World Languages Being Cut by Elementary Schools, Despite Benefits

This month, the Windsor school board voted to eliminate two world language teachers at the elementary school level, which put an end to the district's elementary world language program, in a budget-cutting move.  A month earlier, the school board in Newington decided to delay the introduction of Spanish in lower elementary school grades in order to reduce the budget for the coming year.

Despite studies that have shown that language instruction beginning at the elementary school level provides numerous benefits for students, ranging from critical and creative thinking to improved performance on standardized tests and better  job prospects, school districts in Connecticut appear to be cutting back, although the state Department of Education does not have recent data to provide a clear picture of what is occurring.  The most recent data dates back to the 2007-08 school year.

A policy statement by the American Council on The Teaching of Foreign Languages earlier this year stated that “an early start to learning a second language, programs of immersion or dual language immersion, and long learning sequences show strong results in helping all learners” and  outlines how standards-based language learning does the following: develops literacy and numeracy, prepares learners in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) areas, engages learners through practical applications for special purposes and strengthens college and career readiness.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 30 percent of American high school students are enrolled in foreign language classes, and only 25 percent of American elementary schools even offer foreign languages. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages published an alignment of the National Standards for Learning Languages with the Common Core State Standards, adopted in Connecticut and many other states.  The guidelines include standards for reading, listening and viewing as well as writing, speaking and visually representing.

The guidelines also indicate that research demonstrates that “as students come to understand how language works through their learning of a second or third language, their understanding of and attention to language conventions and functions expands and has an impact on applications in their first language.”

Data on the SDE website – now six years old - indicates that the number of Connecticut schools providing world language instruction before grade 4 increased from 14 in 1993 to 85 in 2007.  The number of school districts in the state with world language in the early grades increased from 6 to 40.  Expanding the report to include world language instruction before grade 8, the number of schools grew from 98 in 1993 to 283 in 2007 and the number of school districts increased from 75 to 132.  Data after 2007-08 is not readily available.

Report Warns of Separate But Unequal Community Colleges

Community colleges "are in great danger of becoming indelibly separate and unequal institutions in the higher-education landscape," a Century Foundation task force warns in new report.

The report, "Bridging the Higher Education Divide: Strengthening Community Colleges and Restoring the American Dream," outlines a series of proposals aimed at shifting the patterns that result in four-year colleges' enrolling disproportionably more wealthy and white students while two-year colleges enroll a higher proportion of needy and minority students.

Among its recommendations, the group urges states and the federal government to provide additional funds to two-year colleges that serve the neediest students, much in the way the federal Title I program works for elementary and secondary schools.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the task force effort is premised on the notion that community colleges, which enroll about 44 percent of the nation's college population, are in many cases not serving students well now and will be ill equipped to handle future demands without radical change.  Research undertaken for the report found that, at some community colleges, almost two-thirds of the students are black, Hispanic, or members of other groups typically considered underrepresented in higher education.

The approach outlined in the report could not only create more-affordable college pathways for middle-class families and improve educational outcomes at community colleges, it could also give community colleges more political clout, the Chronicle reported.

Connecticut’s 12 community colleges have 58,228 students, according to the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities website.  According to a 2011 report by the now defunct Board of Governors for Higher Education, nearly two-thirds (62.1 percent in fall of 2010) of all Hispanic/Latino and African American students attending community college do so at four of the system’s 12 institutions – Capital Community College in Hartford, Gateway Community College in New Haven, Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport and Norwalk Community College – all situated within or near urban cities with large low-income and minority populations. These institutions also awarded more than two-thirds (68.9 percent) of the associate degrees conferred to Hispanic/Latino and African American students by the community colleges during the 2009-10.

The Board of Governors report added that “it is clear that there is no problem regarding access for minority students at the state’s community colleges; thus, the Department’s grant program designed to reward and support their diversity efforts will require that they focus solely upon the retention and graduation of targeted students.”   In 2011, the Connecticut Mirror reported that the state pays about $7,000 a year for each full-time student enrolled in one of the 12 two-year community colleges -- but only one out of every 10 full-time students who enroll seeking an associates degree or certificate will earn one in three years. That ranks Connecticut's community college graduation rate 47th in the nation, according to a report by the state Department of Higher Education.

Earlier this year, in March, the Board of Regents for Higher Education, which now oversees the state’s 12 community colleges and four state universities voted to increase tuition by 5 percent in the coming year, despite student protests.  Students at Connecticut's community colleges would pay 5.25 percent more. For a full time student, that's an increase of $188 more, for a total of $3,786, the Hartford Courant reported.

The report by the Century Foundation noted that in a survey, eighty-one percent of students entering community college for the first time saying they eventually want to transfer and earn at least a bachelor’s degree but just 12 percent do so within six years. Among low-income students with “high” qualifications for college (those who completed “at least Trigonometry”), 69 percent of students who began in a four-year institution earned a bachelor’s degree, compared with just 19 percent of those who started in a community college.

Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Foundation, questions how "we shower the most resources on the wealthiest college students and the least on the neediest," noting that the idea of reducing stratification by enhancing community colleges is an important focus in the report. The 22-member task force was led by Anthony W. Marx, the former president of Amherst College who now heads the New York Public Library, and Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College.

Partnership Encourages Girls Interest in Science

Girls of Innovation is a day-long annual program that inspires today's middle school students to consider studies in science and technology-related research, health services and business areas.  Sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC) and Covidien Surgical Devices and held at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, this year’s event will be on Saturday, June 15 from 8:30 to 2:30.

The Girls of Innovation Science Challenge is for girls, entering grades 7 & 8 in the 2013-2014 school year, to explore science and its challenges in a fun, interactive way. There is no cost to attend. Parents/guardians must pre-register participants and receive the confirmation e-mail from CTC.

An offshoot of CTC's Women of Innovation program, Girls of Innovation inspires today's middle school students to consider studies in science and technology-related research, health services and business areas.

Volunteers working with the girls during the day are drawn from the Connecticut Women of Innovation program and CTC membership.  They are there to talk with the students about their experiences and careers and to guide them through the challenges created by the CT Science Center staff scientists.   Working individually and in teams, the girls explore scientific concepts and do hands-on science.  Additional time to explore the science exhibits throughout the Connecticut Science Center is also provided.

The Connecticut Technology Council is a statewide association of technology oriented companies and institutions, providing leadership in areas of policy advocacy, community building and assistance for growing companies. Speaking for over 2,000 companies that employ some 200,000 residents, the Connecticut Technology Council seeks to provide a strong and urgent voice in support of the creation of a culture of innovation.

“By establishing Girls of Innovation, CTC is demonstrating once again its commitment to its mission, which benefits all of Connecticut's citizens. Girls of Innovation lives up to its name, and puts us further down the path toward a culture of innovation,” said Beth Alquist, Chair of the Women of Innovation Planning Committee and a Partner at the law firm of Day Pitney LLP.

Connecticut Well Represented in National Mental Health Dialogue

Keeping a commitment made in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders last December, President Barack Obama launched a national mental health dialogue at the White House Monday aimed at increasing understanding and awareness of mental health, and Connecticut organizations are involved in the efforts from the outset.

Among the initiatives announced during the day-long conference was a new national website, www.mentalhealth.gov, and a series of public meetings to be held around the country under the “Creating Community Solutions” rubric.  Two of those community conversations will be in Connecticut – in Hartford and Norwalk – and one of the six national organizations coordinating the initiative has its headquarters in East Hartford.

The Center for Civic Engagement at the Hartford Public Library will organize the Hartford event as part of the National Dialogue on Mental Health. In response to unprecedented need for civic engagement, Hartford Public Library created the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). The CCE aims to create a community change process, foster development of a community vision, contribute to a stronger, more successful community, and establish a civic engagement model.

The dialogue in Norwalk will be co-sponsored by the Fairfield County Community Foundation and the Southwest Regional Mental Health Board.  The Fairfield County Community Foundation promotes philanthropy to build and sustain a vital and prosperous community where all have the opportunity to participate and thrive.  The Southwest Regional Mental Health Board is dedicated to ensure a quality system of comprehensive, recovery oriented mental health and addiction services that enhances the quality of life and well being of all residents of Southwest Connecticut.

