Transcript Full Report - Connecticut Voices for Children

Connecticut is changing...
The economy is red hot.
There is money and
opportunity...
And our workforce for the
next 20 years has already
been born.
They are Connecticut’s
children and youth.
Will they be ready to
become Connecticut’s next
generation of workers,
parents, inventors, citizens,
leaders?
?
Will their skills and
accomplishments
enable Connecticut to
retain its leadership
position in The New
Economy?
The answers to these
questions
are largely up to us.
SCHOOL READINESS AND
WORKFORCE READINESS: TWO
SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
Connecticut Voices
for Children
Leadership Fairfield 2000
September 2000
“Today, a New Economy is clearly
emerging:
It is a knowledge and idea-based
economy
where the keys to wealth and job creation
are the extent to which ideas, innovation,
and
technology are embedded
in all sectors of the economy.”
Source: The State New Economy Index, July 1999
From The State New Economy Index:
Benchmarking Economic
Transformation in the States, July 1999:
“For most of the 20th century, the
vitality of the US economy was
determined by the success of its major
manufacturing
industries.”
“Today,
information,
technology,
communications, and intellectual
capital, rather than energy and raw
materials, power business.”
The National Governors’ Association
Has Identified Five Key Factors in the
“New Economy”
Increasing competition at a global
scale
 Progress fueled by
technology
 Demand for skills and knowledge in the
workforce
 Growth driven by innovation, invention and
re-invention by small and large businesses


Continual pressure for deregulation
Connecticut’s “New” Economy is
Flying High
 CT ranks #5 in the US on The New Economy
Index
 CT as a whole has a 2.3% statewide
unemployment rate
(June 2000 seasonally adjusted)
 CT ranks #1 in the US in per capita income
($39,167) and in median income for a family of
four ($75,534, in 1998)
 CT has had eight straight years of General
Fund surpluses: $1.5 BILLION in the last three
But The Prosperity of Connecticut’s
New Economy
Has Not Reached All Families
 Since 1989, Connecticut has had a 127%
increase the in the proportion of poor working
families, the greatest in the US.
 Between 1989 and 1998, our child poverty rate,
as measured by the federal poverty level ($16,700
for a family of four), rose from 7% to 12%. Today,
96,000 CT children live at or below the federal
poverty level -- 40,000 more than in 1989. 2/3s of
CT’s poor children live in families with at least one

Basedparent.
on eligibility for the Free and Reduced
working
Price Meal Program,
25% of CT’s children are poor, and 2/3 of
Connecticut’s school districts have had an increase
CT’s Lower and Middle Income Families
Lost Economic Ground Between the
Late 80s and Late 90s,
and the Gap in “Real” Income Increased
Income
Quintile
Lowest
fifth
Second
fifth
Top fifth
Late '80s
$23,775
Late '90s
%
Change
$17,615
-26%
$45,458
$37,953
$148,011 $174,149
-17%
18%
What Annual Income Is Needed in
Connecticut for Economic Selfsufficiency?
(OPM CT Self-Sufficiency Standard, 1999)
Family with one infant and one school age child:
(1999$)
2 Working Parents
Middletown Region -Northeast Region -Waterbury Region -New Haven Region -Stamford-Norwalk --
$ 39,723
$ 40,300
$ 40,876
$ 41,097
$ 52,895
Single Working Parent
$ 34,695
$ 35,320
$ 35,897
$ 36,166
$ 48,081
SOME IMPORTANT CT FAMILY
CHANGES
I. More children have working mothers
II. Parents have less time with children
III. Risks to children continue and more are
cared for out of their homes
IV. More children in single parent families
V. Single parents are disproportionately poor
More Children Have Working Mothers
Children with Working Moms
80
Percent
60
40
20
0
Under 6
27% of CT
women with
children
under 6
worked in
1970. In 1995,
65% did.
Under 18
1970
1995
41% of CT
women with
children
Parents Have Less Time with Children
In a 1997 study, 70% of all employed
parents felt they did not spend enough
time with their children.
Between 1979-1998, the annual work hours
of middle class couples with children
increased from 3,041 to 3,600 -nearly 13 extra weeks of work per year.
More Children Live In Single Parent
Families
From 1970 to 1996, CT families headed by
a single parent increased from 10% to
27%.
It is estimated the 1/2 of US children born
in the1980s and in the 1990s will live apart
from a parent before age 18.
Single Parent Families Are
Disproportionately Poor
62% of CT’s “working poor” families are
headed by single mothers (as compared
to 48% nationally).
Single CT mothers, with children under
age 18, are
17 times more likely to be poor than CT
couples
with children the same age.
Risks to Children Continue and
More Are Cared for Out of Their Homes
Abuse/Neglect: In 1994, there were about 7,200
open child abuse/neglect cases at DCF.
Now, there are more than 14,000 open cases.
Out-of-Home Care: The number of children in
out-of-home care continues to grow: from 2,377
in 1994 to 9,980 in 1999.
