Due
to the Thanksgiving holiday there will not be an update sent next
week.
Upcoming
Michigan House of Representatives meetings related to young children:
None scheduled at this time.
Upcoming
Michigan Senate Committee meetings related to young children:
None scheduled at this time.
Committee
meetings are often added or agendas changed after the update is sent.
Check the legislature's committee
calendar for additions and changes.
Current
actions on Michigan bills related to young children:
None at this time.
Budget
Bills
SB
838 Service Tax Repeal (Cassis) Repeals new tax on services. Introduced
and referred to Finance Committee (10/18/07). Reported with substitute
S-1 (11/06/07). Passed with S-1 adopted (11/07/07). Received by the
House and referred to Tax Policy (11/07/07).
Bill abstracts
provided by Voices for Michigan’s Children. See the status of
other bills at Michigan's
Children.
Upcoming
Events
For the release of the Kids Count in Michigan
Data Book 2007,
the Michigan League for Human Services is hosting a public policy forum on:
The
Future of Children in Michigan: Making a Difference through Policy and
Investments
Tuesday, December 4th from 10 a.m. till noon
at the Lansing Community College West Campus
5708 Cornerstone Drive, Lansing, Michigan 48917
Have
you Heard? – Weekly additions
For Additional reports and findings please visit the MiAEYC web site:
www.miaeyc.org/News/Have_You_Heard.html
Professional
Development Activity: Looking at the Data on Inclusion
NPDCI
developed a companion piece to the Research Synthesis Points on Early
Childhood INclusion for professional development providers. The activities
may be used to facilitate discussion among participants on their reactions
to the research points and application to their work. The National
Professional Development Center on Inclusion
Five
Steps for Choosing an Evaluator: A Guide for Out-of-School Time Practitioners
A new brief provides step-by-step advice on how to select an evaluator
for "out-of-school time programs," but much of the information
is relevant for early education programs as well. Child Trends
Parents
and the High Price of Child Care: 2007 Update
Surveying
its network of state and local resource and referral agencies, NACCRRA
compiled information on the cost of care for infants and four year olds. Brief
Summary State
Affordbility Table - Infant Care State
Affordability Table - Preschool NACCRRA
A
New Majority: Low Income Students in the South’s Public Schools
This
SEF research report reviews trends in the growth of low income children
in the South’s public schools. The report finds that public schools
in the region have enrolled a majority of low income students in each
of the last three years (2004-2006) and today the South is the only region
in the nation where low income students are 50 percent or more of public
school enrollment. Southern Education Foundation
Community
Investments Online
In the latest issue of "Community Investments" are feature
articles on pre-k as an economic and workforce development strategy. Federeal Reserve
Bank of San Francisco
Preschool:
First Findings From the Third Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)
This report provides detailed information on children's development, health,
and early learning experiences in the years leading up to entry into school.
In addition to demographic information and children's experience in early care
and education, the report also presents data on children's language, literacy,
math, color knowledge, and fine-motor skills. The National Center for Education
Statistics
Taking
Stock: Assessing and Improving Early Childhood Learning and Program
Quality
In this final report of the National Early Childhood Accountability Task Force
they recommend developing a comprehensive assessment system to improve child
outcomes. A key recommendation involves aligning high-quality and comprehensive
standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments as a continuum from Prekindergarten
through Third Grade. The Pew Charitable Trusts
Who Goes
to Preschool and Why Does it Matter?
