Keeping Teens Safe, while driving - In Reach Partners for Free Driver's Education

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for US teens. In Reach would like to help change this statistic. We are excited to announce our new online free driver's education program for teens, and others, preparing to learn how to drive. Visit our dedicated site for access to Maryland permit practice tests and more information on the Maryland licensing process. 

Join In Reach in helping our teens and others prepare to take and pass their MD state written driving exam. We have partnered with driving-tests.org to bring residents in Maryland one site where they can practice and get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

DID YOU KNOW?
- There are 26.6 Million Teens in the US;
- Automobile accidents are the #1 cause of death for US teens;
- 95% of teens use the internet; 75% have broadband at home;
- 40% of all teens fail their permit exam on the first try; and,
- Lack of preparation and failure to study is the #1 reason cited for exam failure.

Maryland ranked seventh best in safer places for teens to drive according to a study by WalletHub. Let's do our best to stay in the Top 10 and move closer to the top spot by keeping our teens safe while driving especially during the summer months when they drive more and are supervised less.

STEM Infographic

Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics

Girls and Engineering in Action

Our Quantum Project, in its fifth year at Charles Carroll Middle School in New Carrollton, MD, continues to engage students in the fascinating and many faceted world of STEM. Listen to two of the female participants describe designing their lunar buggy via NASA's Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) curriculum.

 

Reflections of High School Youth Ambassador - The Fears & Excitement of Graduating High School

Finishing high school and getting ready for college is definitely one of the most exciting parts about the transition from teenager to adult, but it's also one of the most nerve-wracking. It's scary to think that all of those years of grade school will eventually trickle down into just a few moments of opening college application results and walking across a stage in a cap and gown.

There are various inevitable fears and excitements that come along with graduating high school. We students understand that once the school year ends, our lives will never be the same. Naturally, it may sometimes be hard for parents or mentors to understand what's going through our heads as we prepare to say goodbye to the comfort of high school. With this in mind, I conducted a survey amongst my peers, asking them what their fears and excitements about graduating high school and moving on to college are.

Although no two of my peers had the exact same response, our fears and excitements seem to generally be the same. As much as we are excited to experience new things – make new friends, visit new places, and be grown up and independent – we are also scared to leave the comfort and familiarity of home and the everyday rituals of attending high school. We are afraid that all of our hard work will not be enough to get us into our dream schools, or that we might not like it when we get there.

In about a year or so, I will be the first in my immediate family to attend college. At first, although I was thrilled to be on the path to achieving something that no one in my family has achieved before, I felt alone in the whole ordeal, and was intimidated by the high school to college transitional process that awaits me. Thankfully, the Youth Ambassadors Program, which understands this situation very well and is aware that there are many students out there who are in that same situation, has been here to provide me with the guidance that I need to walk down a path that is unfamiliar to both my family and me.

Through my experience as a Youth Ambassador, I have come to believe that some of the best ways to make the transition from high school to college less frightening and more exciting for students is for parents, teachers, counselors, and/or mentors to work together to offer advice to students about graduation and college. Hearing about the experiences of others can be comforting. Answer any questions that students may have, since learning about something and being more familiar with it can help make it seem less intimidating, and provide college tours for students to various campuses so they can decide what they like and don't like, thus preventing the fear of uncertainty. And, if you are a parent that has not attended college, remember that senioritis (the bug that causes high school seniors to lose interest in high school) will definitely be in the air and your son or daughter is counting on you to prevent them from giving up or losing sight of their goals.

All in all, it is important to remember that although it can be stressful, graduating high school is a very exciting journey, and a perfect memory-making time for both students and their loved ones.

 

Djellza Ramadani 

Memoirs of a Teacher

By Tanaya Gable
A recount of my experience as a visiting teacher at a Charter school in Philadelphia during the 2011-2012 school year.

