Disclaimer: This is a machine generated PDF of selected content from our databases.

This functionality is provided solely for your

convenience and is in no way intended to replace original scanned PDF. Neither Cengage Learning nor its licensors make any
representations or warranties with respect to the machine generated PDF. The PDF is automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS
AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. CENGAGE LEARNING AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY
AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY,
ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. Your use of the machine generated PDF is subject to all use restrictions contained in The Cengage Learning
Subscription and License Agreement and/or the Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints Terms and Conditions and by using the
machine generated PDF functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against Cengage Learning or its licensors for your use of
the machine generated PDF functionality and any output derived therefrom.

Economic conditions can impede education gains

Date: Aug. 20, 2015
From: The Brunswick News (Brunswick, GA)
Publisher: Tribune Content Agency
Document Type: Article
Length: 812 words
Content Level: (Level 5)
Lexile Measure: 1460L

Full Text:
Byline: Anna Hall

Aug. 20--Improvements in educational rankings are always welcome news for academic officials locally and statewide. But even
though the latest report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation showed Georgia schools had bumped up two spots in the annual Kids
Count Data Book, the gains are not enough. A private charitable organization dedicated to improving national educational standards,
the foundation produces its data book to look at health, education, economic well-being, and family and community. In its latest
version, Georgia moved up two spots, from 42 to 40 in the national ranks with regard to the well-being of children and families in the
state. According to the foundation's partners and local authorities, the data showcased in the recent report revealed what education
authorities have long known: Students who live in poverty situations lack access to healthy food, consistent medical care and high-
quality education. These students are also more likely to be victims of abuse or neglect and often experience prolonged toxic stress,
which can inhibit healthy brain development in young children, said Rebecca Rice, the Georgia coordinator for the Kids Count Data
Book. "More than one in four kids in Georgia are living in poverty, which represents a significant increase from 2008, when the child
poverty rate was one in five," Rice said. "There is good news, too, though. This year's child poverty rate is actually lower than last
year's, and that represents the first drop in child poverty in five years." Pointing to more good news, Rice said Georgia is following
national trends, improving in both education and health indicators for the past five years, though the state has shown mixed results in
economic well-being, and in family and community strength. Rice said it is concerning, though, that in recent years, Georgia families
have experienced an increase in the rate of children whose parents lack secure employment. That rate peaked in 2011, when 35
percent of families in the state felt a blow from poor employment options, but it has been on a decrease since. Gaye Smith, executive
director of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, notes that the most recent data shows that 33 percent of Georgia children, or
one in three, live in homes where neither parent has year-round, full-time employment. "What is so troubling about employment in
post-recession Georgia is that too many of the newly created jobs pay low wages with benefits that fail to meet even basic family
expenses," Smith said. "And the higher-paying jobs require a postsecondary degree, putting them out of reach for most of our adult
population. That's why we in Georgia are investing heavily in quality early care and education efforts like Quality Rated and the Get
Georgia Reading Campaign, to prepare our kids to succeed in school and ultimately in work." Georgia continues to see improvement
in some key educational indicators, but still faces challenges, both state and local officials say. While math and reading proficiency
has improved during the past five years, according to the latest numbers, two-thirds of Georgia fourth-graders can't read proficiently,
and more than two-thirds of fourth-graders are not proficient in math, Smith said. "The partnerships our private and public sectors
have forged are taking us in the right direction," said Smith. "But there is still significant work to do to ensure that all kids, families and
communities in Georgia are positioned to thrive." Locally, partnerships are in place to help sustain and improve educational standards
and opportunities for Glynn County students, said Sung Hui Lewis, executive director of early academics for the Glynn County school
system. Current efforts have gone a long way in helping the county push its students forward, Lewis said. Student engagement and
enrichment programs, such as Communities in Schools, are key initiatives moving local public education forward. While gains in
education may not happen overnight, improvements are coming to fruition, Lewis said, pointing to the unofficial graduation rates
recently released by the county. Those documents showed both Brunswick High School and Glynn Academy graduating a greater
percentage of students this past school year. Brunswick High School reported a 77.5 percent graduation rate this past spring and
summer, compared to 72.3 percent in 2014, and Glynn Academy showed an 88.2 percent graduation rate, nearly 6 percent higher
than in 2014, when the school earned an 82.5 percent graduation rate. "What this data book has revealed is what we have known,
which is that students with more challenges outside of the classroom have a harder time connecting in the classroom," she said. "It is
our job to bridge the gap and we are actively working, every year, to ensure that happens." Reporter Anna Hall writes about
education and other local topics. Contact her at ahall@thebrunswicknews.com, on Facebook or at 265-8320, ext. 322.

___

(c)2015 The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.)

Visit The Brunswick News (Brunswick, Ga.) at www.thebrunswicknews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Anna Hall

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Tribune Content Agency

http://tribunecontentagency.com/
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Economic conditions can impede education gains." Brunswick News [Brunswick, GA], 20 Aug. 2015. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A426022353/OVIC?u=ucinc_main&sid=OVIC&xid=62500498. Accessed 26 Nov.
2019.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A426022353