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Governor's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget: What's In It For Kids?
Like a blown-out tire, when it comes to investments in Maryland's families, funding in the administration's budget is flat, with new money for school construction the notable exception. Maryland's gap between the wealth of the state and the well-being of its children and youth persists. Read more >>
Self-Sufficiency Standard for Maryland: 2012
The Maryland Community Action Partnership recently released its Self-Sufficiency Standard report for Maryland in 2012; measuring the amount of income needed for Maryland families need to meet basic needs. As expected, the results vary greatly depending on geographic location. Read more >>
Gap Widens Between State’s Wealth and Child Well-Being
The gap between Maryland wealth and child well-being is second largest in the nation, according to the latest Kids Count report. Maryland is the wealthiest state but ranks 25th in child well-being. To address this persistent gap, Maryland must switch funding to proven programs that help families help themselves. Read more >>
2011 KIDS COUNT Data Book Reveals Impact of the Recession on Maryland's Children
A Cumberland Times-News article discuss Allegany County's high rate of child poverty. The article was centered around data released in 2011 KIDS COUNT data book and contains quotes from Executive Director Becky Wagner and Research and Policy Associate Al Passarella. Read more >>
Maryland’s Infant Mortality National Ranking Drops to 42nd
Maryland’s national rankings for infant mortality and low-birthweight babies are extraordinarily low, as revealed by the 2010 Kids Count report. Read more >>
Washington, D.C., Unveils New Performance Tracking Website
Washington, D.C., has a new website for tracking agency performance that includes features that can enhance the widely-praised Maryland StateStat system. Read more >>
State Improves to 38th Nationally in Food Stamp Utilization
Maryland has increased its effort to connect hungry families to services, improving from 42nd to 38th nationally in food stamp utilization. This increased utilization is mirrored in the rise in enrollments since 2008. Read more >>
State Ranks 41st in Getting Food Stamps To Eligible Families
A smaller percentage of eligible families in Maryland are getting food stamps, according to recently released data analyzed by Advocates for Children and Youth. The State ranks 41st in the country in food stamp utilization. Solutions include hiring more eligibility workers, doing eligibility interviews by phone and allowing families to complete applications for food stamps and other benefits at one-stop centers across the State. Read more >>
Reading Readiness Gaps Remain Large: ACY Study
A new study by Advocates for Children and Youth finds that minority, low-income and Limited English Proficient students lag behind their peers in literacy skills from an early age, setting the stage for ongoing achievement gaps. Improved access to quality prekindergarten programs can help more children enter school ready to read. Targeted, personalized interventions in the early grades can help struggling readers catch up before it is too late. Read more >>
Child Well-Being Gap Now Second Only To Alaska
Only Alaska has a wider gap than Maryland between its household income and how well its children are doing. The latest data shows that Maryland remains the wealthiest state in the country but ranks only 25th in child outcomes. Nevada previously had a wider gap. Read more>>
National Tests Show Maryland Needs To Help Students Earlier
Maryland students improved on the math portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2009. Yet, too few students are proficient, particularly those who are minority or economically disadvantaged. Schools can best help students by providing early, extra services to anyone not achieving the “advanced” score on state tests. Read more >>
Report Confirms Untapped Potential of StateStat System
An analysis by the Free State Foundation highlights the strengthens and weaknesses of the Governor's StateStat system. As previously pointed out by Advocates for Children and Youth, the system has too much data, too little analysis and not enough focus on real outcomes for children and families.
Maryland Falls Sharply In Child Well-Being Rank
Maryland's national ranking on child well-being measures fell from 19th to 25th. Only two states have larger performance gaps between wealth and child outcomes. Read more >>
Governor Sets Goals for Education, Birth Outcomes and Childhood Hunger
The Governor established 15 priority goals, including: improving student achievement; reducing childhood hunger; and reducing poor birth outcomes. Plans will be developed for each goal. These goals come out of the Governor’s Delivery Unit, modeled after an initiative in Great Britain.
New Data Dashboard Monitors State Progress In Reforms
Advocates for Children and Youth unveiled a new Data Dashboard to track progress on key measures of child well-being related to the reforms proposed by the Maryland Can Do Better for Children campaign. The Dashboard links to a powerful new database that includes historical data, jurisdictional breakdowns and comparisons to other states. Read more >>
Thornton Raised Scores But Left Instructional Leadership Gap
A final study by the Maryland State Department of Education on the Thornton legislation highlighted increased test scores and identified strong instructional leadership as the single most important factor for narrowing achievement gaps. However, the study did not indicate that school districts are using new state funding to improve the quality of school principals, particularly in the most challenging schools. Read more >>
Out-of-Home Placements Down, But So Are In-Home Services
Advocates for Children and Youth has determined that during the last 12 months 839 children in Maryland were left in their homes or with relatives following findings of abuse or neglect but without any increase in the number of children receiving in-home services or ongoing support from a caseworker as would be expected. Reducing out-of-placements is a very positive goal, but it must be achieved through proven strategies that protect children. Read more >>
Achievement Gaps Persist for Limited English Students
According to a new analysis by Advocates for Children and Youth, there are significantly more Limited English Proficient students in Maryland’s school districts. They are no longer as concentrated in one county. Prince George’s County has seen particular growth. State funding for these students has increased six-fold under the Thornton legislation; however, achievement gaps persist, and it is unclear whether school districts are providing the targeted interventions needed by this growing segment of their student population. Read more >>
Continued Decline in Health of Maryland's Infants
In 2007, the health of Maryland’s infants declined once again. The percentage of women receiving early prenatal care dropped below 80 percent. Infant mortality continued to rise, increasing by 10 percent since 2005. Racial disparities grew after shrinking in prior years. African-American infant mortality is currently three times the rate for whites. Read more >>
Maryland Continues to Have Large Performance Gap
Maryland has the lowest percentage of children in poverty but ranks 19th in the nation on measures of child well-being, according to the 2008 KIDS COUNT Databook, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Maryland’s gap between household wealth and child well-being is the fourth largest in the nation. Read more >>
Governing Magazine Confirms StateStat Potential, Challenges
Governing gives Maryland a B- for performance-based management, noting many of the same issues discussed in an Advocates for Children and Youth analysis, which found that the Governor's StateStat initiative needs to focus on different and fewer indicators if it is to drive key reforms in child welfare and other areas. Read more>>
Health of Maryland's Infants Declines; Racial Gap Remains
An Advocates for Children and Youth analysis of new, just released data shows a reduced percentage of women in Maryland receiving early prenatal care, a record number of low-birthweight babies and an increase in infant mortality. Racial disparities have narrowed but remain large. Read more >>
Schools Suspension Hit Record Levels; Racial Disparities Rise
School suspensions spiked and hit near record levels last school year, according to a new analysis by Advocates for Children and Youth. Read more >>
Drop in Child Poverty, but Families Face Economic Needs
Despite a recent report of lower child poverty rates in Maryland, many families face economic challenges because of the higher cost of raising a family in the State. Read more >>
StateStat Website Provides Access to New Indicators
The indicators the Governor and child-serving agencies are monitoring on a bi-weekly basis through the new website for the StateState program.
Maryland's Low-Income Kids Among Nation's Least Healthy
On measures of the health of low-income children, Maryland ranks 47th in the country, according to a new Kids Count analysis. Read more >>
Maryland Students Rank 20th on National Tests
Maryland is the wealthiest state, but our students scored 20th on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The State's academic performanc gap is the 5th largest in the country. Read more>>
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