State Will Step Up Efforts to Respond to Needs of Women Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are 16,545 veterans in Connecticut who are women. Some among them struggle with issues such as unemployment, homelessness and mental illness, and many more are unaware of the support services available to them.  That was the impetus for legislation approved this year by the General Assembly and recently signed into law by Gov. Malloy, requiring the Department of Veterans' Affairs to establish, within available resources, a Connecticut women veterans' program.

The new women’s veterans program must:

• reach out to women veterans to improve awareness of eligibility for federal and state veterans' benefits and services;
• assess women veterans' needs for benefits and services;
• review programs and research projects and other initiatives designed to address or meet Connecticut women veterans' needs; and
• incorporate women veterans' issues in strategic planning on benefits and services.

The program must also annually submit recommendations for improving benefits and services for women veterans to the veterans' affairs commissioner and the Veterans' Affairs Committee of the legislature, beginning January 15, 2016.

Under the law’s provisions, a “veteran” is anyone discharged or released (under conditions other than dishonorable) from active service in the armed forces - U. S.  Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force -and any reserve component of these branches, including the Connecticut National Guard operating under certain Homeland Security missions.

Jackie Evonison, the women veterans’ outreach coordinator with the American Legion Connecticut, told legislators considering the program that many female veterans are unaware of available services or don’t feel they’re qualified to receive them.

In 2012, there were   more than 2,600 women veterans residing in Hartford County, according to data included in a report from the Aurora Foundation. Women veterans face substantial and unique challenges readjusting to civilian life, the report pointed out, especially in the areas of housing, mental health, health care, employment and homelessness:

• In Hartford County, approximately 8 percent of the population are veterans; females are 5 percent of this population (approximately 2,619 women vets in Hartford County).
• Female veterans are almost four times more likely to become homeless than women who have not served in the military.
• Only one of the three veterans’ housing facilities in the county house female veterans.

As a group, female veterans are younger than their male counterparts, with an average age of 48, compared to 63 for men. More than 80 percent of the female veterans are working age, compared to 55 percent for men, according to published reports.

Commissioner Sean Connolly of the state Department of Veterans Affairs said the mission of the program will be “to see what kinds of programs are out there, develop recommendations for improving benefits, and determining whether new programs and projects are necessary to meet the needs of our women veterans.”

Assessing Developmental Concerns Early in Children: Connecticut Approach Becoming Standard of Care

Identifying and addressing developmental or behavioral concerns in young children early, before problems escalate, can rewrite the script for their future. Easier said than done.  But organizations in Connecticut are taking steps to address the gap in services, making an innovative "mid-level" development assessment available to families across the state.  It is an approach that has local roots, and is now helping children not only in Connecticut, but beyond the state’s borders. In a newly released issue brief, Connecticut Health and Development Institute of Connecticut (CHDI) points out that for early intervention to occur, “developmental surveillance and screening must be followed by timely assessment to determine the need for intervention services. Children for whom surveillance and screening show concerns but don’t meet the threshold for a high-level evaluation historically fall through the cracks.”

CHDI’s Issue Brief indicates that concerns identified by a primary care provider can range from mild to severe and may lead to a referral to Connecticut’s Birth to Three early intervention program. Yet, 40 percent of children in Connecticut referred to Birth to Three fail to meet the eligibility criteria for services. Without an alternative, “mid-level” assessment resource, these children and their families often end up on long waiting lists for costly and sometimes unnecessary evaluations by specialists in neurology, developmental pediatrics or psychiatry.

In that circumstance, “precious intervention time is lost, and most children evaluated by specialists do not end up meeting the threshold for an official diagnosis despite real concerns and delays. Without a diagnosis, many families are not connected to helpful services. Furthermore, children with the most severe concerns are precluded from securing timely assessments and interventions, as appointment times are scarce.”

Mid-Level Developmental Assessment (MLDA) offers an alternative, or “mid-level”, option filling the gap for children 6 months to 6 years old with mild to moderate developmental or behavioral concerns. This approach provides an efficient assessment between initial screening and a full evaluation.  It is now being used in Connecticut and five other states. CHDI points out that “MLDA optimizes the screening process; delivers more appropriate care earlier; and leads to more efficient use of limited full-evaluation resources.”

The rapidly advancing approach is relatively new.  In 2009, three child-serving organizations in Connecticut – The Village for Families and Children, Pediatric Associates of Bristol and the Pediatric Primary Care Center at Yale New Haven Hospital – pilot tested MLDA with a grant awarded by CHDI and funded by the Children’s Fund of Connecticut. The pilot study showed that MLDA could efficiently identify developmentally vulnerable children who could benefit from community-based services. The pilot study in Connecticut found:

• Fewer than 20 percent of children undergoing MLDA required higher-level evaluation.
• Eighty percent could be enrolled immediately in available developmental and mental health programs.
• Children referred to more extensive evaluations qualified for services with stringent eligibility criteria.

