Yesterday’s post told us that Nebraska is ranked 49 out of 51 in the US for school breakfast participation. We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but despite this, Nebraska continues to fall short in ensuring that all children – especially the 40% of Nebraska students…...
Leveraging The School Breakfast Program
Nationally, Nebraska is falling behind almost every other state in leveraging the school breakfast program to help students succeed. Nebraska was most recently ranked 49 out of 51 on the number of free and reduced price-eligible students participating in the school breakfast program. Only 39 of every 100 eligible students participating…...
Reading at grade-level
We know that grade-level reading is critical to student success and students who are unsuccessful in making the transition from learning to read to reading to learn are likely to continue to experience challenges throughout their school years and beyond. In 2012, only 36% of Nebraska 4th graders and…...
A closer look at chronic absenteeism and truancy
We all want children to have access to opportunities to succeed through a quality education. Let’s be honest – an important component of a student’s ability to succeed in school is their attendance. In recent years, Nebraska legislators have enacted a number of bills aimed at increasing school attendance, reducing the number…...
The First 8 Years Policy Report
Yesterday, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released a new policy report “The First Eight Years: giving kids a foundation for lifetime success.” This report highlights the importance of investing in young children during crucial brain development stages to set them up for success later in life. It has been shown…...
Cradle to college: Boosting expectations with college savings accounts
As students across Nebraska head back to school for the fall, college affordability looms large on the minds of many high school seniors. Last week, President Obama addressed growing concerns over the rising costs of higher education with a new plan targeted at the middle class. His plan ties federal funding…...
Getting a Head Start on School
Last month, Voices for Children and First Focus co-authored an editorial published in the Omaha World Herald on the need for federal investments in pre-Kindergarten programs. The Editorial has sparked some responses related to the Head Start Program and the program’s perceived “failure.” In light of this, it seemed like…...