The Creating Community Solutions initiative will allow participants to learn about mental health issues - from each other and from research - and to develop plans to improve mental health in their own communities, according to officials.   The national dialogue is to include young people who have experienced mental health problems, members of the faith community, foundations, and school and business leaders.

Among the six national “deliberative democracy” organizations involved in developing the Creating Community Solutions program is East Hartford-based Everyday Democracy, according to federal officials.  Everyday Democracy helps people organize, have dialogues, and take action on issues they care about, so that they can create communities that work for everyone. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of a strong, equitable democracy that values everyone's voice and participation.    Details about Everyday Democracy's role in the initiative and how partner communities and organizations can get involved will be available on the organization’s website in the coming days.

Details regarding the date, location and registration information for the Hartford and Norwalk sessions will be available on a new website, at www.creatingcommunitysolutions.org.  The site is part of the national mental health website, which was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.   Thus far, community dialogues have been scheduled in New Mexico, California, Alabama, and Arizona, and an additional 29 sites – including the two in Connecticut – are making plans.   A Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CreatingCommunitySolutions, has also been launched.

Materials to support the conversations are being developed and will shortly be available for download, including an Information Brief, Organizing Guide and Discussion Guide.  In addition to Everyday Democracy, the organizations working together to design and implement Creating Community Solutions are America Speaks, Deliberative Democracy Consortium, National Issues Forums, the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

In addition, a number of national associations are asking their members or affiliates to organize local events. These groups include the United Way, American Bar Association, National League of Cities, YWCA, National School Public Relations Association, 4-H, Grassroots Grantmakers, Alliance for Children and Families, National Physicians Alliance, Association for Rural and Small Libraries, and the International Association for Public Participation, among others.

Dangers of Distracted Driving Attract Renewed Attention; Responses Pending, Urged

There was a time when smoking was permitted in restaurants, when seat belt use was not mandatory, when children were not required to wear helmets when bike riding.  Then the science of safety interceded, and state lawmakers – in Connecticut and elsewhere - took notice.  The convenience of technology, however, may be another matter.

Writing in The Hartford Courant this week, teen driving safety advocate Tim Hollister, who was a member of the Governor’s Safe Teen Driving Task Force in 2007-8 and publishes a national blog for parents of teen drivers, called for a ban on the use of electronic devices while driving, citing increasing evidence of  the dangers of distracted driving.  And a new study by a Texas university concluded that voice-to-text is as dangerous and traditional typed texting.

Hollister points out that six leading public health and traffic safety organizations (World Health Organization, National Transportation Safety Council, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association) “now agree that hands-free cellphone use is just as dangerous as hand-held.  Both cause cognitive blindness.”

With the addition of a new law passed in Hawaii last week, 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam have banned text messaging for all drivers using hand-held devices.  Hawaii becomes just the 11th state (including Connecticut, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) to prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.

Not a single state prohibits hands-free dialing, and neither state nor federal action appears on the horizon.  In fact, just the opposite is true.

Even as evidence of hazards grows, so do the range of electronic options.  Ford is one of a number of companies aggressively marketing electronic devices that offer more in-car options.  The company’s voice activated Sync technology, available beginning with 2012 models, includes hands-free calling, 411 business search, audible text messaging, and internet connectivity.  Hollister points out that “on tv and the internet, advertisements tout devices that enable texting by allowing drivers to attach their cellphones to the windshield so the screen is aligned with their view of the road.”

Connecticut Action Pending

Two bills that offer responses to certain aspects of distracted driving are now progressing through the Connecticut General Assembly, which adjourns on Wednesday, June 5.  The Associated Press reported that the House of Representatives voted 139-1 last week to add distracted driving to the list of moving violations that would be made available to insurance companies.  Currently, if someone disobeys the state's distracted driving law, they pay a fine and their insurer does not know about it.  The bill also increases fines and creates a task force to study distracted driving prevention. The legislation now moves to the Senate.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill establishing a fine of up to $1,000 for a motorist who "fails to exercise reasonable care on a public way" and seriously injures or causes the death of so-called vulnerable users, such as a bicyclists. The bill now moves to the House, the AP reported.