The Village’s MLDA model is now available for young children in the Greater Hartford area through a partnership with Connecticut’s Help Me Grow access point, Child Development Infoline (CDI), according to the CHDI report. Since 2009, The Village has evaluated more than 350 children using the MLDA model.

The partnership between the MLDA program and the statewide Help Me Grow access point has established solid groundwork for replication of MLDA among other organizations in Connecticut that perform Birth to Three and preschool special education evaluations. In partnership with The Village and the United Way of Connecticut, the Office for Community Child Health at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is currently replicating MLDA throughout the state with the support of a two-year grant from the LEGO Community Fund U.S.

“Connecticut was the first state to test the feasibility of the model,” the CHDI report indicates. “Now it is becoming the standard of care for young children at risk for developmental delay and unlikely to qualify for publicly funded programs.”

The report indicates that by efficiently assessing children at risk of developmental delays, using limited specialist resources more efficiently, and decreasing health care system costs, “MLDA can have a profound effect in shaping the futures of children across Connecticut and other states.”

CHDI is “a catalyst for improving the health, mental health and early care systems for children in Connecticut.”  The organization works to “advance and inform improvements in primary and preventive pediatric health and mental health care programs, practice and policy in Connecticut, with particular focus on disadvantaged or underserved children and their families.”

Housing, Education, Poverty Among Greater Hartford Region's Challenges, Report Reveals

Of the 4,000 affordable housing units added to the 38-town Greater Hartford region over the past five years, nearly half (47 percent) have been in Hartford and New Britain – almost as many as were added in all of the other 36 towns in the region combined. That stark statistic is among the points emphasized in the second edition of Metro Hartford Progress Points, an analysis of data compiled by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and a coalition of community and regional organizations.  The inaugural report was released last year, and the new edition updates some of that initial data, as well as revealing new information about the region’s demographics, opportunities and challenges.

Regarding the fact that much of the housing is being developed in municipalities that face considerable economic challenges, the report notes that those 36 towns have lost over 9,000 students in local schools during the past five years, despite having school districts that perform more than 30 points higher and standardized testing than those in Hartford and New Britain.  The report indicated, for example, that for every 100 children born in the region’s outer ring suburbs (such as Glastonbury), 113 enroll in local public school five years later, as opposed to 81 who enroll in city schools and inner ring suburbs (such as Bloomfield).

The second edition of Progress Points “takes a deeper look at key issues impacting our communities and how they are connected. The report asks how we can build on our strengths and fully utilize the assets that the region has to provide access to opportunity for all,” officials explained.  Using key indicators to identify opportunities for action, the 2015 report focuses on three regional priorities: 1) Access to better schools, 2) Access to better jobs, and 3) Access to stronger neighborhoods.

Looking at five year trends, the report found that the region’s population of about 1 million people has grown by 2 percent, which translates to about 20,000 people or about 4,000 families.  Regional job growth, 3.5 percent, is on par with the state, but remains about 8,000 jobs below pre-recession levels.  The crime rate across the Greater Hartford region has been reduced by about 18 percent during the past five years, faster than the state (-16%) and national (11%) trends.

The study determined that there are more people living in poverty in the region than 10 years ago.  “Suburban communities have seen a major increase in the population living in low-to-mid-poverty neighborhoods,” the report said.   “Poverty is a regional, not an urban, problem.  Addressing poverty requires improved coordination among towns to better connect transportation and other services to increase access to opportunity.”

In education, the report also notes that about 4 percent more third-graders are reading at or above grade-level goals, a faster improvement than statewide (1.3 percent).  There has been no change in the percentage of kindergartners in the region starting school with pre-K experience.  That level, 78 percent, is the same in the region as statewide.  Focusing on declining enrollment, officials indicated that some of the region’s highest-performing school districts are seeing the greatest decrease in enrollment as a result of declining birth rates: Simsbury at 13 percent, Tolland at 16 percent, Granby at 14 percent. Avon and Glastonbury both are experiencing a decline of 8 percent.

Metro Hartford Progress Points was introduced “in order to identify and better understand the critical education, income and opportunity gaps that exist in our region. This year, we’re continuing the discussion, looking for ways to improve access to better schools, better jobs and stronger neighborhoods for everyone in the region,” officials indicated.  “Access to better jobs builds stronger neighborhoods. Stronger neighborhoods help to connect families to better schools. And better education ensures that workers are ready to take on those jobs — increasing prosperity, growth and quality of life for all.”

