUD Press Releases: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today issued the following statement applauded NeighborWorks America for expeditiously awarding $130 million to HUD-approved national counseling intermediaries and state housing finance agencies that will provide thousands of families with foreclosure prevention counseling. "I applaud Ken Wade and NeighborWorks America for moving quickly to award this vital funding and help homeowners at risk of foreclosure. For families caught in the foreclosure trap, this targeted investment is one more resource to help them keep their homes and bring stability to their communities. Providing foreclosure prevention counseling contributes significantly to securing the American Dream. President Bush has maintained his commitment to sustainable homeownership by increased funding for housing counselors by 150 percent since 2001, and this year's budget request calls for another $65 million. HUD's 2,300 counseling agencies across the country are on the front lines of saving families. Last year, they reached more than 1.6 million households. Together, HUD and NeighborWorks are acting quickly to give financially-strapped families the immediate and long-term assistance they need right now." HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development, and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. For more information about FHA products, please visit www.fha.gov. Posted by Michael at 11:50 PM | TrackBack FHASecure Helps 100,000 Stay in their HomesFrom HUD Press Releases: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today announced that HUD's FHASecure product has helped 100,000 homeowners refinance their mortgages and avoid foreclosure. Since September 2007, FHASecure has enabled tens of thousands of families - who are current on their home loans or past due because their teaser rates reset - to close on loans refinanced through HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is backed by the full faith and credit of the government. FHASecure has helped more than 100,000 families stay in their homes. Homeowners are cutting their monthly mortgage payments by an average of $400 a month compared to their exotic subprime loans. They no longer have anxiety about finding foreclosure notices in their mailboxes, thanks to the safe mortgage alternative that FHASecure offers. Hundreds of people are taking advantage of refinancing into a safer, more secure FHA-backed loan everyday. FHASecure remains on pace to offer refinancing to 300,000 families by the end of this year who are making on time payments or cannot afford their payments now that their teaser rates reset." HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development, and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. For more information about FHA products, please visit www.fha.gov. Posted by Michael at 11:49 PM | TrackBack Elizabethtown College Group to Travel to South Africa During Spring Break to Establish Instrumental Program in SchoolFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: Two Elizabethtown College students and two faculty members will travel to South Africa during Spring Break, taking with them 47 wind instruments to create a music program in a rural school. Karendra Devroop, assistant professor of music and director of music education, and Michael Roy, assistant professor of psychology, will accompany senior music education major Kim Sandifer of New Market, Md., and junior psychology major Laura Getz of Mechanicsburg, Pa., to South Africa. The trip is the culmination of the South African Music Project, which began in November when Sandifer approached Devroop about serving as advisor for her Honors in the Discipline project. Subsequent discussions with Sandifer and the passion they shared about making a difference in the lives of South African students led to the development of the South African Music Project. The principal of the school has invited all the other principals in the area in addition to several education officials to witness the establishment of the program." Created through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, CISP offers financial support for interdisciplinary scholarship projects undertaken jointly by teams of faculty, students and professional staff. Driven by its motto to "Educate for Service," Elizabethtown centers learning in strong relationships, links classroom instruction with experiential learning, emphasizes international and cross-cultural perspectives and nurtures the capacity for lives of purpose. We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press. Posted by Michael at 11:48 PM | TrackBack LSU Researchers Study Coastal Community Bounce BackFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Two LSU researchers are taking what might be the most comprehensive approach ever to determine how some coastal communities bounce back from disaster. The end goal of the project, which is in the early stages of a two-year grant, is to be able to develop and use an index of coastal community resilience to educate and inform decision and policy makers about ways to increase resilience in weaker areas. "Right now, we're focused on Louisiana, but once the index is developed it could easily be applied to any other coastal communities in the world," said Nina Lam, professor and chair of environmental studies at LSU and one of the primary researchers involved in the study. Margaret Reams, associate dean of the School of the Coast and Environment at LSU, and Lam have teamed together with financial support from the United States Minerals Management Service to develop an index of coastal community resilience. "You can speculate, but you can never know. But science is built by little bits and pieces of findings. The resulting social-ecological resilience index will include measures of environmental conditions, socio-economic attributes, patterns of political participation and population movement within Louisiana communities. Robert Twilley, associate vice chancellor of research and economic development at LSU, director of the Coastal Systems and Society Initiative and professor of coastal sciences, is working with researchers in India to help the country deal with the impending consequences of climate change while reducing its carbon output. For more information on the coastal resiliency research project or on any of LSU's current coastal efforts, please contact Ashley Berthelot