New Resources on Juvenile Justice!

Juvenile detention rates have declined since 1990, as have the rates in which young people come into contact with the juvenile justice system in general. However, when young people encounter the justice system and are detained, it can have a long-lasting impact. The National Center for Children in Poverty recently released a new fact sheet for policymakers on juvenile justice. The fact sheet notes that a majority of youth in residential treatment report some form of mental health need or trauma. Furthermore, the fact sheet noted that while most juvenile residential facilities offer at least some therapy or counseling service, the majority of these facilities are ill-prepared to adequately address the needs of the youth in their custody.

• Forty-five percent of youth are incarcerated in facilities that do not screen all new youth in the first 24 hours.
• Among youth with a documented mental health issue that are incarcerated in residential placement facilities, 47 percent have not met with a counselor.

In addition to addressing the important mental health supports needed for youth in the juvenile justice system, the fact sheet also includes guidance for policymakers about community based alternatives, the research supporting treating youth as youth (and not in the adult criminal justice system), as well as ways of improving residential treatment.

For more state policy strategies for both preventing delinquency and ensuring quality juvenile justice services visit our homepage to sign-up for e-mail updates for new and updated results-based policy regarding Juvenile Justice - coming soon!

Does Expanding Instructional Hours Improve School Achievement?

Extended learning time has been a relevant and controversial issue in education reform for the past several decades. Numerous reports such as this research study published by the National Center for Time and Learning, suggest that a students’ level of achievement is strongly associated with the amount of time they are engaged in learning. In addition, research has shown that extended learning time is particularly impactful for at-risk youth. A new report by the Education Commissions of the States (ECS) provides policymakers with guidelines to consider when developing policy relating to instructional time:

• Allotted time must vary with the needs of the student: Policymakers must consider that different populations need different amounts of time to achieve proficiency and that this variation must be factored into the education system.
• Highlight what works: Understanding how current expanded-time schools have leveraged the power of time—and done so in cost-effective ways—can help lead others to try, as well.
• Incentivize innovation: Policymakers can grant schools and educators flexibility to innovate, all while holding them accountable for demonstrating that their students are able to achieve at high levels or are improving significantly.

In the report, several states are highlighted for establishing policies, based on best practice, that support increased hours in school and that follow the suggested guidelines outlined above. In Massachusetts, school-learning time is extended through a competitive grant program called The Expanded Learning Time Initiative, allocating money to school systems that add 300 hours to the year (extra 1 hour, 40 minutes per day). The Washington legislature increased instructional time for grades 7-12 from 1000 hours to the new minimum of1080 hours while also increasing the hours in kindergarten from 450 to at least 1000 hours. Moreover, in 2010 Maryland passed a bill that directs the state board to explore innovative scheduling models in low-performing and at-risk schools, including extended-year, year-round school, or other models that do not allow for prolonged lapses in instructional time.

While there is strong support for extending learning time, some have found that this effort alone is not enough to make significant reforms. According to an Education Sector report, extending instructional hours does not necessarily equate to higher levels of achievement and is not worth the associated political and financial costs. Moreover, the report states that changing the school schedule affects not only students and teachers, but parents, employers, and a wide range of industries that are dependent on the traditional school calendar. The report states that most calculations suggest that a 10 percent increase in time would require a 6 to 7 percent increase in cost. Furthermore, the report states that extending school time will be most effective if it is also accompanied by other quality educational reforms and emphasizes an increase in instructional hours specifically, not just the extension of time spent in school.

Education reform remains an important focus for policymakers in the United States; as a way to best prepare our children for life and work and as a means for remaining competitive internationally.

Given the breadth of research, policymakers have a number of tools to use in considering if extending school time is an appropriate part of education reform for their constituency; evaluating the needs of the student population and the feasibility of implementation according to each community’s political and fiscal circumstances.

For more information on school reform strategies to improve K-3 academic success, high school completion, and new strategies for increasing college completion (coming soon), visit PolicyforResults.org.