Regarding preparation for college, the report indicates that “almost 50 percent of all students entering community college or Connecticut state universities require remedial coursework and training, even those from high-performing districts.”  The report notes “this means paying for additional courses, which only increases student debt.” The report indicates that 70 percent of jobs in Connecticut are projected to require a post-secondary education by 2025.  To reach that level, it is estimated that an additional 4,500 people will need to earn degrees statewide per year.  Currently, 67 percent of the population in Greater Hartford has a post-secondary degree.

Partner organizations in developing the report include the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Capital Workforce Partners, Capital region Council of Governments, Metro Hartford Alliance, Hispanic Health Council, United Way of Central and Northern Connecticut, Urban League of Greater Hartford, Center for Urban and Global Studies at Trinity College, and the City of Hartford.

Impacting Public Policy, Local Fellowships Bring Young Professionals to Center of Government

The ZOOM Foundation Public Policy Fellowship is designed to develop a sustainable public service leadership pipeline in Connecticut by providing action learning opportunities and leadership development training that empowers emerging leaders to contribute meaningfully to Connecticut's public policy. For Waterford native Katie Magboo, a 2005 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Connecticut who taught elementary school in New York City and Westport for nine years, it was the perfect opportunity at precisely the right time.

“I enjoy policy development work, and I’m very invested in this state,” said Magboo, who concluded her year-long fellowship this month.  Of her work with the state Board of Regents for Higher Education, “bridging the gaps” in the connections between K-12 education, college curriculum and workforce needs, she says “I’ve been privileged to have had the opportunity.” Recalling her work with the state’s Early College Steering Committee, she proudly recites the initiatives that she played a role in developing that have already begun to take root in the state – with more in the pipeline.

Established in Connecticut in 2001, ZOOM Foundation has sought to partner with “exceptional leaders who use a practical, entrepreneurial approach to innovation and change.” The Foundation is concerned with opportunities for impact at both a national scale as well as in Fairfield County. Primary areas of interest are education and the environment.

For the past year, five Fellows worked in the upper ranks of state and local government.  Meg Hourigan in the Office of Governor Dannel Malloy, Karla Lindquist in the Department of Economic and Community Development, Jenna Lupi in the Mayor’s Office in Milford, Katie Magboo with the State Board of Regents for Higher Education and Katie Stenclik in the New Haven Mayor’s Office.  Lupi, Lindquist and Magboo are Connecticut natives.  ZOOM Foundation awarded two fellowships in 2012 and six in 2013.

The Fellowship supports “select emerging leaders to increase their impact through the opportunity to work on high-level policy projects in Connecticut and participation in an intensive professional development and network building program,” the organization’s website points out.

The selection criteria include: intellectual curiosity coupled with a learning stance, entrepreneurial spirit, resourcefulness, emotional intelligence and commitment to public service.  Eligibility requirements include a bachelor’s degree, at least two years of post-grad work experience, relevant leadership experience, and a desire to continue on a path of leadership.

The Fellows “work on a variety of high-level policy projects to develop the insights and strengthen the skills necessary to lead change for the public good,” bringing “a sense of urgency, an action orientation, and a dogged optimism that meaningful social change can be achieved.” The government agencies or municipalities where the Fellows are placed choose the specific assignment and area of focus for their work.

Among the programs that Magboo helped to develop is one now underway in Norwalk.  Norwalk Early College Academy is based on the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) model, which combines the best of high school, college and the professional world.

NECA is a high school plus two years, grades 9 to 14. Within this six-year timeframe, students earn not only a high school diploma, but also an Associate in Applied Science degree, from Norwalk Community College. Graduates will have the skills and experience to step into well-paying jobs in the Information Technology (IT) industry, the program’s website explains.

Similar initiatives are being developed in western Connecticut and eastern Connecticut, connecting local high schools, community colleges and local employers.  In the Danbury area, a relatively recent business in the region is serving as a partner in the initiative, to begin next year.  In eastern Connecticut, major employer Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics, is set to be the workforce partner when that initiative gets underway.

The Foundation notes that “Connecticut has the greatest educational achievement gap in the country and the Foundation has invested in organizations and programs that will cause significant, lasting change and which generate momentum to close the gap.”

Magboo said the fellowship provided an opportunity to “make an impact at more of a macro level, and be a part of positive change.”  Her efforts included research, on the ground application, and program development, working alongside individuals from academic and industry.  “It has been an incredible opportunity.”

Applications from across the nation for the Connecticut-based ZOOM Public Policy Fellowship for 2015-16 were submitted in February, with the newly selected Fellows to begin their work later this summer. ZOOM Fellows receive a salary from the Foundation, as well as medical and other benefits, and most spend a full year working within a government organization or agency.  Based in Fairfield, the independent family foundation is led by Stephen and Susan Mandel.

