A July 13th NIH News Release from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development brings Positive Results!
Having been a high school child development teacher several years back, the headline for this article caught my eye. Back then there was some concern about a sudden spike in teen pregnancy. The NICHD now reports that teen pregnancy has continued to decline, along with a number of other encouraging statistics, indicating that programs and efforts that have been developed are making a positive impact.
More Encouraging News:
Binge drinking among high school students has dropped to its lowest since the statistics were first tracked in 1980.
2015 stats show that high school students who reported smoking daily has dropped to an all-time low since data was first collected in 1980.
The number of children who were victims of violent crimes dropped dramatically from the early 1990s to the early 2000s.
95% of children now have health insurance, an increase of 7 points between 2000 and 2014.
There has been a noticeable narrowing in the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in math scores, although math scores overall declined slightly.
The percentage of young adults who graduate high school remains the same at 92%.
Up from 49% in 1980, we now have 68% of high school graduates going on to a two- or four-year college immediately after high school. (I'm wondering how the trend toward a "gap year" fits into this statistic.)
On the other end of the spectrum, the statistics show that there are some areas that continue to cry for a stronger impact:
Stats in 2014 show that 21% of all children in the U.S. live in poverty, and the same percentage live in "food-insecure" households. That percentage held steady from the previous year.
Obesity rates continue to rise, and during the span of 2011-2014, 19% of children ages 6-17 were obese.
The rate of children who were victims of serious violent crimes did not change significantly, and was at 7 children per 1,000 in 2014.
More Encouraging News:
Binge drinking among high school students has dropped to its lowest since the statistics were first tracked in 1980.
2015 stats show that high school students who reported smoking daily has dropped to an all-time low since data was first collected in 1980.
The number of children who were victims of violent crimes dropped dramatically from the early 1990s to the early 2000s.
95% of children now have health insurance, an increase of 7 points between 2000 and 2014.
There has been a noticeable narrowing in the racial and ethnic achievement gaps in math scores, although math scores overall declined slightly.
The percentage of young adults who graduate high school remains the same at 92%.
Up from 49% in 1980, we now have 68% of high school graduates going on to a two- or four-year college immediately after high school. (I'm wondering how the trend toward a "gap year" fits into this statistic.)
On the other end of the spectrum, the statistics show that there are some areas that continue to cry for a stronger impact:
Stats in 2014 show that 21% of all children in the U.S. live in poverty, and the same percentage live in "food-insecure" households. That percentage held steady from the previous year.
Obesity rates continue to rise, and during the span of 2011-2014, 19% of children ages 6-17 were obese.
The rate of children who were victims of serious violent crimes did not change significantly, and was at 7 children per 1,000 in 2014.
Information of this nature is important to be aware of, whether it's a simple reality check for those of us who don't deal with these issues in our own lives but deal with children who might, or whether it's an opportunity to get involved in making positive changes in the lives of our students and the children throughout our country.
Be In The Know, and Make A Difference!
Click HERE to read the article from the National Institutes of Health News Release.
Be In The Know, and Make A Difference!
Click HERE to read the article from the National Institutes of Health News Release.
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