Federal Guidelines 

The dangers of technology-enabled distracted driving are so insidious – and increasing so rapidly – that the federal government has launched a website, www.distraction.gov, solely devoted to educating the public about the severe risks of distracted driving.  Among the statistics cited:

• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)
• Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)
• Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
• In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver. An additional, 387,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
• 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
• 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)

A new study from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University reveals that sending those messages using voice-to-text software is just as distracting as looking down at your phone and typing messages by hand.

Voluntary guidelines recently issued (April 2013) by the Department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), recommended specific criteria for electronic devices installed in vehicles at the time they are manufactured.  The guidelines include recommendations to limit the time a driver must take his eyes off the road to perform any task to two seconds at a time and twelve seconds total. The guidelines also recommend disabling several operations unless the vehicle is stopped and in park, such as:

• Manual text entry for the purposes of text messaging and internet browsing;
• Video-based entertainment and communications like video phoning or video conferencing;
• Display of certain types of text, including text messages, web pages, social media content.

The department has also issued Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving, a comprehensive plan on the subject.   The use of all cellular phones while driving a school bus is prohibited in 14 states thus far, including Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.  A federal proposal in 20ll that would have extended a ban on cell phone use – including hands-free – to all vehicles has not been enacted into law nationwide, or in any state.

The Washington Post reported 18 months ago that “Vehicles are being transformed into mobile communications centers, with cellphones, DVD players, access to Facebook and Twitter, Global Positioning System devices, and satellite radio.”

 “Unfortunately, drivers are being encouraged to do everything but drive,” Jonathan Adkins, spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association, told the Post. “It’s a sign of the pressures of modern-day life to do 10 things at once. However, driving is a complex task, and our message continues to be that a singular focus is needed.”

West Hartford, Farmington, Cromwell Earn "Top Town" Titles

 West Hartford has been ranked as the Greater Hartford region's number one community in a new analysis published in the June issue of Hartford magazine.   Rounding out the top 10, in order, are South Windsor, Glastonbury, Manchester, Bristol, Farmington, Simsbury, Middletown, Avon and Enfield. The publication is produced by CT1Media, which also publishes The Hartford Courant.

The rankings are based on information highlighting more than three dozen factors, from school test scores to crime rate, property taxes to median home price, voter turnout to number of retail establishments. In 12 overall categories, the data was weighted to determine rankings broken down by small, medium and large towns, in addition to the overall results.

 

• The top-ranked large towns (over 30,000 population) are West Hartford, South Windsor, Glastonbury, Manchester and Bristol.  
• The leading medium-sized towns (15,000-30,000 population) are Farmington, Simsbury, Avon, Berlin and Southington.
• The top small towns (under 15,000 population) are Cromwell, Granby, Canton, Burlington, and East Granby.

Here’s the breakdown of the champions, by category (and size), according to Hartford magazine:

• Best for Families/Schools: West Hartford (large), Simsbury (medium), and Granby (small).
• Best for Seniors: West Hartford (large), Farmington (medium), and Cromwell (small).
• Young and Hip: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Hebron (small).
• City Living: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Cromwell (small).
• Country Living: Glastonbury (Large), Simsbury (medium), and Granby (small).
• Bang for the Buck: Bristol (large), Windsor (medium), and Windsor Locks (small).
• Most Affluent:  West Hartford (large), Avon (medium), and Granby (small).
• Most Educated:  West Hartford (large), Farmington (medium), and East Granby (small).
• Lowest Crime:  Glastonbury (large), Simsbury (medium), and Hartland (small).
• Leisure Life:  Hartford (large), Simsbury (medium), and Hebron (small).
• Fastest Growing: Hartford (large), Southington (medium), and Cromwell (small).

West Hartford, en route to earning the top spot, finished first in five categories, second place in four, along with two fifth place finishes (Country Living and Lowest Crime) and one sixth place (Bang for the Buck).  Among the medium sized towns, Simsbury won four categories, and Southington and Farmington each  won three.   Among the small towns, Cromwell won four categories and Granby won three.