AARP, The Hartford Aim to Assist Low Income Seniors Become Entrepreneurs

The Hartford has committed $1.4 million to the AARP Foundation to extend the Foundation’s Back to Work 50+ initiative to help low-income older adults assess opportunities to become entrepreneurs and create microenterprises. The three-year sponsorship, which broadens The Hartford's long-standing relationship with AARP, is part of The Hartford’s national philanthropic program. Communities with HART aims to "nurture the well-being of America’s communities by inspiring new generations of business leaders, enabling underserved neighborhood business owners to achieve growth and engaging the community in neighborhood business support," highlights the program description. “We are thrilled to sponsor the Back to Work 50+ program to educate and inspire older Americans who are interested in developing their own small businesses,” said Diane Cantello, vice president of Corporate Responsibility at The Hartford. “By encouraging entrepreneurship among older Americans, this program will help foster small business growth and contribute to the vibrancy of our communities.”

“Older adults are redefining traditional approaches to work and careers,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation. “While many want to continue to work or advance in their current jobs, a growing number want to generate income by using their talents and skills to start their own business or microenterprise. Through this effort, AARP Foundation stands ready to help by equipping them with the information and skills they need to achieve their goals.”

The recent announcement of this new sponsorship follows the one-year anniversary of The Hartford’s Communities with HART Program, a five-year initiative aimed at benefitting small businesses and supporting students through partnerships with the Accion U.S. Network (Accion) and Junior Achievement USA (JA).  In its first year, The Hartford announced a $1.25 million partnership with Accion to help small business owners who experience difficulty in accessing the traditional loans they need to sustain and grow their businesses. Accion manages the loan process, which focuses on community-oriented businesses in low-and-moderate income areas that hire and source locally, deliver social value and make a positive difference in their neighborhoods. With an initial focus in four key markets - Chicago, Hartford, San Antonio and San Diego – Communities with HART also provides training and web resources to help small business owners succeed.

The Hartford is also helping to inspire the next generation of small business owners as the title sponsor of the JA Company Program^®, which includes a new online blended learning model and offers students the opportunity to launch their own small business while learning the basics of entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness. With the help of a $1.5 million investment, JA has already seen more than a 25 percent increase in the number of JA Company Programs being conducted since the new program was rolled out across the country at the end of last year, according to company officials.

English Language Learners May Hold Key to Economic Vibrancy of Region, State

One-third of Hartford’s population is Puerto Rican, making it the 4^th highest percentage of Puerto Rican people in the continental United States.  But the rapidly increasing diversity of the state’s Capitol City, and the region that surrounds it, only begins there – as do the linguistic and workforce challenges. A new report produced by The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Latino Endowment Fund focuses on the issues faced by English Language Learners and highlights the opportunities and the challenges of increased cultural and linguistic diversity.

Approximately one-eighth of the Greater Hartford region’s population consists of foreign-born residents, including 4,800 people who have arrived in the state since 2005.  A total of 500,000 foreign-born residents are now living in Connecticut, including 40 percent who hail from Latin American countries.

During the past 25 years, population growth in the Hartford region has been “almost entirely” driven by foreign-born people taking up residence locally, according to the report. In the Hartford region, more than 1 in 5 people speak a language other than English at home.  About three-quarters of Connecticut English Language Learner (ELL) students speak Spanish.

The report found that the region’s “schools and communities are more diverse than ever, with more than 100 different languages spoken in homes throughout Greater Hartford.”  The report raises the question, “How can we harness the assets of a multilingual population to enhance our community and create stronger links to the global marketplace?”

The report notes that “researchers believe that, on average, it takes 2 years to master conversational English, yet 5-7 years to master academic English.”  The report indicated that when analyzing education and workforce data, English Language Learners are far behind their English speaking peers in terms of educational attainment and income.Highlighting one of the challenges for ELL students, the reported found that over the last 4 years, two of the top three teacher shortages in Connecticut have been bilingual and world languages educators.  About 20% of all adult ELLs experienced poverty in the last year, about twice the rate in the state as a whole. In Connecticut, the earned income of ELL adults is $25,000 per year—less than half of English-speakers’ earnings.

“The Latino Endowment Fund has offered this report as a means to expand the important discussion on efforts to support English Language Learners in our communities,” said Luis Cabán, chair emeritus of the Latino Endowment Fund Steering Committee. “This document provides us with an opportunity to reframe how we think about our increasingly global community and recognize the advantages of people speaking more than one language to enhance the richness of our community and create stronger links to the global marketplace.”