The National Governors’ Association
Has Identified A Critical “Downside” Of
The New Economy
“Job growth in the new economy has
become
more polarized (with) high-skill, highwage,
technical and professional jobs that
tend to be full-time with generous
benefits
and low-skill, low-wage, service jobs
that are often part time with few
In Connecticut, Service Jobs Have
Replaced
Manufacturing Jobs: 1989 - 2000
140000
120000
Total Service
Jobs
Gained:
123,000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
-20000
Manufacturing
Services
-40000
-60000
-80000
2/89-12/92
12/92-7/00
Manufacturin
g Jobs
Lost: 99,000
The Wages of Many New CT Service Jobs
Qualify Employees’ Children for the School
Lunch Program
Average Annual Wages -- Top 10 CT Service Sector Jobs
Added Between 1992-1998
Management and PR $86,189 Amusement & Recreation
Medical Offices/Clinics $62,333 Personnel Supply Services
Computer Related
$74,802 Misc. Business Services
Home Health Care
Nursing/Personal Care
Residential Care
Child Day Care
Source: The CT Economic Digest, December 1999
$21,999
$22,927
$29,956
$20,260
$25,760
$23,218
$13,675
Why Does This Matter? Because
Research Shows That Child Poverty
Has Predictable Negative Outcomes
 Health problems--such as low birth
weight, asthma and lead
poisoning
 The risk of growing up in in unsafe
home and
circumstances
neighborhood
 Impaired cognitive development
Katherine McFate
The Rockefeller Foundation
“The relationship between income inequality
and educational inequality is…at the core of
our concern about the long-term social
impacts of inequality.
American education tends to fall short in
providing a “good education” for the bottom
20 to 30% of the income distribution.”
Source: Economic Policy Review (Federal Reserve Bank of NY, 1999)
CT Ranks High Among States on
National Educational Performance
Measures
CT ranks #1 on 4th grade reading as well as
8th grade reading and writing (NAEP)
CT ranks #5 in the nation on combined SAT
scores (1019)
CT ranks #7 in the nation on students
passing AP exams (71%)
Yet Significant Educational Performance
Disparities Exist Across Our
Communities
Students in ERG A -- as compared to
ERG I -- are:
2x more likely to attend preschool
5x more likely to pass the CMT at
Grade 4
7x more likely to pass the CMT at
Grade 8
12x more likely to pass the CAPT in
In CT, Higher Education Equals
Higher Income
Educational Level
No HS Degree
Median Salary
$14,920
HS Degree
$21,680
Associate’s Degree
$29,749
Bachelor’s Degree
$40,695
Master’s Degree
$52,771
Professional/Doctoral Degree
$93,714
Post-Secondary Education Is A Defensive
Necessity In Connecticut’s The New
Economy
Change in real hourly wages: 1979-1999 (1999$)
Economic Policy Institute analysis of US Labor Department data
25
18.9
20
13
% Change in Real Wages
15
10
5
0
-5
Less Than High
School
-10
-20
-30
-23.7
Some College
-3.7
-8.9
-15
-25
High School/GED
College Degree
Advanced Degree
Yet, CT’s Cumulative High School Drop
Out Rates
Are Too High
Percent
40
35
36.2
30
25
21
20
15
10
5
0
6
2.6
ERG A
ERG B
ERG H
ERG I
Connecticu
t’s 199899
cumulati
ve drop
out rate
was
14.3%.
Source: Strategic
School
Finally, Many CT Families Are Caught
in The Digital Divide
Unequal access to electronic information
and services, and technology by:
Race
Income
Geography and Community
Gender
Age
Why Does This Matter? Because
of the Critical Role of Technology
in The New Economy
The number of US households connected to the
Internet will increase from 44.4 million in 2000 to 60
million in 2004.
In 1998, Internet business transactions were valued
at $43 billion. By 2003, IT business transactions are
expected to reach $1.3 trillion.
In 1999, American consumers spent $20 billion
online. In 2004, they will spend an estimated $184
billion, an increase of 900%.
By 2006, 49% of all private sector employees will
On Technology Measures, CT’s Public
Schools Rank
Poorly Against Those In Other States
Connecticut ranks #42 out of all states
in the infusion of technology in its K12 public schools.
CT ranks among the bottom ten on
school-based “technology
sophistication”, along with Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Arkansas.
And Children in Poorer Families have Less
Home Access
to Computers and the Internet
80
60
Computers
40
Internet
20
75
,0
00
+
74
,9
99
to
49
,9
99
50
35
to
24
,9
99
to
14
,9
99
20
10
to
$5
0
Un
de
r
Percent
100
“It will take political will and
imaginative policies in
education, economic
development, and social
safety nets to harness the
potential of the new
technologies to reverse the
trend of rising inequality.”
Laura Tyson, Haas School of
Business, Business Week,
“If states do not respond to these
January 10, 2000
challenges and create the right
environment for businesses and
workers to succeed, they will lose
the human and physical capital
that powers economic growth.”
National Governors’ Association,
What Does This All Mean
In Fairfield County?
