R.I. Kids Count says absenteeism is a key problem, By Lisqa Borg, April 12, 2010, Providence Journal: “In Rhode Island, almost one in four children in the early grades missed 12 or more days of school – and in Providence, one in five children missed 18 or more days of school. In its latest annual report, Rhode Island Kids Count, a child advocacy group, looked at the obstacles that prevent a child from learning at the beginning of his or her academic career and at the end. The organization this year looked at five new measures of a child’s well-being, from school enrollments to youth violence. Rhode Island Kids Count is to release its latest fact book Monday at 8 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Kids Count zeroed in on chronic absenteeism, defined as missing at least 18 days of school, because studies have shown that success in the early grades sets a child up for success or failure later on. Children who miss a lot of school in kindergarten show lower levels of achievement in math, reading and general knowledge by the time they reach first grade…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty