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Policy News You Can Use: October 2017
How legislation and policy changes affect children's well-being
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Read about exciting new developments at Committee for Children at the end of this Policy Newsletter.
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month.
Bullying, one of the most common forms of peer aggression in schools, is a persistent problem that negatively affects school climate, can lead to poor school outcomes, has mental and physical health consequences for victims as well as for perpetrators and bystanders, and results in social and economic costs to society. The good news is that bullying has declined overall. The bad news is that many children are still being harmed. In particular, evidence is
emerging about factors that place certain children at greater risk for being bullied.
According to Ron Avi Astor, a professor who studies violence at the University of Southern California, "There's been a two-year spike in school bullying and harassment, and right now there is a generalized climate of permission to say hateful things to other groups that are deemed 'different.'"
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On September 14, 2017, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced the
Child Care for Working Families Act
, endorsed by Committee for Children. The bill supports universal access to high-quality preschool programs for all three- and four-year-olds and would improve training for the childcare workforce, including professional development focused on social-emotional learning (SEL), positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS), and trauma-informed care.
On October 3, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing titled, "The Every Student Succeeds Act: Unleashing State Innovation," to hear from states about their plans
for improving K-12 education under the new law. You can watch the hearing
here.
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Secretary of Education DeVos and Campus Sexual Misconduct
The U.S. Department of Education will be issuing new guidance on campus sexual misconduct-guidance that Secretary DeVos feels "will treat all students (particularly perpetrators) fairly." Some see the change as a
threat to student protection
. The interim guidelines on how to investigate misconduct under federal law can be accessed
here
.
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On September 13, 2017, the National Council of Distinguished Scientists, a component of the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development of the Aspen Institute released a research brief, "The Evidence Base for How We Learn: Supporting Students' Social, Emotional, and Academic Development," that draws on brain science, education research, economics, and medicine and contains consensus statements. Read the
brief
and share it widely with your networks!
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Teachers: Empowered, Retained, and Supported
Three new reports on teaching have just been released.
Empowered Educators
,
an international comparative study of teaching and teaching quality, reveals two major factors behind how other countries have surpassed the United States in preparing students for the 21st century economy.
Teacher Turnover: Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It
shows the reasons for teaching vacancies in the United States and discusses the policies that have a major impact on turnover and district costs.
State of the States' Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems
provides insights on teacher evaluation and support systems from exemplary teachers-those who have been State Teachers of the Year and finalists.
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Social-Emotional Learning Research Confirms Positive Outcomes
The U.S. Department of Education has now received nearly all state plans for implementation of the ESSA; four states-Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas-received hurricane-related extensions and will submit in the next few weeks. It is now the responsibility of the Education Department to review and approve each state plan. To date, 14 state plans have been approved. Learn more here.
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New SEL Training Modules for School Staff
The State of Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has just released an exciting new five-part training module for school staff focused on SEL. This program is designed to help school staff understand their roles in promoting students' self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision-making.
Access the training through Moodle
.
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Take the Middle School Kindness Challenge
: Research shows that schools that teach kindness provide students with a sense of safety, support, and acceptance so they can better manage their emotions, actions, and statements, as well as be better equipped to navigate their futures. Join the middle school kindness challenge: Read about it
here
and take action!
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Founded in 1978, Committee for Children is a global nonprofit dedicated to fostering the safety and well-being of children through education and advocacy. We work on the federal, state, and local level to prevent bullying, violence, and child abuse and to encourage teaching social-emotional skills to children and youth. These newsletters will help you learn the latest news affecting our priorities as well as opportunities to advocate for change.
Please forward this newsletter to other colleagues who are interested in these topics. And feel free to submit timely news on these topics from your state or region. I look forward to your feedback!
Carol Wood, Advocacy Specialist
[email protected]
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