Per the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Center (2014), in Ohio, for 2010, 44% of children received free or reduced price lunch, and 28% of children were registered as receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (Food Stamps). Specific nutrient intake deficiencies have been linked to learning deficiencies among other things (Basch, 2011a).

While food insecurities would seem to be aided by the food stamp and free breakfast and lunch programs, Basch (2011a) finds that only about 10-11% of children eligible for free lunch programs also participate in the equally eligible free breakfast programs. Breakfast was identified as a targeted health-related deficiency among American children as well (Basch, 2011b). While the focus of both studies related to urban youth issues, a causal connection between breakfast and learning would seem to translate throughout any area where rural counties have relatively close percentages of food insecure children as does the state.

It is well-documented that “food insecurity has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on growth and development” (Basch, 2011a, p. 636). Neuroscience has validated this claim in recent years (ibid). Where universal free breakfast programs are offered to all students, and breakfast in the classroom programs have been encouraged, the participation rates have increased dramatically, and grades and test scores have risen correspondingly (Basch, 2011a).

There is reality in Basch’s (2011b) statement that “healthier students make better learners” (p. 597). There seems to be something obvious about the statement. Students distracted by ill-health and hunger are unlikely to be as focused. There are, however, neuroscience indicators that show a healthy breakfast with specific links to greater educational gains. The higher fiber and vitamin enriched product of ready-to-eat cereals has reflected in the overall health of students participating in pilot programs to expand breakfast in the classroom school-wide and notes the program’s ability to improve health and education outcomes for children (Affenito, Thompson, Dorazio, Albertson, Loew, & Holschuh, 2013).

There is another factor to consider when focusing on breakfast. “Schools also need to be active centers of health promotion to meet vital needs of our society unrelated to traditional measures of academic achievement” (Wechsler, 2011, p. iv). Schools had long been societal centers, and are the conflicted burgeoning elements of change in society. While the educational mores of a school pedagogy reflect the societal mores of a community, the influences of those outside that community weigh heavily on the fundamental elements presented in that local schoolhouse. Gone are the days where a community (excepting the Amish in large part), held absolute sway over the curricula of a schoolhouse. The schoolroom is now a gateway to a global society, and the opportunities for learning are as boundless as the resources on the internet. It is therefore vital, that the wisdom of the educators and the educated be revitalized through a nutritious breakfast, after all, it is hard to hear when one is hungry.

References

Affenito, S. G., Thompson, D., Dorazio, A., Albertson, A. M., Loew, A., & Holschuh, N. M. (2013). Ready-to-eat cereal consumption and the School Breakfast Program: relationship to nutrient intake and weight. The Journal Of School Health, 83(1), 28-35. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2012.00744.x

Basch, C. E. (2011a). Breakfast and the achievement gap among urban minority Youth. Journal Of School Health, 81(10), 635-640.

Basch, C. E. (2011b). Healthier students are better learners: a missing link in school reforms to close the achievement gap. The Journal Of School Health, 81(10), 593-598. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00632.x

KIDS COUNT Data Center. (2014). Annie E. Casey Foundation (Pub.) Retrieved November 24, 2014, from

Wechsler, H. (2011). Why addressing health-related barriers to learning needs to be a fundamental component of school reform efforts. Preface. The Journal Of School Health, 81(10), iii-v. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00650.x

PARKER:

Being a resident of the state of Maryland, I chose to review the educational statistics for Maryland. The educational findings ranked Maryland in the top twenty of within the domains of economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. Maryland is known for its high income population with Montgomery County being reported as the richest followed by Prince George. Subsequently, Maryland has a large amount of single parent households that are headed by females. The absence of the male role models at one point was believe to be the problem for male aggression in many area elementary and secondary schools. The Maryland school district responded by funding alternative school programs that fosters learning environments resembling the military re-socializing process which may account high ranking in family and community. Additionally Maryland’s 400 million dollar school budget continues to allow for the construction of high-tech schools that challenge and encourage the creativity of the states gifted and talented students whom continue to excel in science and engineering. It can be argued that the reason Maryland ranks within the top twenty percent of domains of study is due to the political advocacy of parents as to how their tax dollars are allocated when it comes to the education of their children.

