ParentInfo, August 15, 2007

Last Updated on Friday, August 17, 2007 at 5:01 AM

In this issue:

*Commissioner search update

*ACT scores released

*Back to school tips – part 2

(Eating at school, bullying, before and after school care)

*Parents’ affect student interest in learning

Commissioner search update

Your input is being sought on the search for a new Kentucky education commissioner. You can share your insights online through the KDE Web site. All comments will be anonymous unless you choose to add your name.

At its board meeting earlier this month, the Kentucky Board of Education outlined a timetable for the commissioner search process. The position is currently being advertised in state and national publications. On October 3, the board will begin reviewing applications and select from three to seven candidates. Background and reference checks will begin immediately after the selection and should be completed by mid-October. Once the checks are completed, the board will announce finalists. Interviews are set to begin on November 13.

Interim education commissioner Kevin Noland will continue serving in that position until the board hires someone for the position on a permanent basis.

ACT scores released

The average composite ACT score for Kentucky's year 2007 college-bound high school seniors gained slightly over the 2006 composite score, the Kentucky Department of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education announced today.

The 2007 composite is 20.7, compared to 2006’s composite of 20.6. Nationally, the 2007 composite score was 21.2, a gain of 0.1 from 2006.

In 2007, 30,929 (77 percent) Kentucky public and nonpublic high school graduates took the test, compared to 1990, when 24,942 Kentucky graduates (62 percent) did.

"The ACT results are valuable because they provide another means for Kentucky's secondary educators to focus attention on specific areas," said Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Noland. "Kentucky's students are making progress, and that is most evident when we look at long-term trends. These latest data do provide some concern in the performance of some groups of students in the state. It's imperative that we and the state's high school educators continue to turn our energies toward closing the achievement gaps."

Many Kentucky colleges and universities use ACT scores to inform admissions decisions and to place students in appropriate college courses. ACT scores also are used, along with high school grade point averages, to determine the amount of money high school graduates are eligible to receive through the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship program.

Starting in the spring, all Kentucky public high school juniors are required to take the ACT test. The spring 2008 testing date is March 11. The make-up date will be March 25.

Back to school tips – part 2

(Eating at school, bullying, before and after school care)

With most Kentucky schools back in session, here are some more tips for making a smooth transition to the new school year.

Eating during the school day
In an effort to boost student health, Kentucky has very specific regulations that sets minimum nutritional standards for food and beverage items that are offered for sale through vending machines, school stores, canteens and as a la carte items on cafeteria lines. From the first thing in the morning until 30 minutes after lunch, food sold must meet the certain standards.

In addition, Kentucky statute limits the number of days that retail fast foods may be served in school cafeterias. The statute says, “Each school shall limit access to no more than one (1) day each week to retail fast foods in the cafeteria, whether sold by contract, commercial vendor, or otherwise.”

More and more Kentucky school districts have started using an online payment system for school lunches. Parents can go online and prepay for their child’s meals with a credit card and can track how much money is left in the account. Not only can this be a convenience for parents, but also allows you to see what your kids are buying when they go through the lunch line each day.

Most Kentucky schools regularly send schedules of cafeteria menus home or post them online. With this advance information, plan on packing lunch on the days when the main course is one your child prefers not to eat.

If you do pack a lunch from home, keep these food safety tips from the American Dietetic Association in mind:

Always wash your hands in warm, soapy water before handling any food.
Include disposable towelettes or hand gel, so students can clean hands before eating lunch.
Refrigerate any perishable food items, such as sandwiches, prepared the night before.
Use a gel-pack, frozen drink or fill a plastic refrigerator container with water and freeze for a homemade cold pack to keep food chilled.
Avoid using mayonnaise or eggs on sandwiches, especially if proper refrigeration is not available.
Instruct your child to throw away all perishable leftovers after lunch.
Wash out reusable lunchboxes every night. Use a baking powder and water solution once a week to eliminate odors.

Bullying
Bullying is when one child picks on another child repeatedly. Bullying can be physical, verbal or social. It can happen at school, on the playground, on the school bus, in the neighborhood or over the Internet.

Many Kentucky schools and districts have anti-bullying programs in place to help prevent harassment and to teach children how to deal with it. Still, this is a good time of year to talk with your children about bullying, what it is and how to respond if they are picked on. The National Mental Health Information Center offers a wealth of anti-bullying tips for parents.

When your child is bullied

· Teach your child how to:
1. Look the bully in the eye.
2. Stand tall and stay calm in a difficult situation.
3. Walk away.

· Teach your child how to say in a firm voice:
1. "I don't like what you are doing."
2. "Please do NOT talk to me like that."
3. "Why would you say that?"

· Teach your child when and how to ask for help.

· Encourage your child to make friends with other children.

· Support activities that interest your child.

· Alert school officials to the problems and work with them on solutions.

· Make sure an adult who knows about the bullying can watch out for your child's safety and well being when you cannot be there.

When Your Child Is the Bully

· Be sure your child knows that bullying is never OK.

· Set firm and consistent limits on your child's aggressive behavior.

· Be a positive role mode. Show children they can get what they want without teasing, threatening or hurting someone.

· Use effective, non-physical discipline, such as loss of privileges.

· Develop practical solutions with the school principal, teachers, counselors and parents of the children your child has bullied.

When Your Child Is a Bystander

· Tell your child not to cheer on or even quietly watch bullying.

· Encourage your child to tell a trusted adult about the bullying.

· Help your child support other children who may be bullied. Encourage your child to include these children in activities.

· Encourage your child to join with others in telling bullies to stop.

Before and after school child care

During middle childhood, youngsters need supervision. A responsible adult should be available to get them ready and off to school in the morning and watch over them after school until you return home from work.

Children approaching adolescence (11- and 12-year-olds) should not come home to an empty house in the afternoon unless they show unusual maturity for their age.

If alternate adult supervision is not available, parents should make special efforts to impose safety tips for latchkey kids.

If you choose a commercial after-school program, inquire about the training of the staff. There should be a high staff-to-child ratio, and the rooms and the playground should be safe.

Parents affects student interest in learning

Are you unwittingly guiding your children to like or dislike certain subjects in school?

According to a long-term University of Michigan study, dads have a major impact on the degree of interest their daughters develop in mathematics. The report analyzed how parents’ values and attitudes affect children’s mathematics performance and later interest and how these attitudes vary by the child's gender.

Researchers found that parents provided more math-supportive environments for their sons than for their daughters, including buying more math and science toys for the boys. They also spent more time on mathematics and science activities with their sons than with their daughters.

“We've known for a while now that females do as well as males on tests that measure ability in math and science,” said Pamela Davis-Kean, a psychologist at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR). “But women are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math graduate programs and in careers based on those disciplines.”

In an effort to combat this phenomenon in Kentucky, a task force has met and developed a state-wide P-20 strategic action plan to accelerate Kentucky’s performance within the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines. You can read a copy of the STEM task force report online.

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