(From USAID) At USAID, we recognize that – for the first time in history – a world without extreme poverty is possible. This is an ambitious challenge: to lift more than 1 billion people out of extreme poverty. But we have built a solid foundation. USAID and the international community have improved economic opportunity, health, food security, education, equality, stability, and accountable governance for millions of people. In fact, nearly 700 million people have moved above the $1.25 per day poverty line since 1990. If we continue on this trajectory, we could reach zero by 2030. Read more>>
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(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #4, 2013 of Educational Administration Quarterly describes the new and different kinds of leadership skills needed by school principals who are assigned to schools in disadvantaged or tribal communities. The article "examined how the federal Promise Neighborhoods program shapes leadership networks and objectives in diverse tribal and urban settings. The program calls for diverse stakeholders to provide families with resources such as parenting workshops, childcare, preschool, health clinics, and other social services that affect learning and development. We focused particularly upon how Promise Neighborhoods planning and development creates new “frontiers of educational leadership." The "Promise Neighborhoods planning grant applications in the USA —21 that were funded and 21 from tribal settings—as well as interview data and program and community-specific archival data were analyzed to learn about applicants’ purposes and compositions of partners. These data were analyzed with insights from Burt’s notion of structural holes, which suggests that leadership in “social frontier” spaces is often dependent upon negotiation, entrepreneurship, and relationship brokering." The authors suggest that " As Promise Neighborhoods and other place-based initiatives are developed, diverse networks of leaders will be called to bridge organizational boundaries, cultural differences, socioeconomic differences, and physical distances to develop coherent plans of action for collective “Neighborhoods.” Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) We have noted several recent articles in several journals discussing how adversity in childhood "acculmulates" within those children and gradually shows up in various risk behaviours and conditions. A special issue containing several articles in Issue #5, 2013 of School Psychology International follows this trend and examines adversity, protection, and resilience.The articles all support the idea of formulating an international research agenda on how to improve child protection and nurture resilience among these children and youth. Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in Issue #3, 2013 of the Journal on Emotional and Behavioral Disorders delves into the impact of lower socio-economic status (SES) on child development. The authors identify small but significant, and likely modifiable facts that affect literacy and language, aggression, and internalizing behaviours including depression. They suggest that "Given the small observed associations, policy makers and programmers may focus interventions on family and community factors that contribute to child and adolescent developmental outcomes across the socioeconomic spectrum". Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) The Transition Year (TY) program in Ireland is an optional one-year program that can be taken in the year after the Junior Certificate in Ireland and is intended to make the senior cycle a three year program encompassing both Transition Year and Leaving Certificate.[The mission statement of the Transition Year is to promote the personal, social, educational and vocational development of pupils and to prepare them for their role as autonomous, participative and responsible members of society.. The TY was introduced as a pilot project in September 1974 and was introduced as a mainstream option in 1994. Students in the TY do not have exams but are assessed, The program s intended to be a broad educational experience which assists in the transition from the school environment by encouraging creativity and responsibility for oneself. Approximately 75% of second-level schools offer TY. It consists of both education and work experience. Schools generally set admissions criteria and design the program based on local needs in accordance with departmental guidelines. The year focuses on many non-academic subjects, such as life skills including: First Aid, cooking, self-defense, driving and typing. A lot of sport goes on, with many different types including: rock-climbing, hill-walking, horse-riding, kayaking and orienteering. Voluntary Work is a requirement in many schools, with students helping out in local communities and charities. It is not possible to fail Transition Year overall: all students continue to their next year of education no matter what their results. However, if a student does not do the set work or is absent for a large amount of time, there is a chance that the school will request that they leave. An article in Issue #2, 2013 of Irish Educational Studies documents the development of the program since its inception.The use of the TY to offset economic or other disadvantages is also discussed. Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) Several articles in a Supplementary Issue of Public Health Reports provide a comprehensive reframing of sexual health promotion, moving away from disease-focused, preventive strategies towards a holistic and health promoting approach. One article in the issue presents an excellent ecological analysis and then presents the principles that could underlie ecology-based actions. These principles include contextualizing the issues, using systemic thinking, focusing on relationships, acknowledging sexuality and emphasizing wellness. Another article reports on how the state or Oregon is shifting from a teen pregnancy strategy to a sexual health promotion approach. Two articles present indicators for monitoring progress in the US and Canada. Two articles discuss the impact of socio-economic status on teen pregnancy and early initiation of sexual activity. Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) An article in the May 2013 issue of MBC Public Health may suggest that school health promotion efforts be more focused on students in vocational courses and alternative schools. This study aimed at investigating hazardous drinking, tobacco smoking and physical inactivity as well as their associations and demographic predictors in vocational school students.Out of 57 contacted vocational schools in Switzerland, a total of 24 schools participated in a survey assessing gender, age, immigrant background, educational attainment and vocational field as well as the their smoking, drinking and other behaviours. The authors report that "Of the surveyed students, 79.4% showed at least one risk factor, 43.6% showed two or more and 9.6% showed all three health risk factors. Hazardous drinking was more prevalent in male, physical inactivity was more prevalent in female vocational school students. The proportion of students with low physical activity and tobacco smoking increased with increasing age. While the combination of hazardous drinking and tobacco smoking was higher in males, the other risk factor combinations were observed particularly among females. Read more>>
As part of the UNICEF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children, Romania has published its country report. The report notes that "most of the children out of school in Romania had a prior experience of attending school. This situation is indicated by the rather high enrolment rates in pre-primary and primary level and also by the drop-out rates registered in primary and lower secondary levels.Therefore, the focus of our study is mainly ondropouts and non-attendance, rather than children who have never gone to school".
(An item from ISHN Member information service) Adequately preparing teachers to teach in urban schools is an ageless challenge for teacher education programs. An article in Issue #1, 2013 of Education & Urban Society offers some insights into the qualities that need to be promoted among teachers aspiring or assigned to work in those schools. The fact that a minority of these new teachers felt ready to "make it their own" practice is revealing. The authors note that "This replication study represents an analysis of 47 exit portfolios of students enrolled in an urban teacher education program. Portfolios were analyzed to determine the degree to which students integrated concepts related to teaching in urban schools: asset/deficit perspectives, connections with families, social justice, high expectations for student learning, and contextualized teaching and learning. The portfolios fall into three groups along a continuum from “awareness” to “trying things out” to “making it their own.” With 30%, 51%, and 19% falling into each group respectively, the data are interpreted in relationship to faculty development and the challenges of scaffolding preservice teachers" Read more>
(An item from ISHN Member information service) Several articles in Issue #2, 2012 of The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education examine the challenges faced in educating indigenous students. The articles include a blunt assessment of the lack of progress in reducing their educational disadvantage, moving beyond a deficit-based discourse to discuss power, the controversial academy approach, the principles underlying a decolonized approach, providing resources to teachers so that they can truly consult with their communities, the benefits of reflective teaching practice when working with indigenous students, tribal leadership, using interactive media and professional training in culturally appropriate ways, practices that can help indigenous students make the transition between band elementary schools and public high schools, student retention and remediation. Read more.
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