MCAULEY HOME: PROBATIONARY APPROVAL
(August 18, 2005) The Program Quality Assurance Services Compliance and Monitoring issued a report regarding the McAuley Nazareth Home for Boys in Massachusetts that indicated no staff was present when a student was observed sleeping on the floor of a time out room in the main building. As a result, the Department found that the Home was not in compliance with the regulations regarding appropriate supervision of students and issued a written notice giving probationary approval status to the McAuley Nazareth Home. Click Here to read the report.
LEARNING AND THE BRAIN CONFERENCE
(August 18, 2005) The Public Information Resources, Inc., a partner of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, announced Learning and the Brain, a conference for educators and clinicians, will take place on Oct. 27-29 in Cambridge, MA. The conference focuses on shaping and motivating the mind and provides strategies to improve student motivation, memory, thinking and reading. For more information, call 617-469-6789 or register online.
DROPOUTS HIGHER THAN REPORTED
(August 21, 2005) The Washington Times reported about 1.3 million students’ nationwide drop out of school between 8th and 12th grades each year. Harvard University reported that the implications for economic vitality are “far reaching and devastating.” The report indicates that high school dropouts run a higher risk of being unemployed, in prison and/or living in poverty, and points a finger at the federal requirements of the “No Child Left Behind Act,” which results in inaccurate reporting by public school districts and states. More…
EPIDEMIC OF IRRESPONSIBILITY
(August 29, 2005) In a Smith Publicity press release, Domenick Maglio, PhD, author of the recent book, The Invasion Within, says, “It’s an absolute crime, that our children are being diagnosed with these ‘mental illnesses’ and then drugged into submission. Children are not genetically defective in our modern world; they are the victims of selfish, lazy and incompetent parenting. When parents do not teach their children to listen; to eat properly; be mannerly and to do the right thing, the inappropriate development is blamed on the child, not on the dysfunctional parents.”
UK SCHOOL OK’S CUSSING AT TEACHERS
(August 30, 2005) MSNBC reported that according to a story in the UK’s Daily Mail, one school in the town of Wellingborough is allowing pupils to swear at teachers, providing they do so no more than five times in a class. A tally tracks how many times the f-word is used and if the class exceeds the limit they are “spoken” to. The school believes the policy will improve behavior, but parents and parliamentary members condemn the rule and warn it will backfire. More…
NEW ZEALAND VERSION OF BRAT CAMP
(August 31, 2005) The website stuff.co.nz reported that TVNZ in New Zealand will air a controversial series featuring a boot camp for out-of-control teens, despite the objections of advocates for at-risk youth. The TV2 series, the New Zealand’s version of “Brat Camp,” called Teens, will follow 10 teenagers ages 14-17, during a three-week boot camp to give them "a taste of what could be waiting for them in the future unless they change their behaviors", according to the promotional material. More…
ADULTS FEEL SCHOOLS LACK QUALITY
(August 31, 2005) Education Week reported the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based policy and research organization, recently surveyed 1,200 adults and found that 32 percent said they believed the quality of public high school education had declined nationwide. Among other findings, 61 percent said that high schools were not equipped to meet the needs of struggling students, and 65 percent said that a public high school diploma did not prepare graduates for the workforce. More…
GIRLS THRIVE IN SINGLE-SEX GYM CLASSES
(August 31, 2005) Education Week reported that researchers at University of South Carolina-Columbia concluded high school girls exhibit higher levels of vigorous activity when doing aerobics, dance and other activities tailored to meet their interests in single-sex, nontraditional gym classes. Russell R. Pate, a professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health who led the research team said, "Some girls are self-conscious being physically active in a gender-integrated group.” More…
BOOK - ADOPTION MEANS LOVE
(September 2005) A media release announced the release of the holiday issue of Adoption Means Love: Triumph of the Heart, by Michelle Madrid-Branch, a compilation of stories from people across the country and around the world that have been touched by the miracle of adoption. Roughly, 500,000 children are in US Foster Care today. Millions more await adoption in orphanages around the world. Madrid-Branch is Founder of The AML Foundation and the recipient of the 2004 Congressional Angels in Adoption Award.
NATIONAL ALERT DONATES TO TAA
(September 2005) The National Alert Registry announced it is sponsoring child search and rescue efforts by donating 20 percent of the proceeds from sales of its "Predator Report" to Team Amber Alert's Forensic Search Dog Program. Team Amber Alert (TAA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the search and recovery of children who are either lost, missing or have been abducted.
NATIONAL SUMMIT: GANG VIOLENCE
(September 2005) The 2005 National Summit on Gang Violence presented by The Performance Institute and the Law Enforcement Development Center takes place on December 7-9, 2005 in Arlington, VA. For information or registration, call 703-894-0481.
TERRORISM LAW SPARKS DEBATE
(September 8, 2005) The Michigan Daily reported Michigan’s use of an anti-terrorism law to curb school violence has sparked debate over the law’s intent and raised an important question among prosecutors, school officials and others: When is a troubled teen a terrorist? Law Enforcement says with no specific state law against threatening to kill someone, the terrorism law is the only one that works. However, many school-violence experts say labeling a disturbed or angry teen a terrorist is going overboard. More...