In the few months I have worked as a teacher, my outlook on the operation and foundation of what Charter Schools are has changed completely. Before, I believed Charter schools to be a saving grace from the public school system; brought about by people hoping to revolutionize education and the school system. Growing up in Maryland, a state that is a lot less charter friendly than the city of Philadelphia, I based my ideas about Charter schools on second hand information. Having lots of family from the District of Columbia and hearing how many parents had opted to send their kids to a Charter school to escape the frustrating antics of what the public school system had to offer can be attributed to much of what I believed. Now, just two months after working as an English teacher in a public Charter school in Southwest Philadelphia, a lot of what I once believed has changed.

I must say that in this city, Charter schools are very much a business. In my experience, the agenda is less about revolutionizing the school system and more about protecting reputation as a means to gain funding. In February, I was brought in as a visiting teacher at a reformed public school (whose name I will not disclose), now finishing up its first year as a Charter. I was assigned to teach a senior seminar class; a life skills class designed to prepare seniors for life after high school. In my mind, I imagined teaching this class would be a breeze. I quickly began designing lesson plans, creating surveys and working towards building a solid relationship with my students in order to help them as much as I could.

I quickly realized that my perceptions on what the ideal classroom setting would be were completely incorrect. For the most part, none of the students were where they needed to be academically. From reading skills to writing skills to critical thinking skills – even note taking skills – these students had been deprived of their educational rights. Getting them to understand some of the most very basic skills of the classroom setting in general was a battle. This was only the beginning. I had so much in mind for what I wanted to explore with them. From college applications to resume writing and interviewing skills – all of which were areas I had been psyched to learn about is high school – were of no concern to these students. It was clear that many of the students had been pushed through the school system for 12 years and at the end of their last year in high school, they were unconcerned with being challenged in any way. Many of the students were disrespectful, disruptive and resisted being helped whenever possible. The dynamic was very different than what school was like when I was in 12^th grade. Because of this, I struggled with figuring out how I could teach people who didn’t want to be taught.

Apart from finding solutions to helping my students, I was forced to face the harsh realities of the intentions of the administration and the school itself. After having several conversations with different staff members, I quickly learned that the seniors were not on the top of this list when it came to priorities of the school. During PSSA testing, the standardized assessment given to students in public school in Pennsylvania, the truth came out. The 11^th graders, being the grade level that tested, were the clear focus. Since the AYP is measured by the reading and math scores of those students who are tested, the seniors – being at the end of their last year and on their way out the door – were of no contribution to the overall progress of the school and the funding it would receive. This fact was no secret.

It became even more evident when I heard stories of the teachers that preceded me. The class I was now teaching had been through a laundry list of teachers throughout the school year, leaving the students with little to no guidance and no structure. When I was brought into the picture, I received no grade book, no roster, and no measure of progress of any of the students in the class. There was no one shadowing me to keep track of the student’s work or progress or grades. When I would ask questions or inquire about how students would be graded, I received cookie cutter answers and often times got no information at all. Because of this rocky road, it was a challenge even getting the students to trust that I would even be around long enough for them to care.

The biggest struggle of my position came with the senior projects. As with any group of graduating seniors, these students were to complete a final research paper on a topic of their choice, which would count as a graduation requirement. I saw requirements for the papers change on every level, from paper length, structure and style to even the due date. The school granted an extra month for students to complete projects on top of the 6 months of preparation they had already been granted. Because the paper counted as a graduation requirement, it made sense that the school would change many of the requirements to keep the numbers of failing seniors from skyrocketing. Large numbers of non graduates would be a bad look for the reputation of the Charter Company. Because this was the first reform year for the school, it was important for everything to look peachy. Teachers in the school informed me that we were basically lying to the students by telling them that not completing the paper would result in non graduation. How could they even think of failing so many students who, for the most part, hadn’t had a steady teacher for more than three months at a time (less than that in some cases)?

There was no accountability on the student’s part at all. During common planning periods, I would hear tales from other teachers about the school’s failure to step in and take the proper disciplinary action. Students could do next to nothing and not be penalized in any real way. These were teachers who had been working in the school for a great deal longer than I had.

In addition to this, I battled with accountability of students versus the social and cultural realities that many of them were facing. The neighborhood in which this particular school is located is not the best. Students who come from communities like this one – rich in crime, violence, drug activity and poverty in general – are mere products of their environment. Many of the homes that these students come from are dysfunctional. There is little to no guidance, no positive role model, and no reinforcement for progression or success. How can one expect children coming from environments plagued by so much negativity to thrive in a classroom; especially considering the racial structure of many school systems that group kids towards failure. The problem stretches farther than this one school.