The number of Hispanic entrepreneurs in the United States has more than tripled since 1990 from 577,000 in 1990 to 2,000,000 in 2012, according to the report. Immigrant-owned businesses employ 10% of all American workers and generate 16% of the overall US business income.  Connecticut is home to 14,000 Latino-owned small businesses, which represents a 50 percent growth rate since 2007.

In Connecticut as of 2013, there were over 191,000 working-age adults with limited English proficiency.  This population has grown 32 percent since 20000 and now represents 10 percent of the total working-age population.  Over 58 percent of these are Spanish-speaking, the report indicated. 

Some of the potential solutions highlighted in the report are:

• Eliminating the state requirement that a district must have a minimum of 20 students requiring ELL support before receiving state funding. All districts that teach students who need ELL support should be eligible for state assistance.
• Expanding dual-language immersion programs to build a more supportive multilingual environment that can cater to both urban and suburban families.
• Developing an ESL/adult education curriculum for parents that focus on interactions with their children’s schools and teachers.
• Providing additional support to create a smooth transition from adult education ESL classes to college-level ESL classes through the development of a coordinated curriculum.

“While we appreciate the recent actions by the legislature to support ELL students and their families, this report shows that much work needs to be done to assist the thousands of Connecticut children and adults who are not proficient in English,” said Nelly Rojas Schwan, chair of the Latino Endowment Fund and an assistant professor of social work and Latino community practice at the University of Saint Joseph. “The future of our state’s economy will largely be determined by how well we educate and train our English Language Learners and we hope this report will serve as a tool to aid in this discussion.”

Download a copy of the report.

White House Conference on Aging Has Connecticut Connections

It is a once-a-decade event that will feature the President of the United States and other senior administration officials. The White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA), first held a half-century ago and a key driver of federal policy towards the nation’s seniors, will be a conference reliant on digital technology befitting 2015. Rather than having delegates from throughout the nation stream into Washington, D.C., Americans are asked to watch events unfold via live stream – either at home, or by getting together with co-workers or people from their local communities.  Officials note that more than 600 public and private Watch Parties—in every state—have been organized and registered with WHCOA.

According to the WHCOA website, there are four “watch party” sites in Connecticut, where people can gather to watch the live video feed together. The sites are in Hamden at the Whitney Center, in Norwalk at Home Care 100, in Waterbury at the Western CT Area Agency on Aging, and in West Hartford at Hebrew Healthcare.  The WHCOA has produced a Watch Party Discussion Guide to encourage dialogue during the event, in addition to listening to speeches emanating from the White House.

Earlier this year, regional forums leading up to the WHCOA were held in Tampa, Phoenix, Seattle, Cleveland and Boston.  Lisa Ryerson, President, AARP Foundation President, moderated the panel in Boston, which explored the topics of healthy aging and long-term services and supports. Panelists included Jewel Mullen, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Public Health and President, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.  The Boston  Regional Forum, held on May 28, 2015, was the fifth and last in the series of regional forums, coordinated with the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, a coalition of more than 70 of the nation’s leading organizations serving older Americans.

In addition, Connecticut’s Department on Aging, Legislative Committee on Aging and Commission on Aging held a public hearing in May at the Legislative Office Building highlighting issues impacting the state’s seniors, with the testimony from that day being shared with WHCOA officials. Connecticut officials noted that Connecticut is undergoing a “permanent and historic transformation” in its demographics, and currently has the nation’s 7^th oldest population.  Between 2010 and 2014, Connecticut’s population of people age 65 and older is projected to grow by 57 percent, while at the same time the population of individuals between age 20 and 64 will grow by less than 2 percent.

Monday's WHCOA  begins with a welcome from Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, being introduced by Bernard Nash, Caregiving in America Panel.  An early morning panel is to be moderated by actor David Hyde Pierce and will include Secretary Robert A. McDonald, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Ai-jen Poo, Caring Across Generations; Harry Leider, The Walgreen Company; Frank Fernandez, BluePlus, BCBS Minnesota Foundation; and Britnee Fergins, Caregiver.

Remarks by President Barack Obama, will be followed by a panel on “Planning for Financial Security at Every Age” moderated by Secretary Tom Perez, U.S. Department of Labor.  The panel will include Jean Chatzky, AARP Financial Ambassador; Vickie Elisa, Mothers’ Voices Georgia; Robin Diamonte, United Technologies Corporation; and Andy Sieg, Merrill Lynch Bank of America.

Diamonte, UTC’s Chief Investment Officer, was voted CIO of the Year in April by her peers in the Investor Intelligence Network (IIN), an online forum of senior financial decision-makers. IIN is part of Institutional Investor PLC, a leading international business-to-business publisher best known for its Institutional Investor magazine.  Diamonte is responsible for overseeing UTC’s $52 billion in global retirement assets, including $24 billion in domestic pension plans, $7 billion in foreign pension plans and $21 billion in the defined contribution plan.

