Student Health
Higher Risks for Black and Brown Students
Increased risk of chronic health conditions, high teen birth rates and community violence, all of which disproportionately affect students of color, are obstacles that can keep them out of the classroom. And missing classroom time affects academic progress. Students who are absent 15 or more days each year are “at serious risk of falling behind in school,” according to the U.S. Department of Education.
School Nurses
School nurses are often the gateway to health care for students. They help manage and identify students’ chronic health conditions and connect families with health services and health insurance plans such as Medicaid or state plans. One in four children have a chronic health condition, according to the CDC, and school health comes into greater focus with the outbreak of COVID-19.
College Health Issues
Students on college campuses report mental health issues including anxiety, depression and stress as top problems. The numbers appear to be on the increase as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to at least one study undertaken from May to July 2020. Some of those stresses may be caused by housing and food insecurity, which continue to be major issues for college students. While binge drinking is reported to be down among teens, it is still a major concern on campuses.
Sex Education and Teen Sexual Health
Most, but not all, states require sex education in public schools, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Reporters can look to their state regulations and guidelines on sex education and to school districts to see how states implement sex education curriculum.
Glossary
Adverse Childhood Experience
These are traumatic events that have an adverse impact on a young person and can have long-lasting effects on a child’s mental and physical health. The events can include physical, mental or sexual abuse and the death or incarceration of a parent. These are sometimes abbreviated as ACE or ACEs.
Binge drinking
Binge drinking involves consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. The CDC defines it as four, five or more drinks in two hours or less.
Data Sources and Research
General
This EWA tip sheet has a wealth of data sources that are useful when covering adolescents, including several guidelines for finding health and wellness data.
Violence
This World Health Organization fact sheet provides a primer and key data on youth violence, including bullying, sexual and physical assault, and homicide.
Rural Schools Have Battled Bad Internet, Low Attendance and Academic Decline Through the Pandemic. Now the Push Is On to Return Students to Classrooms — Safely
As the first full semester for U.S. schools during the pandemic comes to an end, education experts and parents alike are concerned about its effects on children’s academic progress. From the Mexican border to the Upper Midwest, Oregon to Virginia and on Native American reservations across the West, that anxiety is magnified in rural areas, which are far less likely to have access to high-speed or even consistent internet in a time of extensive virtual schooling.
What Education Reporters Need to Know About the Science of COVID-19
As scientific understanding of the novel coronavirus continues to evolve, states, school systems, and higher education institutions must weigh what is known — and unknown — about the risks to guide decision-making. What’s the appropriate threshold to reopen or close schools? What safety precautions are most important on campuses? The list of questions goes on.
Inside the Lives of Immigrant Teens Working Dangerous Night Shifts in Suburban Factories
Here in the Chicago suburb of Bensenville, and in places like it throughout the country, Guatemalan teenagers spend their days in class learning English and algebra and chemistry. At night, while their classmates sleep, they work to pay debts to smugglers and sponsors, to contribute to rent and bills, to buy groceries and sneakers, and to send money home to the parents and siblings they left behind.
Biden Inherits a Widening Gap in American Education. It Could Affect Economic Growth.
In his first address to the nation as president-elect, Joe Biden made it clear that he will make education a priority during his administration. He noted in his victory speech that his wife, Jill, is a teacher and that educators “will have one of your own in the White House.”
Washington’s Sex Education Mandate Will Begin Next School Year
Washington public schools will begin phasing in comprehensive sexual health education next school year after voters approved a referendum Tuesday that mandates the lessons.