Post-Secondary Plans Depend on SES

In terms of post-secondary plans, communities often differ on what their students intend to do for a variety of reasons. Below is a sample of the post-secondary plans for high school graduates in five low-income Massachusetts cities. Also included is the graduation rate.

	Chelsea	Holyoke	Lawrence	Lowell	Lynn
4 yr. Public/Private	30	23	35	47	30
2 yr. Public/Private	39	52	47	35	50
Other Post-Secondary	7	3	2	3	1
Work	9	0	6	4	8
Military	1	2	3	2	5
Other/Unknown	15	18	9	11	6
Graduation Rate	53.3	52.5	46.7	69.4	68.5

What is most glaring about this data is obviously the low to mediocre graduation rates for these cities. Lawrence in particular graduates less than half its students in 4 years. Still, a high percentage of the students that do graduate are attending college. Eighty-percent of Lynn graduates, for example, attend a 4- or 2-year college or university. In this sample, a considerable percentage of students join either the workforce or the military; many graduates also do not report their plans to their high schools.

High income communities in Massachusetts differ greatly in the post-secondary plans of their high school graduates. Below is a sample of four of the wealthiest Massachusetts communities.

	Andover	Concord-Carlisle	Wellesley	Weston
4 yr. Public/Private	92	94	93	95
2 yr. Public/Private	4	2	2	1
Other Post-Secondary	0	2	2	2
Work	1	1	1	0
Military	0	0	0	0
Other/Unknown	3	1	1	2
Graduation Rate	95.3	96.4	96.7	96

Unlike the low-income communities listed, these cities/towns tend to graduate nearly all of their students with almost all of these students attending a 4 year college or university. Interestingly, students in high income communities also attend private 4 year institutions at higher rates; in Weston, 84% of high school graduates planned to attend a private college or university. None of the graduates here planned to join the military and a very small, almost nonexistent proportion of students joined the workforce. 

From this data we see that the plans of high school graduates largely depends,  in part, on one's socioeconomic status. For those with more resources, one generally does not join the military or work after high school because college is more easily accessible and financially feasible. For a graduate of Lawrence High School or Lynn Classical, finances become more important such that a graduate of these schools may have to attend community college due to certain constraints. The debate around education reform has to some degree focused on the number of graduates that public schools send to college judging schools negatively if the percentage is 'low.' What is being disregarded is the reality that for some families college is not possible despite the number of loans, grants and scholarships available. Jobs at the present time are scarce and many  families are struggling to afford food and housing costs. Students from low income families often help support their families or care for siblings complicating the picture. The money that could potentially be earned while in school is also low because of a crunch on time. Many students may forgo college to earn money as a result. Additionally, for some, a college degree may not feel "worth" the costs associated with it, particularly if one is looking at serious debt. Some may also see peers who have graduated college, but are unemployed or underemployed leaving them with the belief the benefits of college are not worth the costs.

While all students should be exposed to potential post-secondary options, the complete focus on simply increasing the number of college graduates is misguided. Poverty is not destiny as some would say, but it does have a profound effect on what one is able to do and the options that a person may consider. Instead of disparaging public schools in urban areas for not doing "part", local, state, and federal governments should focus on specific (economic) policies that would allow for a larger number of opportunities for all.

All data taken from: www.doe.mass.edu

Suicide Linked with Birth Season?

An interesting 2006 study by Emad Salib and Mario Cortina-Borja examined the potential link between suicide and season of birth. Previous studies have revealed seasonal birth trends for such diseases as lymphoblastic leukemia, early onset non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer and Crohn's disease among others. In terms of mental illness, one study found that more patients with Alzheimer's and schizophrenia were born in December and January whereas affective disorders, alcoholism, autism, and dyslexia are more frequently reported in those born in spring or summer months (Salib & Cortino-Borja, 2006). For this reason and because few studies have looked at suicide and birth season, Salib and Cortino-Borja sought to examine the possible link between the two phenomenon. Some studies have identified July as a particular month linked with suicide while other studies say winter has ties to an increased risk for suicide (Salib & Cortino-Borja, 2006).

Sample

In this study, the researcher used routinely collected suicide data over a 22-year period in England and Wales. This particular research exceeded previous attempts to examine the same question as its sample size was substantially greater with 27,000 suicides included from over 11 million births. 

Hypothesis

Salib and Cortino-Borja (2006) hypothesized that the risk of suicide would vary according to month of birth and that the association would remain even after controlling for the effects of the total number of births per month in the population. They also predicted that there would be a difference in birth month when specifically looking at suicide by gender and method (violent vs. non-violent). An example of a violent method of suicide would be a gunshot wound while non-violent suicide could be an overdose.