Following the panel that includes Diamonte, viewers will hear remarks from Nora Super, Executive Director of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging and Cecilia Muñoz, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Also delivering remarks or participating in panels are Secretary Tom Perez, U.S. Department of Labor; DJ Patil, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture; professional athlete Diana Nyad; Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Director Richard Cordray, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and Stephanie Santoso, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

In addition, Kevin Washington, President and CEO of the YMCA, will be a member of a panel on The Power of Intergenerational Connections and Healthy Aging.  Washington, who formerly led the YMCA in Hartford, was honored last month by The Amistad Center for Art & Culture in Hartford for his leadership, noting that he is the first African American to lead the nation’s YMCA organization.

Throughout the day, individuals are asked to “Tweet us your questions using #WHCOA and we will pass them along to our experts participating on panels at the conference.” People are also asked how they would finish the sentence: “Getting older is getting better because …”? A PDF form can be downloaded and then sent along to WHCOA officials.  Interviews with older adults can be uploaded to be archived in the Library of Congress, and people are encouraged to share their interviews on social media using the #WHCOA hashtag.

https://youtu.be/gdAWa6wNYXs

Hispanics More Optimistic About Affordability and Impact of Higher Education, As Student Numbers Increase

While the majority of Americans (61 percent) believe higher education is available to anyone in the U.S. who needs it, Hispanics are more optimistic (73 percent) than whites (58 percent) that education is available to all. Data from the Gallup organization’s national poll on the impact and affordability of higher education indicate that Hispanics tend to have a much stronger belief that higher education is attainable and impactful on one’s career and life prospects. Data released this year indicates that:

• 72 percent of Hispanics say it is very important to increase the proportion of Americans with a degree or professional certificate, compared with 56 percent of whites.
• 78 percent of Hispanics, 74 percent of African- Americans, and 67 percent of whites say a postsecondary degree will be more important in the future to get a good job.
• 84 percent of Hispanics and 76 percent of African-Americans agree or strongly agree that having a professional certificate or degree beyond high school is essential for getting a good job. By comparison, 64 percent of whites agree.
• 86 percent of Hispanics agree or strongly agree that a good job is essential to having a higher quality of life. Seventy- six percent of whites agree.
• 83 percent of Hispanics and 80 percent of African-Americans agree or strongly agree that having a college degree or professional certificate leads to a better quality of life. By comparison, 71 percent of whites agree.

Although a majority of all Americans view these educational opportunities as available, only a small percentage are of the view that it is affordable to those who need it.  More than three-quarters (79%) of American adults do not think that education beyond high school is affordable for everyone, while just over one in five (21%) believe it is. Fifty-one percent of Hispanics say higher education is affordable, more than twice as high as the 17 percent of whites and 19 percent of blacks who hold that opinion.

Survey analysts indicate that the greater optimism among Hispanics may reflect their increase as a portion of the student body in postsecondary institutions in recent years. Almost all of those surveyed believed that U.S. high school students need to go to college or technical school in order to be successful in today's economy.

More young Hispanics are choosing to attend college than ever before. Between 1976 and 2011, the percentage of Hispanic college students rose from 4 to 14 percent, according to National Center for Education Statistics data. The U.S. Department of Education projects that the percentage of Hispanics enrolled in postsecondary programs will increase by 46 percent between 2009 and 2020, according to published reports.  In 2012, seven out of 10 Latino high school graduates enrolled in college, according to the Pew Research Center -- a figure that's higher than black or white students.

According to a report issued by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups are more likely to enroll in community colleges as their first postsecondary institution. Nationally, 50 percent of Hispanic students start at a community college, along with 31 percent of African American students. In comparison, 28 percent of white students begin at community colleges.

Last month, Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC) was designated as an “eligible institution” under federal law – a distinction that allows the college to pursue grants under the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program to expand educational opportunities for Hispanic students.  Hispanic student enrollment at NVCC has increased 36 percent over the last five academic years. For the 2014-15 year, 1,790 students—a quarter of total enrollment—self-identified as Hispanic.

The Eligible Institution designation enables the College to apply for grants to fund a variety of educational materials and endeavors including scientific or laboratory equipment for teaching; construction or renovation of instructional facilities; faculty development; academic tutoring or counseling programs; funds and administrative management; joint use of facilities; endowment funds; distance learning academic instruction; teacher education; and student support services, according to the college.  Capital Community College in Hartford has also earned the designation.