2006 ADDA CONFERENCE
(September 9, 2005) Del Staecker, of MediTech Media Conferencing, Inc., announced the 12th Annual ADDA Conference, Science and the Human Spirit: Changing Lives of Adults with AD/HD at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, FL on May 4-6, 2006. In addition to networking events, more than 50 sessions will be presented by experts in all aspects of living with AD/HD. Please e-mail Del with any questions or call 404-233-6446 ext. 2014
ALLIANCE SELECTS AMBASSADORS
(September 13, 2005) Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization, announced Janet Goodliffe, director of after school programs in Washington DC’s Madison School District, will work to expand after school opportunities." Afterschool programs keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working parents," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant.
US SLIPPING IN EDUCATION
(September 13, 2005) An article by the Associated Press, posted on CNN.com, reported a study by the Paris-based Organization for Cooperation and Development, found the United States is losing ground in education as peers across the globe obtain bigger gains in student achievement and school graduations. The conclusions were based mainly on international test scores released last December, which showed that when compared with peer groups in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, US 15-year-olds ranked below average in applying math skills to real-life tasks. More…
LOVE-TOUGH VS. TOUGH-LOVE
(September 14, 2005) The Jewish Press, in the third part of a series, defined Love-Tough as empowering children to make healthy choices as opposed to Tough-Love, which emphasizes behavioral control forcing the child to make the less painful choice. More…
CAMP OFFICIAL FIRED
(September 15, 2005) The Associated Press reported that Sam Shoemaker, training supervisor at the Appalachian Wilderness Camp, a state run facility for boys in Georgia, was dismissed August 18 for his "failure to cooperate" with the internal investigation into the death of a 13-year-old boy. Six counselors are charged with murder in this case. More…
STUDY: HALF OF ALL TEENS HAVE ORAL SEX
(September 16, 2005) The Washington Post reported a study by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed slightly more than half of American teenagers, ages 15-19, have engaged in oral sex. The report shows that percentage increases with age to about 70 percent of all 18- and 19-year-olds. A different report by the center based on the same survey showed that slightly more girls than boys have intercourse before they turn 20. More…
STATE HAS LOW STANDARDS FOR YOUTH PROGRAM HIRING
(September 18, 2005) The Post-Gazette, a Pennsylvania publication, reported that state lawmakers decided that people who want to work in group homes for abused and neglected children are only disqualified if they've been convicted of certain felonies, such as murder and rape, or misdemeanors such as stalking, but not misdemeanor drug offenses. Pennsylvania even permits child abusers to work at these homes as long as the Department of Public Welfare made the child abuse determination more than five years before the person was hired. More…
FREE TUTORING UNDER NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
(September 18, 2005) The St. Petersburg Times reported under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, free tutoring is available for parents of struggling students in a struggling school. The districts are required to inform parents about the free tutoring, but if parents ignore the program the unused money is pocketed by the districts. Because there are no standards for tutors, it's up to the state to monitor their quality. More…
WILDERNESS PROGRAMS GROW: BOOT CAMPS DECLINE
(September 19, 2005) The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement in 1997 and 2003, showed alternative wilderness programs are sprouting up nationwide while boot camps are on the decline. Melissa Sickmund, a research associate for the National Center for Juvenile Justice, said proponents of boot camps "thought that this would change kids' behavior. What they forgot is that people in the military go to boot camps and then on to the military - they don't go back home. More…
KIDS AT RISK OF TV / VIDEOGAME SEIZURES
(September 19, 2005) Medical News reported the Epilepsy Foundation issued new recommendations for families on how to limit the risk of seizures triggered by flashing images and certain patterns on television, videogames, computers and other video screens. The Epilepsy Foundation, which has been watching this trend, believes that seizures from visual stimulation are a significant national health problem. They report the annual incidence in this age group to be one in 17,500, compared to one in 91,000, in the overall US population.
FATHER SURVIVES TEEN REBELLION
(September 20, 2005) The Agape Press reported Illinois pastor Charles Stone and his daughter Heather have teamed up to share their testimony about how, with God's help, they made it through her troubled adolescence with their relationship intact. The result is a book called Daughters Gone Wild, Dads Gone Crazy: Battle Tested Tips From a Father and Daughter Who Survived the Teenage Years. Many parents are in crisis today, Stone asserts, and his hope is that the book will provide them some solace and help. More…
DISTURBED SLEEP EQUALS POOR PERFORMANCE
(September 20, 2005) Journal News reported Howard Taras, MD, professor at the University of California, San Diego’s Division of Community Pediatrics, recently published an article in the Journal of School Health illustrating how disturbed sleep negatively affects the performance and various neurocognitive abilities of schoolchildren. This study is published in the September issue of the Journal of School Health. PDF version…
KEYS DONATES TO DISPLACED YOUTH
(September 20, 2005) Keys to Safer Schools announced that they are offering onsite training and staff to help prepare school districts that are being overwhelmed with displaced children and adolescents affected by a catastrophic disaster. With a plan to conduct as many trainings as possible, the Keys staff has offered to donate their time and Keys will underwrite much of the administrative costs throughout the month of October 2005 as a way to give back to those in need. More…
TEENS EXHIBIT ETHICS, BUT LACK COURAGE
(September 20, 2005) JA Worldwide (Junior Achievement) and Deloitte & Touche USA, LLP, released a new poll showing the number of teens that would act unethically to get ahead has dropped from 33 percent to 22 percent in 2003. However, while exhibiting a strong sense of ethical principles, many teens don’t have the courage of their convictions when under pressure. “They know the ‘right answer’ when faced with an ethical dilemma, but need support and education to follow through on that knowledge,” said David S. Chernow, President/CEO of JA Worldwide. More…
9th INDIA CAREER & EDUCATIONAL FAIR
(September 20, 2005) The National Network of Education reported the 9th annual India International Conference on Education (IICEF) takes place in Coimbatore, Madurai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The IICEF 2006 serves as a meeting point for students and institutions of higher learning. This year’s conference focus Theme is “India as a Global Player in Education: Opportunities & Challenges”. More....
