A variety of external research informs Elev8 programs. Below are resources about key issues that affect children and families in Elev8 communities.
Click to view resources about:
Extended Learning
Primary Sources: America's Teachers on America's Schools. Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Teachers in the United States have high expectations for their students but overwhelmingly agree that too many students are leaving high school unprepared for success. Based on a Harris Interactive survey of more than 40,000 public school teachers in grades pre-K to 12, the report challenges several commonly held beliefs about teachers' views of the state of public education in the U.S.
It's Time for Summer: An Analysis of Recent Policy and Funding Opportunities. Ron Fairchild, Jeff Smink and Ashley B. Stewart, The National Summer Learning Association. 2009.
- This summer learning policy paper offers reflection and evaluation on the value of summer learning policy and summer learning expansion in Chicago, Baltimore, New Mexico (they specifically call out Elev8 NM, but they refer to it as NMISSI), and California. The policy recommendations span pre-k to high school, and include references to the benefits of summer nutrition programs.
"A Longitudinal Examination of the Transition into Senior High School for Adolescents from Urban, Low-Income Status, and Predominantly Minority Backgrounds." Olga Reyes, Karen L. Gillock, Kimberly Kobus, Bernadette. Sanchez. American Journal of Community Psychology. 2000. Annual Meeting of Teacher Educators.
"The impact of after-school programs: Interpreting the Results of Four Recent Evaluations (Working paper). Thomas J. Kane, William T. Grant Foundation. 2004.
"The Impact of After-School Programs That Promote Personal and Social Skills." Durlak, J. A. and R. P. Weissberg, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). 2007.
Health Care
The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children. The Pew Center on the States
- An estimated one in five children go without dental care each year. States play a key role in ensuring that low-income children have access to basic, preventive dental care. A new report, The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children, (Adobe PDF) finds that two-thirds of states are doing a poor job. The report was produced by the Pew Center on the States with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the DentaQuest Foundation.
"A Comparison Study of an Elementary School-Based Health Center: Effects on Health Care Access and Use." David W. Kaplan, MD, MPH; Claire D. Brindis, DrPH; Stephanie L. Phibbs, MPH; Paul Melinkovich, MD; Kelly Naylor, PhD; Karin Ahlstrand, MA, Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine. 1999.
"Managed Care and School-Based Health Centers: Use of Health Services." David W. Kaplan, MD, MPH; B. Ned Calonge, MD, MPH; Bruce P. Guernsey, MSW; Maureen B. Hanrahan, BSN, MA, Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine. 1998.
"School-Based Clinic Use and School Performance." Marcella T. McCord, Jonathan D. Klein, Jane M. Foy, Kate Fothergill, Journal of Adolescent Health. 1993.
Family Supports and Engagement
The Case for School-Based Integration of Services. Jean B. Grossman and Zoua M. Vang, Public/Private Ventures. 2009.
- Reviews the current literature about the potential benefits of simultaneously providing three supports in school—healthcare, out-of-school-time learning and family supports—to boost students' educational outcomes. For disadvantaged, low-income youth, research indicates that access to these supports can play a key role in surmounting obstacles to educational attainment. In addition to highlighting how each affects key outcomes such as learning, school connectedness (i.e., positive feelings about school) and access to needed services, this brief summarizes the potential benefits of offering these resources through a highly integrated, school-based model.
Paving the Way for Success in High School and Beyond. Jean Baldwin Grossman and Siobhan M. Cooney, Public/Private Ventures. 2009.
- Presents an overview of issues surrounding the 9th grade transition: why it is so important; why many middle school students find it so difficult; traits related to a successful transition; and what schools can do to ease difficulties in the transition. Research indicates that students unprepared to handle the transition are more likely to disengage from school, which in turn may lead to dropping out and a host of related problems, thus perpetuating a cycle of poverty for disadvantaged, low-income youth.
The State of City Leadership for Children and Families. Julie Bosland and Michael Karpman, The National League of Cities. 2009.
- A groundbreaking new report published by NLC's Institute for Youth, Education, and Families highlights the broad range of innovations and trends in municipal leadership to promote child and family well-being, and identifies 32 of the nation's most cutting-edge city strategies to help children and families thrive.
"Community, School and Parent Dynamics: A Synthesis of Literature and Activities." Buttery, T. J. and P. J. Anderson, American Journal of Community Psychology. 1997.
Workforce Issues
Economic Supports and Poverty
"Women In Poverty During the Great Recession". Jane M. Henrici, Ph.D., Allison Suppan Helmuth, Frances Zlotnick, and Jeff Hayes, Ph.D. Institute for Women's Policy Research, 2010.
Child Nutrition
National, State, And Local Disparities In Childhood Obesity. Christina Bethell, Lisa Simpson, Scott Stumbo, Adam C. Carle, and Narangerel Gombojav, 2010.
- An estimated 10.58 million children, or nearly one in three children ages 10–17, were overweight or obese in 2007. The findings of this report suggest that the obesity epidemic among children may not yet have reached its plateau for some groups of children. The data also reveal persistent and highly variable disparities in childhood overweight and obesity within and among states, associated with socioeconomic status, school outcomes, neighborhoods, type of health insurance, and quality of care. This requires policy makers’ attention nationally and within states.