Despite their educational ranking, Maryland schools are reporting that a large percentage of its fourth grad students have poor reading habits. According to Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kids Count Data Center (2014) fourth grade students in Maryland’s local cities and suburbs are scoring below the proficient reading levels. Some researchers argue that technology in the form of video gaming is displacing the social activities that fosters the reading, writing, and creative thinking process Weis and Cerankosky (2010, p. 463) which subsequently initiated a debate from supports of a more technology based curriculum in the public school setting. Taking the contraposition, Drummond and Sauer (2014) argue that video-gaming is nothing more than a common pastime among teenagers both male and female with the suggestion that the displacement theory is inconclusive suggesting that further research is needed to determine the exact cause of the reading level deficiencies in fourth grade students. What is apparent is that technology has inundated the lives of Maryland’s student population suggesting that it is imperative that school curriculum planning committees continue to explore the technological landscape to determine its impact on the learning capabilities of students with the understanding that adopting abundant technological concepts into classroom pedagogy may lead to some teachers and administrators being resistant (conflict avoidance) to incorporating an technological approach to addressing learning difficulties that prevents a broad range of students from achieving proficient reading levels. Parkay, Hass and Anctil (2010, p. 346).

Poverty, single parenthood, and inadequate nutrition are factors of life. Reading on the other hand is a fundamental necessity in order for humans to successfully navigate Therefore educators should consistently survey classroom learning environments to ensure that they reflect current technological trends to ensure that academic proficiency in all subjects is achieved even if it mean stepping outside of the parameters of traditional pedagogy especially with the theory of “multiple intelligence” continuing to laminate the academic horizon (Parkay et al., 2010).

. Reference

Drummond A, Sauer JD (2014) Video-Games do not negatively impact adolescent academic

Performance in Science, Mathematics or Reading. PLoS ONE 9(4): e87943.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0087943

KID COUNT Data Center. (2014). Annie E. Casey Foundation (Pub.) Retrieved November, 26,

2014, from

Parkay, F. W., Hass, G., Anctil, E. J., & Parkay, F. W. (2010). Curriculum leadership: Readings

for developing quality educational programs. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson

Education.

Weis, R., & Cerankosky, B. (2010). Effects of video-game ownership on young boys' academic

and behavioral functioning: A randomized, controlled study. Psychological Science,

21(4), 463-470. doi:

Your point about money not providing for a good future is well taken. It often seems that people thing that throwing money at an issue will solve it. Instead, it is critical to determine the source of the real need. In Maryland, there is more money than in a lot of places, but it doesn’t seem to be putting the focus on the needs of children to read. In the written word are riches far beyond those of dollars and cents. Deuteronomy tells us that “ man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” (8:3, KJV). Reading opens the Word to us all.

Oliver:

Someone had already chosen Georgia, so I chose to look at the data on Oklahoma. According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education, 70% of the state’s four-year-olds attend public preschool and have access to comprehensive school services touting state adopted standards (Early Childhood and Family Education, n.d.). This is available in half day and full day formats. Unfortunately, this statistic does not quite coincide with the reported 58% of preschool aged students not attending preschool in 2012 (Kids Count Data Center, n.d.).

Kids Count (n.d) indicates that 70% of all fourth graders in Oklahoma are not reading proficiently. The national average is 67% of fourth graders are not reading on proficient and 33% score below the basic competency level which means that even though the majority of students may be provided with access to public preschool, there is a disconnect by the time students reach fourth grade. While it is not always true if a student is poor at reading he is also poor at math, 75% of 8thgraders were not proficient in math in 2013. These statistics seem to correlate and probably do connect to the 21% of high school students that did not graduate on time last year.

In 2013, Oklahoma was home to 316,000 children who came from single parent homes. During this same year, 223,000 or 24% of children 18 and younger lived in poverty. These are astounding statistics and break my heart to think of children going hungry. As a result of the number of children living in poverty, the number of free and reduced lunches provided by the state’s school nutrition program has increased. Many schools have received grants from federal funds that provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in title I schools, not just those who qualify for free or reduced meals.

Students who attend school without their basic needs met, per Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, they have difficulties focusing on assignments and tasks because their minds are elsewhere. School systems have created organizations within their districts to focus on barriers to learning. Issues that make students at-risk are commonly barriers to learning.

References

Cohen, S. (2010). A $5 children's book vs. a $47,000 jail cell -- Choose one.

Early Childhood and Family Education. (n.d.).

Indicator Selection | KIDS COUNT Data Center. (n.d.).

Rebecca – Your point about the disconnect between preschool and fourth grade is ever so important. So often it seems the promises of education just do not go forward. I wonder why so often these little ones who start out so enthused and doing so well, just seem to fade into normalcy and below after just a few years. Even working in many aspects of education for many years, it seems nebulous at best to follow why so many falter. It is a wonderful thing that grants have stepped in to fill some of the gaps and allow for aiding nutrition to all.