In a world shaped by global competition, preschool education programs play
an increasingly vital role in child development and school readiness. Preschool
education is seen as a middle-income essential. Two-thirds of four-year-olds
and more than 40 percent of three-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool program
in 2005. NIEER
Pre-Kindergarten
to Third Grade (PK-3) School-Based Resources and Third Grade Outcomes
Using data from the 2005 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort
(ECLS-K), this research brief identifies three elements of elementary school
environments - strong principal leadership, high academic standards, and frequent
teacher meetings to plan instruction - associated with higher third grade math
and reading score. The researchers found a fourth element, low teacher turnover,
generally have better behaved children. Child Trends
In
the News– Weekly additions
For Additional reports and findings please visit the MiAEYC web site:
www.miaeyc.org/News/The_News.html
Bratty
or behavior disorders? Help for parents
The first time her 3-year-old fainted in the middle of an argument,
Suzanne Miller got scared. Worried that it might be the sign of a
serious health problem,
Miller rushed Brianna to the family’s pediatrician. MSNBC.com
Higher death risk for babies
born early
Babies born just a few weeks early are six times more likely to die in their
first week of life than full-term babies and three times more likely to die
before their first birthday. MSNBC.com
Head
start bill passes U.S. House
On Wednesday, a bill from U.S. Representative Dale Kildee (D-Flint) to reauthorize
the effective Head Start program passed the U.S. House.This bill would reauthorize
Head Start for the first time since 1998. The Bay City Times
No
3-Year-Old Left Behind
Future of Children author and editor, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn was a guest
recently on the WBUR's program "On Point," hosted by Tom Ashbrook. "No
3-Year Old Left Behind," aired on Thursday, November 1, and also included
David Kirp of the University California - Berkeley, Richard Lee Colvin of Teachers
College at Columbia University, and Douglas Besharov of the American Enterprise
Institute and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. On Point
Radio (Audio)
Labor-HHS
veto eliminated vital education programs
The president wants to eliminate 45 federal education programs. And
the programs that aren’t abolished would be severely cut: the
early childhood education program Head Start would be reduced by
$250 million, and $800 million would
be slashed from special education for children with disabilities. To compare
critical programs like this to frivolous teenage spending is an insult to students
and educators. The Hill's Congress Blog
Bill
to expand Head Start, bolster its teacher qualifications is approved
With two overwhelming votes, Congress approved a bill yesterday that would
boost teacher qualifications in federally funded Head Start preschools, expand
access to the program for children from low-income families and scrap a controversial
system for testing 4-year-olds. Washington Post
Group
Releases List of Hazardous Toys
The group World Against Toys Causing Harm has released it's annual "10
Worst Toys" list. This list highlights both the hidden dangers like lead
paint on a bathtub boat and the more obvious hazards, like a spinning plastic
pirate's dagger. Yahoo! Finance
Recalled
toys on sale online, US brand watchdog warns
Auction, e-commerce and business-to-business sites are selling recalled toys
because of the number of high-profile toys that have been recalled, combined
with the slower economy, doesn't bode well as the holiday shopping season begins.
Due to this shoppers will find a high amount of online sites selling toys that
have been recalled due to lead paint, loose parts and toxic chemicals. Yahoo!
News
Early
childhood education? Priceless
Working with young children is not glamorous. The pay is usually
low. Yo-yo-ing state and federal funding sources -- "Yes, we'll give you the money; no,
sorry, we don't have it this year" -- goes with the territory. Traverse
City Record-Eagle
Diabetes
strikes younger and younger
Lilly Branka, 5, a kindergartner in Medfield, Mass., and Richard Zarate, 12,
a seventh-grader in San Antonio, live in different worlds, but they have something
in common: diabetes. USA Today
Is
Raising Kids a Fool's Game?
Like many parents, I'm suffering from sticker shock. It's not just the $375
monthly tuition for preschool (and that's for just three hours, two days a
week; five full days would cost me $1,000.). The school even put a price tag
on potty training: If my daughter, who will turn three in December, was not
able to use the toilet by herself by the end of September, I'd be charged $100
a month until she achieved this milestone (she did it, whew!). Yahoo! News
Much
Too Early
Knowing the difference between red and green, sweet and sour, rough
and smooth, cold and hot, or any other physical sensation, is not
something a child is
born with. These things can only be learned by direct interaction. Learning
about these things and their various properties is a time-consuming process
and cannot be rushed. Too many kindergarten teachers are under pressure to
teach their children numbers and letters and to administer tests due to the
concerns of our educational system and by our students’ poor performance
in international comparisons of achievement. Children are even given homework
in some classrooms in addition to the worksheets they must do during class
time. However, in a developmentally appropriate classroom, children are taking
care of plants and animals, and experimenting with sand and water. They are
drawing and painting, listening to song and stories, and engaging in dramatic
play. Hoover Institute
Early
education a potent issue in election
States are making big strides toward universal early childhood education, but
they aren't quite there yet because of the expense. Nevertheless, the issue
has become a potent, and omnipresent, feature on the presidential campaign
trail. NPR's All Things Considered (Audio)
Bad
behavior does not doom pupils, studies say
Experts say the findings of the two studies, being published today in separate
journals, could change the way scientists, teachers and parents understand
and manage children who are disruptive or emotionally withdrawn in the early
years of school. The studies might even prompt a reassessment of the possible
causes of disruptive behavior in some children. New York Times
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