The reality of the situation is that every day, people of color in this country are being robbed of their constitutional rights. By not being afforded the best possible education and educators, they have been stripped of any hope to succeed. When you encounter high school seniors – some 19 and 20 – who have no idea how to send emails, could care less about obtaining jobs or attending college, or students who can’t even write papers, you find a generation that is academically handicapped.

Although I am no longer working as a teacher at this school, my time there provided much insight for the work I hope to do in the future. Because so much of what I plan to do focuses on connecting community and literacy, I think that it was almost destiny to be granted this particular experience. Although the journey was challenging, it was rewarding as well. I learned to be less judgmental in interpreting the attitudes of young people (in this city especially) and was challenged to tackle personal goals like patience, will power, determination and leadership.

 

Generational Illiteracy Part II | Poverty and Illiteracy: Old Friends

“The new data on illiteracy rates is a cry out for help to our school systems, policymakers, funders, and community members. Nothing short of a very strong investment in literacy through funding, diverse community partnerships, grassroots efforts, additional recruitment of qualified faculty, volunteerism, and allocation of other resources will help turn these numbers around in Prince George’s County." 

-Tony Johnson, Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Prince George’s County, Maryland

By Tanaya Gable

What You Probably Didn't Know

More than one-third of American children enter kindergarten without the basic language skills they will need to learn to read. Those critical early literacy skills include recognizing the letters of the alphabet, understanding that books move from left to right, and being able to understand and tell stories. Despite the billions of dollars Americans have invested in remedial reading programs, those millions of children who enter school unprepared are highly likely to never catch up. In fact, 88% of first graders who are below grade level in reading will continue to read below grade level in fourth grade (Juel, 1988). In addition, reading difficulty contributes to school failure, which increases the risk of absenteeism, drop outs, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancy - all of which perpetuate the cycles of poverty and dependency.

So What's the Connection?

There is a correlation between poverty and illiteracy. Statistics show that on both a national and global level, nations with the lowest literacy levels are also the poorest. Poverty leaves many households struggling to stay afloat. In worst case scenarios, children of those struggling households are forced to drop out of school to work and help support the family. This, unfortunately, keeps many illiterate people stuck at the lowest levels of the work force and thus they remain in poverty. Through this cycle, illiteracy reinforces poverty, and poverty is cyclical in families.

Growing Statistics in the County and State

According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, the basic literacy rate in Prince George’s County, MD for adults (parents) jumped from 12 percent to 22 percent between the early 1990s and  early 2000s making Prince George's County home to the largest number of adults in the state and the metropolitan area who are unable to perform simple and everyday literacy activities. The January 2009 report puts the below basic literacy rates for Washington, D.C., Arlington County, VA, Baltimore City, MD and Montgomery County, MD at 19, 17, 16, and 11 percent respectively.

A study conducted at the end of 2011 by the Census Bureau confirmed that Maryland hit a poverty rate of 10.8 percent, the highest in nearly two decades. While these statistics are well below the national rate of about 15 percent, the state’s poverty rate increased 12.5 percent from 2009 to 2010 and continued to rise in 2011. In December 2010, Maryland was named the wealthiest state by the Census Bureau. However, research shows that pockets of suburban wealth help to conceal the rural and urban poverty that really exist in the state thus putting a blinder on the reality of state-wide poverty. A regional study from early 2011 showed more than 7 percent of Prince George’s County residents were living in poverty, the most of any Washington-area suburb.

A combination of a rapidly growing foreign-born population in Prince George’s County, decreasing graduation rates for African American and Latino students in county schools, and insufficient educational resources likely contributed to these growing rates.