Results/Conclusion

According to the result of this study, there is a 17% increase of suicide for people born in the spring and early summer compared to those born in autumn; this number is greater for women than for men. When split by gender, men born in late spring were at increased risk of suicide while the same was true for women born in midsummer. For suicides by men, the monthly birth rate peaks were in spring for violent methods and summer for non-violent methods. For women, the peaks were in late spring for both methods (Salib & Cortino-Borja, 2006). The researchers' hypotheses regarding the link between seasonality and suicide were confirmed.

The authors concluded that this line of research is important as the etiology of suicide is multifaceted; all aspects of this phenomenon should therefore be studied in order to conceptualize the life trajectory of someone likely to commit suicide better. Seasonality as it relates to suicide has been explained by weather conditions and their effect on the central nervous system. Despite these findings, one cannot say for certain that birth month is related to suicidal tendencies (or alcoholism or autism)., because the issue is so complex . This study in particular was limited as it did not consider co-morbid psychiatric illnesses,  religion, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The subset of people for which the link between seasonality and suicide holds true may be even smaller that what Salib and Cortino-Borja (2006) found. Still, it is interesting to note the varying formulations used to explain a very tragic occurrence.

Citation:

Salib, E. & Cortino-Borja, M. (2006). Effect of month of birth on the risk of suicide. British Journal of Psychiatry, 188, 416-422.

HIV Prevalence Rates by Country

While specific discussion of the HIV epidemic seems to be nonexistent in the American media these days, it is still an issue that is affecting an astonishing number of people globally. Below is the HIV prevalence rate for people 15-49 years of age in a select group of countries.



Country	Percentage
Swaziland	25.9
Botswana	24.8
Lesotho	23.6
South Africa	17.8
Zimbabwe	13.5
Namibia	13.1
Mozambique	11.5
Malawi	11
Uganda	6.5
Kenya	6.3
Cameroon	5.3
Central African Republic	4.7
Nigeria	3.6
Thailand	1.3
Guyana	1.2
Russia	1
El Salvador	0.8
Honduras	0.8
Latvia	0.7
United States	0.6
France	0.4
Nepal	0.4
Belarus	0.3
United Arab Emirates	0.2
Israel	0.2
Turkey	0.1
Algeria	0.1
Germany	0.1
Slovakia	0.1
Pakistan	0.1
Afghanistan	0.01

Citation: 

CIA World Fact Book

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2155rank.html#top

Update: Rice High School (Harlem)

Unfortunately, Rice High School (Harlem, NY), a school that I wrote about in this post: http://uneducacion.blogspot.com/2011/04/celebrating-and-supporting-good-schools.html will close on June 30th. Despite successfully educating males in Harlem for 70 years, the school closes amid a financial crisis and declining enrollment similar to other Catholic schools around the country.

International School Systems: Germany

Similar to the United States, public education in Germany is the responsibility of each state (or Bundeslander). Unlike the United States, however, public education is the exclusive responsibility of the states; parliament and the federal government can only influence public education through financial aid to the states. As a result, the German school system and types of schools vary from state to state. One difference between the German and American educational systems is that Germany has compulsory school attendance rather than compulsory education for young people between the ages of 6 and 14. Because of this, home school is not permitted by law. School is attended in the morning with some schools ending as early as 12pm and there is no provision for serving lunch. Another difference is that there is heavy emphasis on the "three R's" (reading, writing and (a)rithmetic) with a lot of homework assigned and very few extracurricular activities. In Germany, public education is free, including university study (students must first qualify and do pay for books and living expenses). 

For the first four years, German students usually attend a Grundschule. Kindergarten is not mandatory and is not part of the public school system.  At age 10, students and their parents must decide the next step in the educational process. 

School Types

• Gymnasium: designed to prepare students for university study and finishes with the final examination Abitur after grader 12 or 13 which qualifies one for university
• Reaslschule: a broader range of emphasis for intermediate pupils; finishes with the final examination Mittlere Reife after grade 10
• Hauptschule: prepares students for vocational education; finishes with with the final examination Hauptschulabschluss after grade 9 or 10 and the Realschulabschluss after grade 10; described as the "least academic"
• Gesamtschule: comprehensive school

Teachers give educational path recommendations based on scholastic achievements in the main subjects (mathematics, German, natural sciences, foreign language) and classroom behavior. In some German states, those hoping to apply to a Gymnasium or Reaslschule need a recommendation stating that the student will make a successful transition to that type of school; in other cases anyone may apply. In Berlin, a third of Gymnasium spots are allocated by lottery; in this case a student's performance in primary school is irrelevant. 