at 225-578-3870 or aberth4@lsu.edu. Posted by Michael at 11:46 PM | TrackBack Helping Low-Wage Workers Persist in Education ProgramsFrom MDRC: This working paper was originally prepared for a conference, "Strategies for Improving the Economic Mobility of Workers," sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, November 15-16, 2007. Employment has long been held to be an important deterrent against poverty, and work is a core component of a range of federal efforts to improve the economic well-being of low-income families. However, recent trends in earnings and research both confirm that work alone is not sufficient to prevent poverty. While there is compelling evidence that additional years of schooling and advanced education credentials are associated with higher earnings, evaluations of education and basic skills training programs have yielded mixed results concerning their ability to increase earnings among low-income populations. This working paper summarizes what is known from evaluations about the effectiveness of education acquisition to advance the earnings and careers of low-wage workers. The working paper then discusses two popular community college strategies intended to increase academic success among this population: enhanced student services and performance-based scholarships. Recent research about performance-based scholarships suggests that they can have a large, positive effect on academic achievement among a predominately female, single-parent student population that faces multiple barriers to completing college. Posted by Michael at 11:45 PM | TrackBack Economic Costs of Inadequate Investments in Workforce DevelopmentFrom Urban Institute: In testimony on the ramifications of inadequate investments in workforce development, Senior Fellow Harry Holzer told a House Appropriations subcommittee that the very low earnings and employment of millions of Americans generate high poverty rates and impose huge costs on the U.S. economy. The research evidence, while somewhat mixed, shows that many public investments in workforce development are cost-effective at raising the earnings of low-income workers. Posted by Michael at 11:44 PM | TrackBack Popular Community Enterprise Software to Be Donated Through TechSoup StockFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: San Francisco-based nonprofit technology resource and provider TechSoup (http://www.techsoup.org) and Internet software provider for the social sector CitySoft Inc. (http://citysoft.com/) has announced CitySoft's donation of its Community Enterprise (CE) open-source enterprise software to U.S. and Canada-based nonprofits. CE is a comprehensive software platform tailored to the needs of nonprofit organizations. With 25 different modules, CE allows social sector organizations to manage key activities such as operations, communications, and fundraising, online in one system. TechSoup will distribute the software via its TechSoup Stock (http://www.techsoup.org/stock) technology product donation service. Having worked with social sector clients for over a decade, CitySoft is one of the oldest companies in the field and counts the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Harvard University, and the Ford Foundation among its list clients. For CitySoft donating its software product was part of a continued commitment to the nonprofit community. CitySoft is an Internet software company that has one goal - to provide the most affordable, easy-to-use, web-based software possible. Founded in 1987 as CompuMentor, TechSoup is one of the most comprehensive nonprofit technology resource providers in the world, employing a staff of over 150 and deploying a budget of over $18 million in FY 2008. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. Posted by Michael at 11:44 PM | TrackBack Federal Poverty Line Grossly Underestimates the Needs of California's SeniorsFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: If you are elderly and live in California, how poor do you have to be to become eligible for public assistance? Too poor, says a new report issued by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR). The new Elder Economic Security Standard Index (Elder Index) for California, to be released tomorrow, shows that the Federal Poverty Line (FPL), used to determine income eligibility for most public programs, covers less than half of the basic costs experienced by adults age 65 and older in the state. In 2007, the federal poverty guideline for a single, elderly person (age 65 and older) was an annual income of $10,210, and for an older couple, $13,690. But according to the report's calculations, broken down by each California county, a basic annual cost of living for a retired older adult, in good health and living in rental housing, averages $21,011, reaching a high of $27,550 in San Mateo County. For an older couple the average is $30,537, reaching a high of $37,263, again in San Mateo County. The FPL, the official federal measure of poverty, is an outdated one, said Wallace. Not only does FPL fail to account for the costs of housing and transportation, noted Wallace, but it does not include medical costs, which can be particularly debilitating for the elderly. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research based its calculations using widely accepted and credible national and state data sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Posted by Michael at 11:43 PM | TrackBack U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings Hosts Education Roundtable, Highlights No Child Left Behind in Topeka, KansasFrom Education Newsfeed: U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Kansas State Superintendent Alexa Posny today hosted an education policy roundtable with state legislators, educators and business leaders at the Kansas Department of Education in Topeka, Kan. In her opening remarks, Secretary Spellings commended the State's progress in student achievement in grades 3-8 reading and math under No Child Left Behind, especially noting large gains among students with disabilities and low-income students. Secretary Spellings also announced a $947,069 School Improvement Grant for Kansas to help turn around low-performing schools and help Kansas take a greater role in developing and delivering comprehensive leadership and technical assistance to reform schools and districts that are not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Read more from