Promoting Excellence and Accountability in Child Welfare

A new bill was recently introduced by Senator Ron Wyden aimed at helping states continue their efforts to prevent youth from entering foster care and to lessen the time a child spends in the system, while also encouraging strengthened support services to children and youth so they do not fall behind their peers. The bill provides states with the flexibility to determine the specific methods through which improved outcomes for children and youth will be achieved, based on best practices and in collaboration with foster parents, biological parents, kinship caregivers and youth. The aim of the proposed intervention is not only to protect children, but to help contribute to their current and future well-being.

For information on the bill visit Thomas.gov.

For state policy strategies to ensure children grow up in safe, supportive and economically successful families visit PolicyforResults.org.

Historic Wealth Gaps and the Role of Housing Policy

The Pew Research Center’s report, Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics, describes the historic wealth gaps that currently exist and addresses some of the reasons for the dramatic growth of these gaps. The report states that the median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households; amounting to the largest gaps in wealth ratios since the government began publishing this data a quarter century ago. These gaps are particularly concerning in that, as noted by the report, they are approximately twice the size of the ratios that existed between these three groups for the two decades prior to the recession that ended in 2009. The report states that between 2005 and 2009, median wealth fell by 66% among Hispanic households, 53% among black households and 16% among white households; amounting to the typical black household having just $5,677 in wealth (assets minus debts) in 2009; the typical Hispanic household having $6,325 in wealth; and the typical white household having $113,149.

The report states that plummeting house values were the principal cause of the recent reduction in household wealth among all groups. However, the report goes on to state that the housing market bubble burst in 2006, and the recession that followed from late 2007 to mid-2009, took a far greater toll on the wealth of minorities than on whites. Furthermore, previous studies, including a study conducted by the Center for Responsible Lending, have found that blacks and Hispanics were 30 percent more likely than whites to be charged higher interest rates, even among borrowers with similar credit ratings. Policies that protect families from subprime lending and other predatory practices are critical to ensuring children grow up in safe, stable and economically successful families. The Center for Responsible Lending has several resources for policymakers to consider when working to address responsible lending practices, including efforts to prevent steering (or direct borrowers into more expensive loans), rules for regulating brokers, eliminating prepayment penalties and several other protections to assist families in developing and maintain assets, like owning a home.

To learn more about policy strategies to promote affordable housing, please visit PolicyforResults.org.

The Need to Address Early Child Obesity

The dialogue on childhood obesity rarely includes infants and toddlers. However, a new report published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reveals that almost 10% of children under the age of two carry excess weight and 20% of children between the ages of two and five are already overweight. The report raises a variety of issues around early childhood obesity and provides recommendations for establishing sustainable and healthy lifestyles.

One issue addressed in the report is the importance of early childhood obesity-risk assessments. While states like Louisiana are implementing fitness and body mass index measurements at grade levels, there are few state initiatives addressing assessment for children at earlier ages. Policy measures that address adequate nutrition and health for young children are an important factor in promoting health in later life. Research suggests that an overweight 3-year-old child is nearly 8 times more likely to become an overweight young adult, as compared to a typically developing 3-year-old. Moreover, the lack of access to healthy food and healthcare, often experienced by low-income and poor families, makes them more vulnerable to this trend.

The report also emphasizes the significance of physical activities and nutrition at child care facilities in lessening the risk of excessive weight-gain in children. Wisconsin and Massachusetts are both developing and implementing collaborative statewide multi‐strategy, evidence‐based initiatives to enhance nutrition and physical activity among 2‐5 year olds in child care centers. The Wisconsin Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (WECOPI), in partnership with the state Department of Health Services, works to support the new federally funded CDC/ARRA physical activity policy project, improve state standards for day care centers and youth programs to promote healthy foods, and strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program meal pattern guidelines, as well as other efforts aimed at providing access to exercise and more affordable, healthy foods.

The IOM report also states that the HHS and USDA’s dietary recommendations—known as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans— do not include recommendations for children under the age of two. The IOM recommends that the DGA provide these guidelines because it is critical that efforts to address childhood obesity and to develop prevention models begin early.

Visit PolicyforResults.org for more information on strategies to prevent childhood obesity and promote access to affordable healthy foods.