In addition to the rankings, the magazine outlines how they arrived at the rankings, explaining that data was gathered from a number of sources, “including the schools (we parsed 84 individual test score results for each town), town profiles compiled by Connecticut Economic Resource Center (www.cerc.com), Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut Secretary of the State and Nielson Pop-Facts 2013.”

New Video Seeks to Improve Teen Driving Safety, Recalls Tragic Death of West Hartford Teen

Kohl's Tween Safe Program is currently focusing on the dangers inherent in teen driving.  The  program's website features a new video with the father and sister of  Reid Hollister, a 17-year-old West Hartford resident who was killed in a one-car accident in 2006.  The video, prepared in association with the Connecticut Children's Medical Center,  aims to alert teens and parents to the realities and risks of teen driving.

Reid’s father, Tim Hollister, became a leading advocate for better-informed parental decision-making about teen driving in the months after Reid’s tragic death.  He was a leading member of the Governor’s Safe Teen Driving Task Force in 2007-8, which led to legislative passage of a series of stringent laws in Connecticut, including graduated teen  licenses, to lessen the risks of car crashes involving teens.

The short video, with Reid’s dad and sister on camera recounting discussing Reid’s life, and the circumstances surrounding his death, are the featured subject on Kohl’s Tween Safe website, and excerpts of their comments, along with noteworthy statistics, are also be telecast on local television stations as a public service announcement.

Tim Hollister’s blog, "From Reid's Dad," was launched in September 2009 and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Public Service Award, April 2010, for "extraordinary efforts to assist parents in making informed decisions about safe teen driving." The site includes a model teen driving agreement for teens and parents, available for download. and helpful information and suggestions regarding teen driving and parental decision-making.

The Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, in partnership with Kohl’s Cares®, has launched Kohl’s Tween Safe, a website and public information initiative to provide information aimed at preventing all types of injuries. The goal is to share the latest news and research to enable tweens, parents and coaches to make informed decisions.

On December 2, 2006, 17-year-old Reid Hollister, died after a one car accident.  He was driving on a three-lane Interstate highway (I-84 in Plainville) that he likely had not driven before, on a dark night just after rain had stopped, and apparently traveling above the speed limit, “he went too far into a curve before turning, then overcorrected, and went into a spin.” As the blog describes it, “While the physics of the moment could have resulted in any number of trajectories, his car hit the point of a guardrail precisely at the middle of the driver's-side door, which crushed the left-side of his chest.”

Among the statistics highlighted on the site:

• Safer teen driving starts with informed, conservative decisions about whether teens get behind the wheel of a car in the first place. Teaching teens to operate a vehicle safely is Step 2.
• Driving is the leading cause of death for people under age 20 in the United States.
• Safer teen driving is everyone's concern. In 2010, nearly 2,000 teen drivers died, but their crashes killed more than 3,000 passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.

The video featured on the Kohl’s website was recorded recently when Connecticut Children’s Medical Center approached the Hollister family about making a video about Reid’s story, for teen drivers and their parents.

Earlier this year, the blog reported the following:  “The Governors’ Highway Safety Administration has issued a new report, New Study: Teen Driver Deaths Increase in 2012 (Feb. 26, 2013), based on preliminary fatality statistics for 2012, and the key finding should send a big shiver up our collective national spine:  after years of decline, deaths of 16 and 17 year old drivers increased in the first six months of last year. From 2011 to 2012, the national number of 16 year old driver deaths increased from 86 to 107 and the number of 17 year old deaths from 116 to 133.”

Remembering CT's Korean War Veterans, Advancing Opportunities for State Vets

Even as Memorial Day is observed throughout the state, many veterans and their families are looking ahead to July 27, 2013, which marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the armistice to end the hostilities of the Korean War - often referred to as the Korean Conflict or the “Forgotten War.”

The armistice agreement, meant to be a temporary document until a peace agreement could be achieved, was signed by the United Nations, the North Korean People’s Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteers.  Even today, 60 years later, no peace agreement exists.