Grant:

I live in Georgia, therefore, I reviewed the report for Georgia. The data for education was not surprising to me since we are ranked at number forty in this area. More than half of all children eligible for preschool do not attend. Georgia does allocate funds from the state lottery for education which includes preschool. At first glance, it may appear that parents do not enroll their children even though it is known that preschool is an option at age four. It is based upon a lottery system which only takes place if more children are signed up for the allocated number of slots. In my present school, we have seen a decline in the number of parents enrolling their children in the preschool program. Last year, we were allotted forty-four slots and did not have to conduct a lottery. There are more than forty-four children eligible in our area, but parents do not seem to understand the benefit of the program or are not impressed with the fact that the teachers are not required to "teach". Preschool in Georgia has a great emphasis on social skills and inquiry based learning, but it does not positively impact the lives of students for kindergarten.

In reference to economic well being, Georgia needs to make revisions to plans to help children living in poverty and educating teens. We must revise the "process of school" because we seem to fail at reaching those that need the most assistance, especially since the report shows that thirty percent of students do not graduate from high school on time. The report shows an extremely high percentage of students who are not proficient readers or math students by fourth and eighth grades. Due to the downturn of the housing market, class sizes have been dramatically increased and fewer experience teachers have been hired.

In many areas of this report, Georgia's progress has become worse than in previous years. More children are living in single parent households; higher poverty rates for children; and a high percentage of children living in households who lack steady employment. In early November, elections were held and one of the essential races to watch was that of governor. There were an overwhelming number of complaints about the former governor's work, but not enough people voted for a new official. We will endure another four years of the same politics. The disadvantage continue to be disadvantaged.

Sabrina –

It seems strange to me that there should need to be a lottery for preschool slots and even stranger that it is not required because not enough people apply. I look at those who have benefitted from early education, and it is hard to see any downfalls. One of the essays my college student write has to do with their early school experiences. It is seldom I find a student excelling at Freshman English who did not have early education (preschool). In our area, I believe the lottery seldom comes into play, but almost all pre-kindergartners go to either half of full day preschool. They do have to pay, but it is a sliding income based scale. It certainly seems of value.

Goad:

I looked at the 2014 Kids count profile for Virginia.While studying the economic and well-being section of the profile, the percentage of children in poverty increased since 2005 from 13% to 15%.With the economy just now beginning to improve this was unsurprising.Also, both children whose parents lack secure employment and children living in households with a high housing cost burden has worsened by two percentage points since 2008 and 2005, respectively. The percentage of teens not in school and not working has remained unchanged since 2008.The worsening in these areas led me to believe that education would also suffer.When students have poor home lives and live in poverty, they tend to do poorly in school due to many reasons including poor health, lack of focus, and hunger.

All aspects of education in Virginia have improved.More children attend preschool, are more proficient in reading in fourth grade, are more proficient in math in eighth grade, and more graduate on time.I was surprised to find this because my expectation of education was to worsen due to economic factors.

The number of low birth weight babies improved slightly since 2005.This would lead me to think better prenatal health care is provided and received.The number of children without health insurance has decreased since 2008.This is probably due to the implementation of Obamacare.Fewer teens abuse drugs or alcohol and fewer deaths have occurred in teens and children since 2005.All these factors would be supportive of the educational system and could have reinforced the improvement of those educational percentages.

Children living in single parent families have increased since 2005.This could be related to the percentages of children living poverty.Children living in areas of high poverty have also increased since 2000.This could also be due to parents having low income jobs or not jobs at all.Teen births have decreased a good amount since 2005.Children living in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma has improved since 2005.Since Virginia’s education system has improved, this correlates with an improvement in the percentages of head of households having a high school diploma.

Virginia’s ranking overall is a 9.When living in poverty a student’s education is negatively impacted.State budgets will be focused on improving student success.Schools will focus money on students who receive free and reduced lunches through state funding.School policies may also be adjusted to support students living in poverty and help support their education.Discipline problems may be dealt with differently due to student home life.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2014). 2014 Kids count profile: Virginia. Retrieved from:

Meagan – What a bright hope in the recent improvements in Virginia. Virginia has such a rich educational history. It has been sad state across the nation largely due to the economic sorrows of recent years. Lessening finances have created challenges everywhere. Student living in families that struggle financially feel so many pressures. Students under pressure simply cannot perform educationally. Part of it is just money, but it is more than that. There is an element of hope that comes from the fewer pressures at home, and I think we all know that finances, unfortunately, affect the barometer of stress in the home. Sometimes, I think the only hope is in a good education.