Weekly Digest: April 16, 2009

CT Voices Report: The Hispanic Student Experience in Connecticut's Schools

As the Hispanic population continues to grow in our schools and in our communities, the educational attainment and skill level of this population will have a greater and greater impact on the population at large. Analysis of educational data trends from Connecticut schools paints a distressing picture for the future of the state. Public schools are failing to educate and retain Hispanic students. Hispanic children in the state's public schools are more likely than their white (non-Hispanic) and black counterparts to score below proficient on standardized tests. They are more likely to be absent from school and are more likely to drop out of the school system altogether. Hispanic children are not reaping the benefits of public education to the same degree as their peers. (March 2009) 

To download this report, visit the CT Voices for Children website at http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_450.html

CSSP PolcyForResults.org Website

The Center for the Study of Social Policy has launched a new website that offers policymakers an array of proven resources, tools and strategies for making a difference in children's lives.  PolicyForResults.org is a one-stop shop for information on the most effective approaches states and localities can use to help families succeed economically, ensure children are reading at grade level, and for families in crisis, ensure that children live safely in permanent homes rather than in foster care and that costly and unnecessary juvenile detention is reduced.

The website features:
• A step-by-step guide to making effective policy decisions
• Data on the status of children and families in each state
• Successful examples of "what works" to improve the well-being of children and families
• Numerous tools for self-assessment, results-based budgeting and other valuable purposes
• A blog where state and local officials can share their own experiences and good ideas with their peers