County Poverty by Race

What is also interesting is the growing percentages of poverty among individual races. Take Hispanics for example, who make up a dynamic portion of the county and state population. For the first time since these statistics have been gathered, there are more Hispanic children in America living in poverty than white children. In the DC area, about 130,000 young people live in poverty, with blacks accounting for half of those numbers and Hispanics about a quarter, but moving up quickly. That number amounts to nearly 40,000 young people in the DC region. Thirty percent of poor children in Prince George's County are Latino, about the same number as in Montgomery County, MD, Fairfax, VA and Prince William, VA. Statistics are even worse in Arlington County, VA, where 40 percent of poor kids are Hispanic.

Prince George’s County Council member and Chair, Andrea Harrison (District 5) of Springdale has said that the county is very much aware of the statistics of poverty within the region. In her opinion, county reps should be stressing that more be done to equip non-profits that provide social services. In an economy that has shifted greatly from manufacturing to service, businesses cannot find the secretaries, clerks, bank tellers, and other entry-level employees they need because too many applicants cannot read, write or add well enough.

Poverty is, in most cases, generational as well. Adults who felt forced to drop out of school are less likely to reinforce the value of an education in their own children, who probably face the same economic and educational hardships as they did. As a result, these individuals may not value the importance of academia, scholarship and literacy, and are often less likely to flourish. Children whose parents consistently set high standards work harder and do better in school.  

Current education and literacy programs in Prince George's County – like Prince George’s Community College and community-based organizations like Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church of Suitland, United Communities Against Poverty of Capitol Heights, and Glenarden Apartments – only scratch the surface of the problem.

Before any change can come, we have to have a collective understanding of how damaging illiteracy can and has been for people all over the world, even those who are not illiterate themselves. The problem affects everyone. Becoming literate is not a direct path from illiterate to semi-literate to literate, but a messy process of acquiring skills without formal and consecutive learning. However, with the efforts of parents, educators, community organizers and even someone like you, who is simply reading this blog, illiteracy can be overcome.

Coming in March, Part III and the final installment of the Generational Illiteracy series.  

Helpful Websites:
ProLiteracy Worldwide
Eldis Literacy
Literacy.org,
World Education
First Book
International Reading Association (IRA)
Joining Forces
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL)
Raising Readers
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

Sources:

www.nytimes.com
www.wamu.org  
www.riverdalepark.patch.com
www.washingtontimes.com
www.eric.ed.gov
www.reachoutandread.org

(Summer) Learning

Summer learning is fast becoming equally as important as learning throughout the school year. Traditionally viewed as a time for students to relax and have fun, as the school year seems to grow longer, summer is becoming more and more about organized learning - whether academic, faith, sports or developmentally based. And with the explosion of so many different technological devices and applications, learning does not have to be confined to just the school building whether formal or informal.

Summer programs serve as powerful bridges to learning throughout the year. As the demand for more programming continues to grow, parents, educators, community and political leaders, and students themselves are encouraged to come together, organize, stand up and speak out for increased funding and support for programs in their communities. The National Summer Learning Association and Coalition represents a wide range of education, youth development, health and others committed to bringing awareness and support to the value of summer programs as opportunities to close the achievement gap and support healthy development for all students.

The Interview: Summer Learning

Mr. Bob Seidel

Policy Director, National Summer Learning Association and Coalition
www.summerlearning.org

1.      Share with us some little known facts about summer learning.

Summer learning loss may be the most important education issue facing the country that is not getting adequate attention. Research shows that most American students tend to lose about two months of what they’ve previously learned in math over the summer and students in low-income communities also tend to lose up to three months of reading skill development. But those enrolled in high-quality summer learning programs tend to make gains. No matter what else we do in education reform, whether it’s in curriculum, standards, professional development, or accountability systems, if we don’t aggressively address summer learning loss, a lot of those other efforts will be wasted. Recent publications by the RAND Corporation and the Harvard Family Research Project summarize much of the research and highlight what works.

2.      What are the goals of the National Summer Learning Coalition, what outcomes are envisioned and where is NSLC currently in bringing it all together?

The Coalition wants to make high-quality summer learning an integral part of federal education policy, particularly through reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, also currently known as “No Child Left Behind”).  The idea is for the federal government to make clear to states and local communities that summer learning is important and that it should be part of state and local education planning.  More than 50 education, youth development, health, and other organizations have joined the Coalition to advocate for summer learning policy.  ESEA is the broadest federal K-12 education policy statement, so we are focusing our efforts there.  Coalition members range from national organizations like the American Association of School Administrators and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to local programs like In Reach.

