Covering poverty and education

How to measure the opportunity to cover poverty and education in your county:

Answer these 48 questions:

1. What percent of public-school children, by school, qualify for free or reduced-prices meals?
2. How is eligibility for free/reduced lunches determined?
3. What percent of students who are on free/reduced lunch in elementary school continue this service in middle and high school?
4. Do low income children quit using the free/reduced lunch service as they get older due to peer issues?
5. How many children have dropped out of school, by grade, for each of the last five years?
6. How many students in your county go on the higher education?
7. Is there a pattern in drop outs by feeder schools (elementary-middle school-high school)?
8. How does your system define "at-risk" students?
9. What programs are used to work with these students?
10. According to graduation coaches, councilors, teachers, etc. why do kids drop out of school?
11. According to kids who have dropped out (or are in the process of making that decision) why do they drop out?
12. What do those kids think there future will hold?
13. What percent of students that dropped out (versus graduates) had failed a grade?
14. What percent of students that dropped out (versus graduates) had large numbers of absences during recent years?
15. What percent of students that dropped out (versus graduates) had large numbers of disciplinary referrals?
16. Do low-income children drop out at a higher rate than more affluent children?
17. For each school, and system as a whole, how did economically disadvantaged students perform on the Criterion Referenced Comprehension Test (CRCT)?
18. For each school, and system as a whole, how did economically disadvantaged students perform on end of year or graduation tests?
19. Do students at schools with high levels of poverty (majority on free/reduced lunch) perform similarly to students at schools with lower levels of poverty on the CRCT, end of year or graduation tests?
20. In schools with high levels of poverty (majority on free/reduced lunch) how do children not on free/reduced lunch perform on the various tests?
21. In schools with low levels of poverty how do children on free/reduced lunch perform on CRCT, end or year, or graduation tests?
22. For the system as a whole, did economically disadvantaged students meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals?
23. What is AYP, how it is measured, and what are the consequences of not making AYP?
24. What is the pre-school attendance in your county?
25. Are their differences between low-income and other children in pre-school attendance?
26. What percent of four-year olds in your county attend public pre-k?
27. What percent of four-year olds in your county attend a private pre-k program that is funded by the state?
28. Are there differences between schools in your county in low-income neighborhoods and other schools in the number of certified teachers on staff?
29. How many new teachers are in low-income schools versus others?
30. How many alternative certification teachers are in low-income schools versus others?
31. What percent of teachers are rated by the state as "highly qualified" in low income schools versus others?
32. How are resources allocated across schools in your county?
33. Are there differences in the physical plant across schools?
34. What percent of parents attend Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) meetings?
35. What are the differences between schools in your county in terms of the financial support parents give to schools? (Fund raising success, donations, amount in principal or PTO spending accounts from parents).
36. Is poverty being directly addressed in any of your schools?
37. What are effective indicators for assessing school success (AYP, graduation rates, others)?
38. Are in-service training programs that help teachers work with low-income children available in your county?
39. Are there parental involvement volunteers in your schools?
40. Are there any formal programs to increase parental involvement?
41. Is there a "Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP) in your community?
42. How are administrators and teachers reaching out to low-income families in their neighborhoods?
43. Are there any skills programs aimed at parents to help them help students with school work?
44. Are there after-school programs in your county?
45. Are there after-school programs for middle and high school students?
46. Does your county have any "community schools?"
47. What is the perception among employers in your county regarding the quality of students who go through your school system?
48. What are the wage differentials paid by employers in your county for different levels of education?