English is compulsory throughout the states in secondary schools. In the Gymnasium, however, students are often required to learn Latin as their first foreign language. In some states, foreign language study begins in primary school and is studied for 5 years. Brandenburg, for example, starts with either English or Polish. French, Spanish, ancient Greek, and Latin are most frequently taken as a second and third language. Some schools even offer a fourth language. 

Private Schools

Attending private schools in Germany does not seem that common as less than 10% of German children attend them. Ersatzschulen are primary or secondary schools run by private individuals, private organizations or religious groups. Despite not being completely state funded, they often lack the ability to operate completely outside of government control. Teachers at private schools are required to have the same qualifications as those at state schools. Private schools must have the same academic standards as state schools and must pay their teachers the same as well. Most private schools have low tuition, because, according to law, segregation based on the means of the parents is forbidden. Because fees are low, all Erastzschulen are subsidized with public funds. 

Special Needs

Only 1 in 21 students attends a special school; most children with special needs attend a school called Forderschule or Sonderschule. Special schools in Germany have facilities comparable to other state schools and a favorable student-teacher ratio. Teachers at special schools are qualified professionals who specialized in special education in college. Some special needs children do not attend special schools but are mainstreamed into a Hauptschule or Gesamtschule and in rare cases a Realschule or Gymnasium. 

Assessment

Exams in Germany are usually essay based rather than multiple choice. Most German students never take a multiple choice exam. 

School Year

The school year starts after summer break and usually includes 12 weeks of holidays in addition to public holidays. Exact dates vary by state but summer is usually 6 weeks long and Christmas break is 2 weeks. The other holidays are given in the spring around Easter and in the fall. 

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)

• 16th in Math
• 13th in Science
• 20th in Reading

Homeless Youth in America: Facts & Statistics

As a result of the current economic crisis, families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. In 2007, 23% of all homeless people were members of families with children.  This number may be even higher if one considers that many homeless families move in with other family members; in terms of record keeping, homeless people who live with family are often excluded from  the statistics. Recent estimates state that 1 in 50 children in the U.S. are homeless with half of these children under the age of 5. The composition of the average homeless family is a single parent household headed by an African American female. People of color, especially African Americans, tend to be overrepresented in the homeless population - 40% are African Americans, 11% are Hispanics, and 8% are Native Americans. This is compared with 11%, 9%, and 1%, respectively, of the general population. 

There is also a growing number of homeless young people who are living completely on their own. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (www.nationalhomeless.org), homeless youth are "individuals under the age 18 who lack parental, foster, or institutional care." These young people are sometimes referred to as "unaccompanied" youth. The most recent study estimates that there are approximately 1.7 million homeless and runaway youth. This number is equally divided between males and females, with the majority between the ages of 15 and 17. The National Network of Runaway and Youth Services estimates that 6% of homeless youth are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Additionally the number of pregnant youth is somewhere between 6 and 22% of the population. Five to seven percent of American youths are homeless in any given year (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007). 

Youths often leave home for a variety of reasons including physical and/or sexual abuse, addiction of a family member and parental neglect. One study found that half of the youth in a shelter reported that their parents "either told them to leave or knew they were leaving and did not care" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Other young people become homeless due to family issues including a lack of affordable housing, limited employment opportunities for their parents, and no medical insurance. A history of foster care also correlates with becoming homeless at an earlier age and remaining homeless for a longer period of time. 

As a result of a lack of housing and services for homeless youth, they sometimes turn to exchanging sex for food, clothing and shelter. Because of this, they are at higher risk for contracting HIV and/or AIDS. Some estimates place the number of homeless youth with HIV at around 5%, but some studies find that the number may be as high as 17%. Additionally, homeless youth suffer from depression, anxiety, and poor health and nutrition. School attendance is also an issue due to legal guardianship requirements, residency requirements, improper records and a lack of transportation.

Due to the numerous negative consequences of homelessness for young people, more needs to be done to ensure that appropriate services are available in order to prevent these outcomes from occurring. 

This Day in History: June 3

-Hernando de Soto claims Florida for Spain, 1539

-Josephine Baker, African American dancer, born, 1906

-Franz Kafka, Czech novelist, dies, 1924

-In Los Angeles, CA white U.S. Navy sailors and Marines clash with Latino youths in the Zoot Suit Riots, 1941

-Seven tornadoes hit Grand Island, NE taking 5 lives, 357 single family homes, 33 mobile homes, 85 apartments, and 49 businesses causing $300 million in damages, 1980

-The Chinese government sends troops to force protesters out of Tiananmen Square after a 7-week occupation, 1989

-The union of Serbia and Montenegro comes to an end when Montenegro declares its independence, 2006

-Holiday: Opium Suppression Movement Day (Taiwan)