If we are successful, the federal government will make clear that many different funding streams within ESEA can be used for summer learning, but it will leave ultimate decision-making to local communities.

3.      What are some policy opportunities and how can communities rally all stakeholders to participate in strengthening summer learning?

Local communities can invite their Congressional representatives to visit existing summer learning programs to see what’s being accomplished.  Local advocates can also work with Title I administrators in their school districts to see how existing funds can be used for summer learning.  Summer learning programs are already eligible for federal funding, including Title I, but in many places the law doesn’t say so explicitly, so many people don’t know it.  One pot of federal resources that does specifically support summer programs is the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers program.  But Congress has already begun cutting back that funding.  So it’s important to let Members of Congress know that it needs to be protected and even expanded.

It’s important to understand that high-quality summer learning programs may be managed by public school systems or community-based organizations.  Some of the best programs are partnerships between school districts and other organizations.  So your starting point can be inside or outside the public school system.

4.      What role can colleges and universities play in leveraging summer learning programs, opportunities and policies?

As just mentioned, many highly effective summer programs are partnerships and some of these include higher education institutions.  Around the country, some K-12 summer programs are based on college campuses.  In other cases, college faculty, staff, and students help staff summer programs, whether or not they are campus-based.  College students who are eligible for the federal college work-study program can be excellent support staff working with certified teachers in a summer program.

5.      School reform and STEM are a few buzz words in education right now, how can summer learning contribute to the success of these movements?

As I mentioned, most education reform movements focus on the school year.  The chances of any of them being successful are significantly enhanced if there is a summer learning program helping students to advance—rather than lose learning—during the summer. 

That includes STEM education.  Research shows that summer learning loss in math is particularly prevalent.  Summer provides a great opportunity for teachers and students to engage in innovative “outside-of-the-box” learning activities in STEM and other areas.  Project-based learning, especially when it gets students physically outside of the school building and into a range of environments, can be very engaging for both students and teachers.  We can go back to school in the fall energized to continue our STEM learning.

6.      And finally, what is the outlook on summer learning in the state of Maryland particularly in Prince George’s County?

There are excellent summer learning programs across Maryland, including Prince George’s County.  The In Reach program is one of them.  But here, as across the country, education budgets are being squeezed in the overall fiscal crunch.  So it’s important for local policymakers to understand the importance of summer learning.  If we don’t invest in summer learning, we end up getting much less for our education dollar during the school year.  We need to keep our legislators aware of the importance of the issue.  But we also need to look for diverse local sources of funding.  We know that we have high-quality programs, but we need many more to serve our young people properly. 

Download In Reach's summer edition of SnapShot - which promises to be an amazing resource throughout the year - to read more on learning. Visit In Reach's Resource Page for a list of additional resources including assistive technology apps.

HOMESCHOOLING

When I think about the various types of education, homeschooling is by far the most interesting one to me. Just like the growth of charter schools, homeschooling is also experiencing significant growth. According to data from the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program, the increase in the homeschooling rate (from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 percent in 2003 to 2.9 percent in 2007) represents a 74 percent relative increase over the 8-year period and a 36 percent relative increase since 2003.1 Not surprising this relative increase is similar here in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where we rank second to last in achievement in the state and there continues to be a growing number of families dissatisfied with the school system’s ability to provide their children with a quality educational experience.

Even with the largest number of students taught through homeschooling in the state of Maryland—3,7592—homeschooling seems to still largely exist under the radar in Prince George's County. Although I met several parents committed to providing their children with the very best education via homeschooling communities, just getting one parent to participate in this interview was a challenging task. It was also difficult finding any research specific to homeschooling families in the county. Several calls and emails to the Prince George’s County Public School System’s Homeschooling Office, unfortunately, yielded no additional information.

While I understand why a family may choose to explore homeschooling as an approach to educate their children, I have often wondered why anyone, especially someone who may not be trained to do so, would embrace such a massive undertaking. Below is one woman’s experience. Hats off to everyone homeschooling!