this post. Posted by Michael at 11:42 PM | TrackBack Switching Medications, Adding Psychotherapy May Help Teens with Ineffective Depression MedicationFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: For adolescents with depression not responding to an initial treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI; a class of antidepressant drugs), switching medications and adding cognitive behavioral therapy resulted in an improvement in symptoms, compared to just changing medications, according to a study in the February 27 issue of JAMA. "Untreated depression results in impairment in school, interpersonal relationships, occupational adjustment, and increases the risk for suicidal behavior and completed suicide. Therefore, the proper treatment of adolescent depression has profound public health implications for youth in this critical stage of development," the researchers write. Clinical guidelines for the treatment of adolescent depression recommend the prescribing of SSRI medications, psychotherapy, or both. While these treatments alone or in combination have been shown to be effective, at least 40 percent of adolescents with depression do not show an adequate clinical response to these interventions. David Brent, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues examined the relative efficacy of medication type, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and the combination of both for the treatment of resistant adolescent depression. For 12 weeks, participants were randomized to one of four treatments: switch to a second, different SSRI (paroxetine, citalopram, or fluoxetine); switch to a different SSRI plus CBT; switch to venlafaxine (a selective serotonin and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitor [SNRI], an antidepressant shown in some studies to be superior to an SSRI in the management of treatment-resistant adult depression); switch to venlafaxine plus CBT. The clinician should convey hope to the adolescent with depression and his or her family that, despite a first unsuccessful treatment for depression, persistence with additional appropriate interventions can result in substantial clinical improvement," the researchers conclude. Posted by Michael at 11:41 PM | TrackBack What Women Think during their First PregnancyFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Pregnant women who perceive having had a well-balanced relationship with their parents during their childhood will experience fewer difficulties in the transition to motherhood, as opposed to women whose relationship with their parents was characterized by unresolved anger or rejection -- reveals a new study conducted at the University of Haifa. The study also found that women who tend to deny negative experiences in early childhood relationships expected to experience a relationship with their future children characterized by less warmth compared to other women who participated in the study. The research, which was conducted by Ora Gazit under the direction of Dr. Miri Scharf, examined 160 Jewish women in the last trimester of their first pregnancy who live with their husband or partner. The researchers examined the expectations, thoughts and emotions of the pregnant women regarding themselves as future mothers and their future relationships with their babies -- based on two approaches related to identity building. The first focuses on the way people perceive their early childhood relationship with their parents and how this is reflected in their thoughts, perceptions and behavior during their lives. The second focuses on existing differences between people whose motivation is derived from an aspiration for success and those who are motivated by an aspiration to avoid failure. The results of the study revealed that women whose early childhood relationships with their parents were characterized by rejection and unresolved conflicts, expected to experience a high measure of separation anxiety, thought their child would be more demanding of them and thought they would set a lot boundaries, compared to other women in the study. Posted by Michael at 11:41 PM | TrackBack February 25, 2008HHS Provides $40 Million in Energy Assistance to Low-Income FamiliesFrom HHS News and Events: HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the release of $40 million to help eligible low-income families meet home energy costs. The funds, from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) emergency contingency fund, will provide 11 states with heating assistance for the winter months. "Winter weather can have a devastating impact on low-income families," Secretary Leavitt said, "With these funds, the Bush administration will help ensure that American families are warm during the coldest time of the year." LIHEAP helps eligible families pay for home cooling and heating in summer and winter months. The money released today is directed to states with 20 percent of their low-income households using fuel oil as their primary heating source. The Energy Information Administration predicts that average home heating oil expenditures this winter will exceed last year winter's levels by 34 percent. "Today's announcement highlights the Bush administration's continued commitment to protecting America's most vulnerable citizens," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Daniel Schneider. The release of $40 million brings the total amount of LIHEAP funds released to date to approximately $2.3 billion this fiscal year, including block grant allocations and the $450 million in contingency funds released to all states on Jan. 16, 2008. States receiving emergency contingency funds today include Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/ or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html. Posted by Michael at 11:58 PM | TrackBack A Report Card on Comprehensive Equity: Racial Gaps in the Nation's Youth OutcomesFrom Economic Policy Institute: The "achievement gap" usually refers to the difference between black and white students' basic skills test scores. But education and youth development consists of more than basic skills -- it also includes critical thinking, social skills and a work ethic, citizenship and community responsibility, physical health, emotional health, appreciation of the arts and literature, and preparation for skilled work. Greater equity in outcomes requires narrowing the achievement gap in each of these areas. In this "Report Card