Announcements

Data released on states’ graduation rates in 2011–2012 show that 16 states reported graduation rates at or above 85 percent, an improvement from 9 states reporting these rates in 2010–2011. This is the second year for which all states used a common metric to report graduation rates, allowing greater uniformity, transparency, and comparisons between across states and districts. Learn more.  

Five new online courses are available for practitioners in the field of K–12 school emergency management that address the following topics: (1) Developing a Bereavement and Loss Annex; (2) Developing a COOP Annex; (3) Developing a Food Contamination Annex; (4) Planning for Infectious Diseases; and (5) Planning for Large Events. Learn more (note: users must create an account).

Date: March 19-21, 2015
Futures Without Violence will host the National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence in Washington, DC. Topics include sexual assault on college campuses, the social determinants of health, sex trafficking of youth, children’s exposure to violence, and the Defending Childhood initiative. Learn more.

Date: January 26 - February 1, 2015
Get involved with NIDA’s fifth annual National Drug Facts WeekSM. Host or promote events for teens that help shatter the myths about drugs, and expose teens to facts about drugs and addiction from scientists and other experts. NIDA staff can recommend materials and activities, help organizations partner with one another, and highlight events on the official 2015 National Drug Facts Week map. Learn more.

This Leading Change Report highlights some of the key accomplishments SAMHSA has achieved through its strategic initiatives. SAMHSA developed such initiatives to direct its ongoing efforts to better meet the behavioral health needs of individuals, families, and communities. Learn more.

Human Trafficking in America’s Schools was developed to help school officials understand how human trafficking affects schools, recognize the indicators of possible human trafficking, and develop policies, protocols, and partnerships to address and prevent the exploitation of children. Available online the guide also offers links to resources and publications, trainings, and services for victims. Learn more.

A series of Future Ready Regional Summits will help school district leaders improve teaching and student learning outcomes through the effective use of technology. OET will host the Summits, in partnership with the Alliance for Educational Excellence, and with support from the Leading Education by Advancing Digital Commission and a coalition of more than 36 content partners. Learn more.

NCFY’s Blogging Challenge to End Youth Homelessness encourages bloggers to publish posts that address youth homelessness. Winning posts will be featured on the NCFY website. This effort is a part of the Family and Youth Services Bureau’s campaign to recognize 40 years of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Learn more.

This article describes the work of 18 states, funded by the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) Quality Demonstration Grant Program, to improve the quality of health care for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The barriers the states have encountered and strategies to address these barriers are discussed. The article also suggests actions that states can take to enhance adolescent health care. Learn more.  

This updated booklet can help teens learn the facts about marijuana, including its potential to lead to other drug use and its effect on different parts of the body. Learn more (PDF, 13 pages).

National Mentoring Month is an opportunity to honor those who have made a difference in the lives of others by thanking them and paying it forward. Become a mentor by using the ZIP code search engine to connect to local mentoring opportunities. Be someone who matters to someone who matters today. Learn more.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced the expansion of the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention to five additional cities: Long Beach, California; Cleveland, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Seattle, Washington; and Baltimore, Maryland. Each city will receive an initial set of planning grants to begin the work that has been so successful in the original Forum cities. Each city will be eligible for additional support once they develop comprehensive plans for coordinating resources, engaging in community outreach, and involving new stakeholders. Learn more.

The Department of Education is asking the public for help to spread the word to students, parents, and educators about the importance of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Federal Student Aid Financial Aid Toolkit contains sample Facebook posts, tweets, blogs, videos, photos, and infographics that can be used to deliver the message through social media channels. Learn more.

Date: September 25, 2014, 1:00 p.m. EST
The Small Business Administration and GobiernoUSA.gov will host a Google Hangout in Spanish to offer business tips for young entrepreneurs. The live Hangout will help budding young entrepreneurs who are looking for tips on how to start a new business. Participants will get insight from young entrepreneur who will answer questions about getting started. Hangout participants can submit questions by email to learning@sba.gov or tweet questions using hashtag #jovenesempresarios. No registration is needed to participate. Learn more. Aprender más.

Two new resources from IES can help to improve support to students who are struggling in school:
• “Practitioner Data Use in Schools: Workshop Toolkit” (PDF, 53 pages) is designed to help teachers and administrators use education data more systematically and accurately.
• ”A Practitioner’s Guide to Implementing Early Warning Systems” (PDF, 26 pages) describes and provides examples of early warning system implementation strategies in use across the country.

NBHAAD: Reducing HIV Among African American Communities is an annual opportunity to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS and to increase awareness of the disproportionate number of African American men, women, and youth affected by HIV. This year’s theme, “I Am My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS,” had a special focus on HIV disparities among men who have sex with men. Learn more.

Using data from 133 countries, the “Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014” provides an overview of violence prevention efforts across the globe that aim to address interpersonal violence (specifically child maltreatment), youth violence, intimate partner and sexual violence, and elder abuse. This report was jointly published by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Learn more.

The National Behavioral Health Barometer provides national and state level data on key behavioral health care issues — including serious mental illness, suicidal thoughts, substance use, and underage drinking — and on the rates at which Americans seek treatment for these challenges. Learn more.

This blog post links to multiple resources that can help youth-serving programs understand how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affects youth, including homeless and runaway youth. The post also provides some of the highlights from a recent webinar that discussed what youth and youth workers need to know about the ACA. Learn more.

Each year, states nominate schools or districts that have shown to be effective at reducing environmental impact, improving health and wellness, and/or teaching environmental education. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will recognize the 2015 Green Ribbon Schools honorees on his YouTube channel on April 22, 2015 at 2 p.m. EST. Learn more.