Through the remainder of 2013, commemoration events are planned in communities across the nation to honor and thank all veterans who served in the Korean War and the families who lost loved ones. Of the approximately 1.5 million Americans who served in Korea, an estimated 31,000 reside in Connecticut. 

The Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs are partnering to host a special event for all Korean War veterans on July 26, 2013 at Camp Niantic (formerly Camp Rell) in Niantic.

The state's Korean War veterans are invited to attend a remembrance ceremony at Nett Hall at 11:00 AM to honor the 326 Connecticut men killed in action.  A picnic to celebrate and thank the surviving veterans will immediately follow the memorial ceremony.  Korean War veterans are invited to attend with a guest free of charge.  For details or to contact  860-616-3603 or Tammy.Markik@ct.gov by Friday, July 19, 2013. Connecticut citizens who would like to attend to show their appreciation can also purchase tickets.

The honorary chairs of the event include Mrs. Nikki O'Neill (the widow of former Governor William A. O'Neill), Command Sergeant Major Robert Moeller and General James H. Throwe.

To view historic photographs and hear fascinating first-hand accounts of combat in Korea from Connecticut veterans, visit the Veterans History Project website at http://www.ccsu.edu/vhp where one can choose from more than 50 oral histories to explore.

Business Building Opportunities in Hartford, New Haven

Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s Veterans Vocational Training Program was launched earlier this month, offering a free opportunity for veterans to train for a career in media arts and video production.  For the pilot, CPBN is transforming its Hartford television studio into a learning facility that will use the power of digital media technology to inspire learning, spark innovation and develop workforce skills in post 9/11 veterans.

Completion of the program leads to industry-specific certifications in digital arts or video production and includes portfolio development.

Participants gain experience working with media professionals on digital projects and productions, ranging from live broadcasts to studio operations to web services. To ensure veterans attain employment opportunities, the program also plans to partner with local businesses.

In New Haven, there will be a free workshop for veterans on starting and growing a small business, on Wednesday, May 29 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Gateway Community College in Room S106.  To register (by May 27) call 203.285.2201 or email wparsons@gatewayct.edu  The workshop will feature experts sharing information on the first steps to start or grow a veteran-owned business in Connecticut, where to find start-up money, and how to use the discipline and planning s\kills that were learned in the military.

Women Veterans Documentary Airs Nationwide

A documentary by Connecticut filmmaker Lizzie Warren, produced with Connecticut Public Television, is receiving airplay nationally this weekend.  The program, WAR ZONE/COMFORT ZONE, will be seen on CPTV on May 26 at 10 AM, and on PBS affiliates around the country throughout the weekend.

Writing in the online publication Salon, Warren notes that homelessness among women veterans has riesn sharply in recent years, and that "women veterans are the fastest growing homeless population in the nation."

Here’s the program summary:  Women account for roughly 14 percent of the active-duty U.S. military and more than 24 percent of the National Guard, yet they often receive less than a hero's welcome upon their return to civilian life. Many face poverty, homelessness and joblessness; deal with the psychological and physiological effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from military sexual trauma and combat related injuries; and often receive poor service from a Veterans Administration ill-equipped and, in some cases, unwilling to help them.

The Emmy® -nominated documentary WAR ZONE/COMFORT ZONE uncovers the plight of these veterans through the intense and personal stories of four women veterans coping with life after their military service. Each seeks a sense of normalcy and peace without the benefit of a comprehensive support system. WAR ZONE/COMFORT ZONE weaves together intimate interviews with the story of two women - Shalini Madaras and Joy Kiss - struggling to establish transitional housing for homeless female veterans in Bridgeport, Connecticut, despite virulent community opposition.

Cadavers, Bones, Burial and Dying Among Summer Reading Recommendations from State

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is just one of the books that the state is recommending that high school students read this summer, as part of the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge, a statewide program coordinated by the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) in conjunction with the Connecticut State Library.

The best-selling book by Mary Roach "explores how human cadavers have been used throughout history and discusses how the use of dead bodies has benefited every aspect of human existence."  It has earned the distinction of being among the “Outstanding Books for the College Bound."