TECHNOLOGY HELPS CREATE EMERGENCY
(September 20, 2005) PRNewswire reported in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the American Disaster Preparedness Foundation (ADPF) announced PrepareYourFamily.org, a free, cutting-edge tool designed to help families formulate personalized emergency plans for disasters. Users are presented with numerous disaster scenarios and are guided through the process of handling each one. The result is a comprehensive plan tailored to family members' individual needs. The American Disaster Preparedness Foundation was established in order to help families create comprehensive emergency plans. To learn more, contact Ashwini Nadkarni, Director of Media Relations, at 312-224-4666.
NEW VS. OLDER DRUGS
(September 20, 2005) The Washington Post reported that according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health, expensive new anti-psychotic drugs that are among the most widely prescribed pills in medicine are no more effective and no safer than older, cheaper drugs that have been discontinued. Columbia University psychiatrist Jeffrey Lieberman and other researchers said they were surprised to find that an older generic drug called perphenazine, which is 10 times cheaper than the newer drugs, was about as safe and effective. More…
PARENTS ARRESTED FOR CHAINING SON
(September 21, 2005) The Sun Herald in Port Charlotte, FL, reported the parents of a 16-year-old boy were arrested after authorities discovered him chained to a wall in the home. Rachel Blow, 37, admitted chaining her son to a bedroom wall to restrain him from being violent and running away from home was a bad idea. She and her husband William Blow, 45, are charged with aggravated child abuse. More…
NATIONAL AFTERSCHOOL RALLY
(September 21, 2005) The Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization, announced the sixth annual Lights On Afterschool celebration to call attention to the importance of afterschool programs for America's children, families and communities. Since Lights On Afterschool began in October 2000, the number of participant communities has grown from approximately 1,200 to a projected 1 million this year nationwide. The National Presenting Sponsor of Lights On Afterschool is the JCPenney Afterschool Fund.
TROUBLED TEEN KILLS FOUR
(September 21, 2005) CBS News reported Matthew Hackney, 17, Elkhorn Creek, KY, a senior at East Ridge High School, shot his parents and grandmother to death after the school sent him home for being intoxicated. As police attempted to pull him over on a highway, Hackney crashed the vehicle, killing himself and another driver. School officials said Hackney had been taking prescription painkillers. According to Pike County School Superintendent Frank Welch, Hackney had never been in trouble at school before. Students, teachers and administrators were devastated. More…
TAPG CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 1-2
(September 21, 2005) The Association for Experiential Education (AEE) and the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group (TAPG) announced the TAPG Pre-Conference Best Practices in Adventure Therapy in Tucson, AZ, is scheduled for November 1-2, 2005, prior to the 33rd Annual International Conference of the Association for Experiential Education.
WILDERNESS AND ADVENTURE THERAPY
(September 21, 2005) A research report titled “International Models of Best Practice in Wilderness and Adventure Therapy”, conducted by Simon Crisp, Department of Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry, Melbourne Australia, based on a 3-month on-site study of 14 programs in the US, UK and New Zealand in 1996 is available online.
GOOGLE INFRINGING ON COPYRIGHTS
(September 22, 2005) eSchool News reported Google Inc.'s Print Library Project, which scans books from major public and academic libraries into its internet search engine, has been accused of "massive copyright infringement," by more than 8,000 authors who say Google cannot use the books for commercial use without permission. In a lawsuit filed against Google on September 21, 2005 in US District Court in Manhattan, The Authors Guild Inc. said, “The authors' works have not been licensed for commercial use." More…
ACCOUNTABILITY SAME FOR SCHOOLS AS PARENTS
(September 25, 2005) The Post-Gazette reported that ChildLine, a service of the state Department of Public Welfare that arranges investigations of child abuse, said that to investigate abuse allegations against a school worker, the injury must involve "substantial risk of death.” Parents are held to a much lower standard of abuse that includes "nonaccidental serious physical injury," or imminent risk of serious injury. State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, introduced legislation that would provide additional protection for pupils by holding school employees accountable to the same standards as parents. More…
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