on Comprehensive Equity," Richard Rothstein, Rebecca Jacobsen, and Tamara Wilder estimate the black-white achievement gaps in each of these aspects of education and youth development, and illustrate the types of data gathering which should be undertaken for ongoing measurement of these gaps. Posted by Michael at 11:36 PM | TrackBack Dementia and End of Life CareFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: An article co-authored by Susan L. Mitchell, M.D., M.P.H., of Hebrew SeniorLife's Institute for Aging Research reports that nursing home residents with advanced dementia are frequently prescribed antibiotic medications, especially during the two weeks before death. This practice raises concerns about the end-of-life care of individual patients dying with advanced dementia, as well as the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Nearly 70 percent of the 5 million Americans with dementia---a progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what is expected in normal aging---will live in a nursing home during the final stage of their disease. Recurrent infections and fevers typically occur during this stage; therefore, nursing home residents with advanced dementia are at high risk for exposure to antibiotic medications. Exposure to drugs, however, can lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are associated with higher mortality rates and more frequent and prolonged hospitalizations. The researchers followed 241 residents with advanced dementia from 21 Boston-area nursing homes who were recruited for a study called Choices, Attitudes and Strategies for Care of Advanced Dementia at End-of-Life (CASCADE), a five year study funded by the National Institutes of Health. As one component of this larger study, the use of antimicrobial medications (drugs that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria) among these residents every 3 months for 18 months or until their death. Among the 99 residents who died during the observation period, nearly 52 percent received at least one course of antibiotics within eight weeks of death, and 42% received antibiotics during the 2 weeks prior to death. Earlier studies focused on the treatment of specific infections, such as pneumonia, or studied residents in only a single institution. Posted by Michael at 11:36 PM | TrackBack Homeless Women Get Mammograms at Project Homeless Connect;From Ascribe Newsfeed: For women who lack a home or a safe place to stay, getting a regular mammogram is probably way down on their list of things to do. They are too busy struggling just to survive. But now California Pacific Medical Center is providing free mammograms and a full health care check-up for some homeless women at the next Project Homeless Connect on February 27th at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. "These women have already endured so much," says Shirley Manly Lampkin, R.N., Ph.D., Director of California Pacific Medical Center's Community Benefits program. The award honors City employees considered to have demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills. California Pacific has been a partner in many previous PHC events and in addition to helping fund the event has made it a regular part of its Leadership Development program. "That's why we're honored to be part of the work that Project Homeless Connect does. Working with so many wonderful volunteers from so many different walks of life is a reminder of why we all love San Francisco, and what makes this city so great." At San Francisco's California Pacific Medical Center, we believe in the power of medicine. It's why we go beyond medical care and provide our patients with things like disease counseling, family support and wellness treatments. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press. Posted by Michael at 11:34 PM | TrackBack Childhood Obesity Leads to Higher Rate of Problems during SurgeryFrom EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Add this to the growing list of health challenges faced by obese children: A new study from the University of Michigan Health System finds that obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have problems with airway obstruction and other breathing-related functions during surgery. Obese children were found to have a higher rate of difficult mask ventilation, airway obstruction, major oxygen desaturation (a decrease in oxygen in the patient's blood), and other airway problems. The study appears in the March issue of the journal Anesthesiology. This large-scale prospective study examines the effect of overweight and obesity on the outcomes of operations in children undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery. "Based on current trends, it is likely that anesthesiologists will continue to care for an increasing number of children who are overweight or obese," Tait says, "so it is vital that we are aware of the higher risk they face in the operating room." Researchers studied the experiences of 2,025 children who were having elective surgery. In addition to the problems the obese patients experienced during surgery, they also had a higher rate of illnesses and conditions including asthma, hypertension, sleep apnea and Type II diabetes. Major airway obstructions occurred in 19 percent of obese children, compared with 11 percent of normal-weight children. It should be noted however, that despite the increased risk of adverse events among children who are obese, none resulted in significant illness. Posted by Michael at 11:32 PM | TrackBack Funding Needed to Keep Rural Schools on Pace With Nation, Expert SaysFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: John Hill, executive director of the National Rural Education Association, a Purdue University-based group that pursues educational equity for rural school districts, says lawmakers and educational pundits often overlook rural educational challenges that differ widely from those faced by urban schools. "With programs like No Child Left Behind, the federal government is seeking to better our students' educations, but we need to be sure and remind the government that rural schools especially need help in funding the mandates government imposes," Hill said. An educator with more than 37 years of experience as a teacher and administrator, Hill also serves as a visiting professor of educational studies at Purdue, where the association has been headquartered since January. "Since funding is