Connecticut schools compete based on student population and grade level, with the schools with the highest participation and highest books-per-student receiving recognition next fall.  Schools are asked to tally the number of grades participating, the number of students who take part, total number of books read, and the average number of books read per student.  The data must be submitted to the department by October 4, 2013.

Among the other recommended titles for students entering grades 9-12 are Corpses, Coffins and Crypts: A History of Burial, which documents the burial process throughout the centuries and in different cultures, and Salvage the Bones, a story of children struggling to prepare for Hurricane Katrina amidst teen pregnancy, alcoholic and absent parents and a dying litter of pups.  Other titles include Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave, Karen Healey’s Guardian of the Dead, and Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

The department’s website provides suggested reading lists for Grades K-2, grades 3-4, grades 5-6, and grades 7-8, in addition to the high school age recommendations.  The site also offers a Summer Reading Journal that students can use to keep track of their reading and a student certificate template.  Information for principals, parents and students is also provided, along with a Summer Reading poster and a coloring poster for younger children.

Among the books recommended for students entering third and fourth grade are: Bones, Barnum’s Bones, Please Bury Me in the Library, Dying to Meet You and Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones.  

In urging school principals to have their schools participate, the department emphasizes that the Summer Reading Challenge “will support and enhance efforts to help every student become a proficient and confident reader.”  The program will recognize schools for participation and the number of books read, as well as outstanding public school-library partnerships.  Certificates are to be awarded at a public ceremony to schools with 100 percent participation of their students.

Information offered to parents stresses that reading is a “gateway skill,” which builds language skills, improves the capacity for conceptual thinking, builds better thinking strategies, and teaches discipline in regards to the written word.  Families are urged to have children use the library, ask about summer reading materials, read every day, talk about what they are reading, and make reading materials part of their home.

How Numbers Sound Can Create Misperceptions of Value, Study Finds

Harvard Business Review is featuring three-year old research by UConn marketing professor Robin A. Coulter that found people unconsciously associate certain letter sounds, such as the "s" and "i" in "sixty-six," with smallness and the "t" and "oo" of "twenty-two" with largeness, and these associations interfere with the accuracy of their quantitative perceptions.  Next time you hear an advertisement on tv or radio featuring a sale price, the findings would be good to keep in mind.

The  2010 study by Keith S. Coulter and Robin A. Coulter, “Small Sounds, Big Deals: Phonetic Symbolism Effects in Pricing” is receiving renewed attention as part of Harvard Business Review’s “Daily Stat,” an email newsletter sent to subscribers.  It was featured as the lead item on May 15, 2013.

The study findings, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, pointed out that when sale prices are said in English, an $11.00 to $7.88 (28.4%) discount is perceived as greater than a $10.00 to $7.01 (29.9%) discount; however, when these same prices are said in Chinese, the latter discount is correctly perceived as greater.  So, the sounds of the language matter.

"Number sounds impact price magnitude perceptions only when consumers mentally rehearse a sale price, as they might do when comparing items on a shopping trip," Science Daily reported when their research was initially released. The study’s bottom line: the mere sounds of numbers can non-consciously affect and distort numerical magnitude perceptions.

Dr. Robin Coulter is Department Head and Professor of Marketing at the UConn School of Business. She teaches in the undergraduate, Executive M.B.A. and Ph.D. programs in the areas of consumer behavior, integrated marketing communications, and marketing management. Dr. Coulter’s research interests include cross-cultural consumer behavior, branding, advertising effects and effectiveness, pricing, and services marketing.  She has published in a variety of marketing and social science journals, and participated last month in the Geno Auriemma UConn Leadership Conference.

Keith Coulter is Associate Professor of Marketing at Clark University.  He is a UConn graduate, and was a visiting Assistant Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University in the ‘90’s

The study authors found that “small sounds can create the impression of big deals” and that number-sound effects were more likely to occur when a frame of reference (a regular price) was provided, Science Daily reported, noting that the sounds of numbers at times created false impressions of value. For example, participants perceived a $10 item marked down to $7.66 to be a greater discount than a $10 item discounted to $7.22.