Among low-income students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, half begin at community colleges—more than double the rate of their peers from high-income families, the report points out, noting that there is almost no difference in the proportion of these students who want to go on to complete college compared to their peers.  The report warns that “tuition increases that outpace family income, particularly at community colleges and regional state colleges and universities, discourage enrollment, transfer, full-time enrollment, and degree completion.”

Earlier this year, the CEO and President of the Lumina Foundation, Jamie Merisotis, expressed concern about what he described as “persistent and widening degree attainment gaps linked to race and ethnicity.”  He pointed out that “projections by the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce show that more than 65 percent of U.S. jobs will require some form of postsecondary education by the end of this decade.”  And yet, he indicated that Lumina data on postsecondary attainment rates across America, show that “only 40 percent of working-age adults (ages 25-64) now hold at least a two-year degree.”

Asian adults lead all races with 60.0 percent degree attainment; whites follow at 44.5 percent; African Americans rank a distant third at 28.1 percent; Native Americans are at 23.9 percent, and Hispanics rank fifth at 20.3 percent, Merisotis, a Connecticut native who has testified on higher education issues before Congress and the Connecticut General Assembly, pointed out.

The Gallup survey also found that 36 percent of Americans overall agree or strongly agree that college graduates in this country are well prepared for success in the workplace. Hispanics and African- Americans are more optimistic, 55 percent and 53 percent respectively, agreeing or strongly agreeing that graduates are well prepared, compared to 30 percent of whites.

Results for this Gallup-Lumina Foundation Poll, released this spring, are based on telephone interviews conducted Nov. 3-Dec. 18, 2014, with a random sample of 1,533 adults, age 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Gallup conducted surveys in English and Spanish.

New Bicycle Safety Law Puts Bicyclists in Drivers Seat on Roadways in CT

With the July 4^th weekend now in the rear view mirror, summer is fully underway.  And for bicyclists and motorists this summer, there are some important new rules of the road, courtesy of the Connecticut state legislature. Changes to Connecticut's laws for cyclists took effect at the start of the month on July 1, 2015.  The Bicycle Safety bill (Senate Bill 502 and now Public Act 15-41) was passed in May with broad bipartisan support and signed into law on June 1.  The new law eliminates the confusing--and often unsafe--rule requiring cyclists to ride as far to the right as practicable, according to officials of the Bike Walk Connecticut, the statewide advocacy organization.

Instead, the law now requires cyclists to ride as close to the right side of the road as is safe, as judged by the cyclist.  Bike Walk Connecticut specifically advocated for that language, which is modeled on a best practice from Colorado as identified by the League of American Bicyclists.

Officials say that with the new law now in effect, cyclists don't have to ride as close to the right side of the road when:

• Overtaking or passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction;
• Preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway;
• Reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or lanes that are too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side within such lanes;
• Approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a bicyclist may ride on the left-hand side of such dedicated lane, even if the bicyclist does not intend to turn right;
• Riding on a roadway designated for one-way traffic, when the bicyclist may ride as near to the left-hand curb or edge of such roadway as judged safe by the bicyclist; or when
• Riding on parts of roadways separated for the exclusive use of bicycles, including, but not limited to, contra-flow bicycle lanes, left-handed cycle tracks or bicycle lanes on one-way streets and two-way cycle tracks or bicycle lanes.

The new law also allows two-way bicycle lanes, buffered bike lanes, and cycle tracks to be designed in Connecticut and allows drivers to cross the double yellow line to pass slower-moving cyclists and other road users when it's safe to do so.

Later this month, Bike Walk CT is offering the League of American Bicyclist-designed Traffic Skills 101 program, a comprehensive day long course to give cyclists the skills, knowledge and confidence to handle on-road cycling.

Federal statistics indicate 722 bicyclist deaths occurred in 2012, up 6 percent from 2011 and 16 percent from 2010.  On a per capita basis, Florida recorded an annual average of about 5.7 cyclist deaths per million residents, by far the most of any state. The national bicyclist death rate for 2012 was approximately 2.3 deaths per 1 million.  In Connecticut, the rate was 1.8, ranking the state 18th in the nation.

The program this month will be offered in West Hartford; with the cost of the one-day program $50 for Bike Walk CT members and $65 for non-members.  The curriculum includes approximately 4 hours in class and 4 hours outside, split between skill drills and an on-road ride.  Among other things, participants will practice starting, stopping, shifting and scanning, learn how to ride in traffic, including proper lane and intersection positioning, and crash avoidance techniques.

