Changing the Odds for Children at Risk

Data show that children who are born in poverty to young,
poorly educated parents have much lower chances of succeeding in school,
college, and the workforce than their less-disadvantaged peers. They are also
at greater risk for a host of negative outcomes, including poor academic
performance, being held back a grade, dropping out of high school, being
unemployed, and participating in criminal activity.

At a December 1 discussion, University of Michigan professor and
former Assistant Secretary of Education Susan Neuman described how federal
policies can be best targeted to help the most at-risk children. She was joined
in the discussion by Douglas Besharov, a fellow at the American Enterprise
Institute. Sara Mead, director of New America’s Early Education Initiative,
moderated the event. MaryEllen McGuire, director of New America’s Education
Policy Program, introduced the panel.

To begin the discussion, Neuman outlined seven principles
that she says will help reorient federal policies from helping a few disadvantaged
kids beat the odds against academic, to fundamentally changing the odds
so that many more low-income children succeed in school. She recommends
we:

• Actively target the neediest when developing
  federal programming;
• Provide services early in children’s lives as it is easier
  to prevent problems than remediate them;
• Emphasize coordinated services, especially as it relates to
  meeting children’s health needs;
• Focus on boosting academic achievement through compensatory
  high-quality instruction;
• Ensure instruction is delivered by trained professionals,
  not volunteers or aides;
• Acknowledge that intensity matters, defending against
  dilution of program quality; and,
• Hold programs accountable, conduct rigorous assessments, and
  change course as needed.

To
watch a brief (4 min) presentation by Susan Neuman of her seven principles for
changing the odds, click here. 

In his response, Besharov said that while on the whole he
agrees with Neuman’s arguments, he would like to see more emphasis on making
sure parents are fulfilling their responsibility as primary instructors for
their children. He would also like to hear more discussion and policy solutions
that address persistent racial and gender gaps in educational achievement,
particularly the plight of poor African-American boys.

Besharov also stressed that while early education, the focal
point of Neuman’s prescription, is important, it should not come at the expense
of policies that help older students. The high rate of high school dropouts
among poor and minority students is a big problem, he said, and there are not
currently enough effective programs available to get them back on track. He
also called for additional career-oriented programs that would serve as an
alternative for students who do not go on to college.

One question raised in the discussion was how the existing
K-12 system fits into Neuman’s prescriptions. Neuman focuses heavily on early
childhood and afterschool educational programs, and the role of community-based
organizations in delivering “360-degree” comprehensive interventions. Neuman
said that ideally she would like schools to serve as the nexus for a
comprehensive, coordinated service approach but currently, community-based
organizations are often more flexible and able to assume these
responsibilities.

Another question that came up was about Reading First, a
program that Neuman helped create but which has come under intense scrutiny
following a series of underwhelming impact reports. Neuman said that while the
reports indicate that the program is not working as well as she would hope, it
is not a reason to end the program outright. What Reading First needs, she
said, is a new infusion of content, to address the knowledge and vocabulary
gaps that make it hard for disadvantaged youngsters to understand what they
read.

Both participants said that they expect to see some sort of
new early education program in the Obama administration, though both also
warned that politics often influence program design in ways that undermine the
effectiveness of new early education investments. They agreed, however, that
the new administration has an important opportunity to strengthen federal
policies to change the odds for children at risk.

Participants
Featured Speakers
Susan Neuman
Professor, University of Michigan School of Education
Former U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education

Douglas Besharov
Joseph J. and Violet Jacobs Senior Scholar in Social Welfare Studies, American Enterprise Institute
Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Policy

Moderator
Sara Mead
Director, Early Education Initiative, New America Foundation

Introductions
MaryEllen McGuire
Director, Education Policy Program, New America Foundation