“There are always powerful forces that seemingly cannot be overcome. Ultimately they crumble when those who care enough act. History has shown that action exposes illusion.”
What's the Return to Our Kids?
For California's investment in education -- all the money, hard work, and good intentions -- what's the return to our kids? Using state data, or using California plus other reputable research data, one finds that the school experience may be successfully serving less than half of California's kids. Click Here to read California's success data (2006)
High School Drop Outs
Giving up on school is a trend for increasing percentages of our kids, as headlines have been telling us. For a summary of data from several major research studies, Click Here to read our Dropout Summary.
Reducing Youth Crime
What have a DA, some judges, and a charity done that works?
Click Here to read about prevention ("Changing the Odds") and recidivism-preventing reentry programs initiated by the District Attorney of San Francisco, Kamala Harris.
12 Focus Areas for Research Awareness
Read our Summary of Key Areas for Research Focus
5 Intervention Steps That Work
1. Establish a “Positive Learning Culture" Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. clearly explains both the how-to and the why of the “Positive Learning Culture” in Creating Emotionally Safe Schools. Her book details "creating emotionally safe schools" and creating a "positive learning culture."
2. Clear blocks in visual pathways to brainCatalyst! Vision and Learning ® is an educational tool used in classrooms, allowing teachers to intervene and assist students struggling to read and learn.
3. Clear blocks in auditory pathways to brainFast ForWord ® is a computer software program used by schools to address auditory processing problems.
4. Focus on health needs
Research shows that school schedules should be adjusted to match adolescent sleep cycles. Mary Carskadon, Ph.D. runs the non-profit Sleep for Science at Brown University.
5. Offer career technical courses
Career technical education classes, when offered for credit, help retain students, result in a decreased dropout rate, and improve academic performance.
“There are always powerful forces that seemingly cannot be overcome. Ultimately they crumble when those who care enough act. History has shown that action exposes illusion.”
What's the Return to Our Kids?
For California's investment in education -- all the money, hard work, and good intentions -- what's the return to our kids? Using state data, or using California plus other reputable research data, one finds that the school experience may be successfully serving less than half of California's kids. Click Here to read California's success data (2006)
High School Drop Outs
Giving up on school is a trend for increasing percentages of our kids, as headlines have been telling us. For a summary of data from several major research studies, Click Here to read our Dropout Summary.
Reducing Youth Crime
What have a DA, some judges, and a charity done that works?
Click Here to read about prevention ("Changing the Odds") and recidivism-preventing reentry programs initiated by the District Attorney of San Francisco, Kamala Harris.
12 Focus Areas for Research Awareness
Read our Summary of Key Areas for Research Focus
5 Intervention Steps That Work
1. Establish a “Positive Learning Culture" Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. clearly explains both the how-to and the why of the “Positive Learning Culture” in Creating Emotionally Safe Schools. Her book details "creating emotionally safe schools" and creating a "positive learning culture."
2. Clear blocks in visual pathways to brainCatalyst! Vision and Learning ® is an educational tool used in classrooms, allowing teachers to intervene and assist students struggling to read and learn.
3. Clear blocks in auditory pathways to brainFast ForWord ® is a computer software program used by schools to address auditory processing problems.
4. Focus on health needs
Research shows that school schedules should be adjusted to match adolescent sleep cycles. Mary Carskadon, Ph.D. runs the non-profit Sleep for Science at Brown University.
5. Offer career technical courses
Career technical education classes, when offered for credit, help retain students, result in a decreased dropout rate, and improve academic performance.