A special thank you to Michelle Dunn, executive director of MYGIFT, http://www.mygiftprogram.org/, for connecting me to the absolute best person for "the interview."

Visit www.inreachinc.org for resources and to download the accompanying informational brief, SnapShot.

1 “1.5 Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2007” National Center for Education Statistics Issue Brief, December 2008
2 “Maryland Homeschooling Statistics.” The More Child. Blog Post: October 8, 2008. http://themorechild.com/2008/10/09/maryland-homeschooling-stats/

The Interview: Homeschooling—
Is It For Your Child?
An interview with Crystal Taylor, home school parent

“[Homeschooling is] a choice a parent makes for their child.”

1. How long have you been homeschooling your children and how many are you currently home schooling?

I have homeschooled my four children for almost 11 years—a daughter age 18 who has two more classes and is the only one currently being homeschooled, a son 19 years old, a daughter 20 years old and a son 27 years old. My oldest son was in eleventh grade and my other children were in early elementary grades when I started.

2. What led you to this decision?

My sister has always homeschooled her children. When my eldest son, who was in eleventh grade at the time, was attending a public school in Washington DC, I noticed that he was being pushed through. He was an athlete and I remember asking one of his teachers how my son got a “C” in his class and the teacher could not show me any recorded grades except that one “C”. From that point on, I considered homeschooling.

At first, I was very skeptical because I was raised to go to school but my son was not getting what he needed. He did not know how to do basic math and was reading below grade level.

3. How has the experience been?

It was a transition pulling my children out of public school especially for the eleventh grader. I had to make sure the socializing piece still existed. I got involved in homeschool events, and worked with different homeschooling parents to plan. My kids were able to dissect a frog, and there were other groups such as a gym class, art and other curriculums you can use with other homeschoolers. Six Flags (a theme park in Prince George’s County) even offers a homeschooling day.

As a Christian, reading and studying [the Bible] helped guide and encourage my decision. This also helped with practicing patience. When you home school, your children will be home with you all day and you have to be able to enjoy this experience.

One huge advantage that this experience has afforded me is to be able to raise my children in the admonition of the Lord and being able to teach my children what I want them to learn in order to deal with the world based on my family’s beliefs.

4. Have you connected with any local organizations for assistance/guidance? If so, which ones and in what ways have they been helpful?

There was not a lot of red tape to get started. It is very important to figure out how your child learns and then to identify the appropriate curriculum. I have used the Christian Light Education Curriculum. There are many choices depending on where your child is.

If you go through a correspondence school such as the Citizens’ High School, you can receive all books, credentials, transcripts, diplomas and testing materials. I paid a fee and utilized Citizens’ for assistance.

Also, many churches serve as umbrella organizations for the home schooling community. There are people in the faith-based sector that will help you administratively. Most homeschool communities have the normal events (field trips, proms, dances, art classes, music, gym) that a public school setting would offer.

5. For parents who may be considering homeschooling, what are your top 3 – 5 recommendations?

• Prayer— you have to know exactly what you are getting yourself into.
• Make sure your home is going to be happy with this decision—discuss the pros and cons with all family members that will be included and affected.
• Ask what activities children can get involved in at other schools.
• Find an umbrella group so that you can get advice from someone experienced.
• Do your research to make sure you find the best curriculum for your child’s learning ability, know your child’s way of learning and their work ethic. Make sure you dot all “T’s” and “I’s”.

Resources are out there, many through faith-based organizations. In order for your child to have a variety of experiences, you have to join events. You have to do your research. Parents have to be involved regardless of the type of system, home or public, in teaching their child.

6. How can the Prince George’s County Public School System and the county, in general, better support parents who are taking on this huge and amazing responsibility?

Make additional resources available! We have no resources from the Prince George’s County Public School system. Homeschooling parents have to pay for everything! If a child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or needs a speech therapist, a parent has to pay unlike in the school system (public or private), where those types of specialized services are provided at no cost.

Visit www.inreachinc.org to download and read the accompanying informational brief, SnapShot.