Officials at Bike Walk CT note that bike lanes and greenways “aren’t just good for our health.  Since transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases in Connecticut, active transportation—biking and walking—must be a key piece of our climate action plan.  Bikeways are also an extremely cost-efficient way to manage traffic congestion.  Bike lanes, sidewalks and greenways cost a fraction of what it costs to build and maintain roads.  People tend to bike and walk more when they have the bike lanes, greenways and sidewalks.”

“Being bike-friendly isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ thing anymore,” observes Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director of Bike Walk Connecticut.  “Being bike-friendly is now essential to competitiveness.  In fact, not being bike-friendly is a competitive disadvantage. Connecticut's car-dependent lifestyle is not the lifestyle that millennials or the creative class have in mind.  A well-designed active transportation network will help bring millennials and the creative class to Connecticut and keep them here, strengthening our economy.”

New CT Law Raises Age, Strengthens Education for Towing People While Boating, Responding to Tragedy

Emily Fedorko, a 16-year-old from Greenwich who died in a water-skiing related accident last summer, is the namesake of “Emily’s Law,” which, at the urging of her parents, was approved by the state legislature this year and signed into law by Governor Malloy. It prohibits children under-16 from piloting watercraft towing skiers or tubers, raising the age from 13, and requires a related safety course that specifically includes towing instruction. In testimony before the state legislature’s Environment Committee, which was considering the proposed legislation earlier this year, Emily’s parents, Joseph and Pamela Fedorko, said “What makes this so important is that current boating safety courses have very little on the topic of towing. This includes water skiing, tubing or boarding. Education is the leading way we can teach our young adults safety.”

“Our daughter Emily took her safety course along with my youngest daughter and wife on June 28th, 2014, five weeks before she passed. Emily took intense notes that day. My wife, Pam, can attest that there wasn’t anything taught regarding towing of water sports.”

“Education in the classroom is just part of it. Having the ability to make quick decisions comes with AGE and EXPERIENCE. Towing requires even more. The operator needs to be alert and aware of his/her surroundings. They also need to understand the responsibility of pulling a rider,” the Fedorko’s told legislators.

In addition to urging changes in state law to enhance boating safety, the Fedorko’s formed the Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation to increase boating education in Connecticut and beyond.  The site includes a tutorial video detailing safe towing practices, which the Water Sports Industry Association indicates is the water sports activity with “the most injuries in recent years.”  The Foundation also provides a “safe boating packet” that includes a water resistant phone carrier, floating key chain safety tips and ignition switch sticker, all aimed at reminding water craft operators to turn off their engine when towing to enhance safety and prevent potential life-threatening hazards.

This new Connecticut law requires, with limited exceptions, a person who operates a vessel engaged in water skiing to:

• be at least age 16;
• hold a (a) valid U.S. Coast Guard-issued vessel operator license, (b) Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)-issued safe boating certificate (SBC) or certificate of personal watercraft operation (CPWO), or (c) a boating safety certificate from a state with a reciprocal agreement with Connecticut; and
• hold a DEEP-issued safe water skiing endorsement obtained after completing safe water skiing instruction.

The bill also prohibits a vessel owner from knowingly allowing someone under age 16 to operate the vessel while engaged in water skiing.

State Senator Scott Franz told his fellow legislators, “currently, a 13 year old with a Safe Boating Certificate is able to take a twin 350 horsepower engine boat out and tow water skiers and tubers. The record is miraculously good, but the risk given the general lack of on-the-water experience for this age group is large. With Senate Bill 699, there would be a requirement of a minimum age of 16 with a towing endorsement in order to legally tow.”

“On August 6, 2014, Emily went out with three of her best friends looking to have fun on the water. As a result of inexperience, she lost her life tubing while her best friend was driving,” her parents told legislators.  The Fedorko’s went on to ask: “We allow our kids to get their driving license at 16. This comes with many restrictions. So why wouldn’t we want to add some rules to anyone who is looking to drive a boat while towing someone? Boats don’t have a seat belt or brakes and riders are at the mercy of the operator. The age restriction for towing with a personal watercraft, or Jet Ski, is 16. Why would we not want the same age restriction for a boat with a propeller?”

Legislators answered by approving the proposal, which is now state law.  The restrictions and requirements are not in place in other states, and the Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation is continuing efforts to promote stricter guidelines around the country.

NBC News recently reported that there were more than 4,000 boating accidents in the U.S. in 2014, citing U.S. Coast Guard statistics.  The top three contributing factors, according to the report, were operator inattention, improper lookout and operator inexperience.

According to the United States Power Squadrons (USPS), boating laws and license requirements vary from state to state.  Eight states have no mandatory boater education law:  Alaska, California, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Maine.  USPS is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation and related subjects.  The organization was among the agencies and individuals, including the state’s Department of Energy and Environment Protection, that supported approval of Emily’s Law in Connecticut.