Fairfield County Districts By Highest
and Lowest ERG
ERG A
ERG B
Darien
Bethel
Easton
Brookfield
New Canaan Fairfield
Redding
Greenwich
Ridgefield
Monroe
WestonNew Fairfield
Westport
Newtown
Wilton
Trumbull
ERG H
Danbury
Norwalk
Stamford
ERG I
Bridgeport
1998 Per Capita Income By Town
and ERG
Darien
Easton
N. Canaan
Redding
Ridgefield
Weston
Westport
Wilton
107,225
68,941
108,008
76,816
70,316
101,386
94,023
84,035
Bethel
Brookfield
Fairfield
Greenwich
Monroe
N. Fairfield
Newtown
Trumbull
41,118 Danbury 39,048 Bridgeport
49,556 Norwalk 46,332
54,172 Stamford 54,894
95,634
42,702
47,505
45,625
50,976
21,581
1997-98 % of Children Whose
Parents Have At Least a
Bachelor’s Degree By Town and
ERG
Darien
Easton
New Canaan
Redding
Ridgefield
Weston
Westport
Wilton
84
76
84
67
79
93
79
84
Bethel
Brookfield
Fairfield
Greenwich
Monroe
New Fairfield
Newtown
Trumbull
54
63
61
63
58
51
63
67
Danbury
Norwalk
Stamford
36
29
32
Bridgeport
6
1997-98 % of Kindergartners Who
Attended Formal Preschool By
Town and ERG
(state average =72%)
Darien
Easton
New Canaan
Redding
Ridgefield
Weston
Westport
Wilton
99
96
99
86
88
100
100
98
Bethel
Brookfield
Fairfield
Greenwich
Monroe
New Fairfield
Newtown
Trumbull
71
88
94
92
97
71
84
85
Danbury
Norwalk
Stamford
62
78
72
Bridgeport
57
1998 % of 4th Graders Who
Passed the CMT State Goal in
Reading By Town and ERG
Darien
Easton
New Canaan
Redding
Ridgefield
Weston
Westport
Wilton
80
73
79
54
70
77
78
84
Bethel
Brookfield
Fairfield
Greenwich
Monroe
New Fairfield
Newtown
Trumbull
56
69
69
77
77
68
72
75
Danbury
Norwalk
Stamford
43
47
47
Bridgeport
19
School enrollment 1998-99 by
Town and ERG
Darien 3526
Easton 1271
N Canaan 3417
Redding 1637
Ridgefield 4667
Weston 2125
Westport 4362
Wilton 3726
Totals 24861
Bethel
3259 Danbury 8984 Bridgeport 23027
Brookfield 2810 Norwalk 10762
Fairfield 7643 Stamford 14762
Greenwich 8038
Monroe 3806
N Fairfield 2814
Newtown 4612
Trumbull 5879
38861
34508
23027
Connecticut’s
workforce for
the next 20
years has
already been
born.
There is now
only one CT
child for every
three CT
adults. We
have no
children to
waste...
School Readiness Policy Issues
I. Kids must be “ready” for school
--Connecticut’s children need stable,
caring, functionally literate adults in their
lives while they are young and the
opportunity for learning-based preschool
experiences so they start school ready to
learn
--They also need economically secure, safe
and healthy home and neighborhood
environments while they are in school, so
they arrive ready to learn each day
School Readiness Policy Issues
II. Schools must be “ready” for kids
--Schools must be appropriately staffed and
resourced, including with technology. And
schools must be safe places open for activity
through afternoon hours
--Schools need strong formal partnerships
with parents, other agencies serving kids and
families, and with the business community
--Schools need to address, through
curriculum and enrichment activities, the
varied learning backgrounds, experiences
and styles of today’s young people
Some Questions to Frame A School
and Workforce Readiness ACTION
Agenda For The Connecticut Business
Community
I. Start Early
1. Do your business practices promote parental
involvement among your employees when their
kids are young?
2. Are you willing to advocate for learning-based
preschool opportunities for all kids in your
community and our state
Some Questions to Frame A School
and Workforce Readiness ACTION
Agenda For The Connecticut Business
Community
II. Expect Public Accomplishment By All of CT’s
Kids
1. Does your business or organization expect
CT’s youngsters to be able to read at grade level
by 4th grade and to be technologically
competent by 6th grade?
2. Will your organization participate in creation
of real opportunities for young people,
beginning in middle school, to learn about and
experience a wide range of work and career
Some Questions to Frame A School
and Workforce Readiness ACTION
Agenda For The Connecticut
Business Community
III. Don’t Accept Less than High School
Completion
1. Will your business or organization work to
continue and expand opportunities, linked to
career and work opportunities, that
encourage and incentive school completion?
2. Will you support the expansion of needbased aid for higher education for CT’s future
college students?
Some Questions to Frame A School
and Workforce Readiness ACTION
Agenda For The Connecticut
Business Community
IV. Focus on Parents and Their Learning Too
1. Does your business have resources that
can assist parents to re-invent their skills and
competence appropriate to economic
requirements and opportunities in The New
Economy?
2. Can your business offer media and
marketing help to send the message about
the importance of lifelong learning and skills
Connecticut’s workforce
for the next 20 years has
already been born. What
happens next is largely up
to us...
For more information or for a copy that
you can use:
contact
CT Voices for Children
203.498.4240
Janice Gruendel, Ph.D. -- [email protected]
Shelley Geballe, JD, MPH [email protected]