often tied to enrollment, one of the biggest concerns for rural districts is a lack of resources. Hill said consolidation, often touted as a money-saving strategy, is not a cure-all for the problems of rural districts since schools now often face unfunded mandates not in effect when consolidation occurred. "Schools that have consolidated to a single countywide system in rural areas still experience financial difficulties and a lack of qualified teachers," Hill said. Hill's immediate goals for the organization include developing a strategic growth plan and cultivating relationships with key members of Congress. With affiliates in 42 states, the association represents rural schools at the national level, with members who serve on national educational review panels and coalitions. AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations. Posted by Michael at 11:30 PM | TrackBack Save Afterschool Programs in Your Community!Youth Policy Action Center - Send a Message National Call In Days to Show Your Support for Afterschool Programs President Bush is proposing a devastating cut to afterschool funds and a drastic restructure of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program that would convert it to a voucher program. To show the strong opposition to this proposal, we are urging you to participate in a National Call In Campaign to Support Afterschool on Monday February 25th and Tuesday 26th. On these two days, we are asking afterschool advocates, participants and supporters from across the nation to take a moment to call their Members of Congress to express support for a continued investment in afterschool. Posted by Michael at 12:21 PM | TrackBack February 22, 2008Seeking Promising TANF/Faith-Based and Community Organization PartnershipsFrom: Public/Private Ventures: P/PV is part of an initiative, sponsored by the federal Office of Family Assistance (OFA), to identify how TANF agencies and Faith-Based and Community Organizations can partner together to help low-income families find and retain employment. The three major phases of this project will include: * Research to create a compendium of promising practices; P/PV requests your assistance identifying promising partnerships and innovative programs. Specifically, we are requesting recommendations of Faith-Based and Community Organizations that have worked closely with local TANF agencies through either formal or informal arrangements to provide clients with employment preparation, placement and retention services, helping them to move toward self-sufficiency. We are particularly interested in TANF/Faith-Based and Community Organizations partnerships that: * Have developed successful practices for referring families to Faith-Based and Community Organizations. Selected TANF/Faith-Based and Community Organizations partnerships will be considered for inclusion in the compendium, inform the development of the pilot, potentially receive targeted TA and contribute to the toolkit. If you have a partnership to recommend, please submit: * The Faith-Based and Community Organization program name and contact information; Please submit to lkotloff@ppv.org by Thursday, February 28, 2008. Posted by Michael at 2:24 PM | TrackBack February 21, 2008Educators, Students Call for Government-Higher Education-Family Collaboration to Address Soaring College CostsFrom PR Newswire: With the average price of college continuing to rise considerably faster than per capita income, Americans are increasingly concerned that soaring tuition costs and onerous loans will prevent qualified students from pursuing a college education, according to participants in a public forum on February 20th, presented by Public Agenda, the nonprofit, nonpartisan opinion research and citizen engagement organization, and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education at George Washington University. A Forum on the Soaring Costs of Higher Education," brought together students and leaders in education and economic policy to explore college cost increases and proposals to address cost issues. "We are on the verge of a huge crisis in our country because access to college is essentially the only chance to have a high quality of living and good income," William E. Kirwan, Chancellor of University System of Maryland, said. "If we don't do more in our country to provide access to higher education, we will create a two-tiered society and the opportunity for upward mobility will be eliminated for too many people." Experts said that solutions would have to be multi-pronged, with greater government aid, college productivity gains, and family budgeting, but most were wary of government regulation. "The fragmentation of higher education makes it hard," Pat Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education said. "It's going to take leadership from the federal government, which has been a minor player, and from the states, and from higher education. It's a rebalancing of the social contract. No solution is just public revenues, family budgeting, or college productivity gains. Posted by Michael at 3:56 PM | TrackBack American Cancer Society Supports Menu Labeling BillFrom Ascribe Newsfeed: One in three cancer deaths are caused by poor diet and obesity - a staggering statistic matched only by the number of cancer deaths related to tobacco. We have seen the positive effects of education and outreach when it comes to tobacco use. Yet millions of Californians who eat out remain in the dark about the nutritional information of their food. For this reason, the American Cancer Society strongly supports the reintroduction of Senate Bill 1420, and thanks its co- authors Sens. This bill would require restaurant chains with 15 or more locations to post nutrition information on menus and menu boards, and would play a crucial role in what must be a multi-pronged effort to combat this preventable disease. In 2006, the California Department of Health Services created a strategic plan in response to this statewide crisis of obesity. Among its recommendations: "Post calorie information per serving on all menus and menu boards at restaurants and encourage healthy food options on all menus." We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations. AScribe transmits news releases directly to newsroom computer systems and desktops of major media organizations via a supremely trusted channel - The Associated Press. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
