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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mississippi receives its highest-ranking ever in KIDS COUNT report
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi's education ranking has climbed to 16th in the nation, according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book. This is the state's highest-ranking ever. KIDS COUNT ranked Mississippi 30th in education in 2024, 32nd in 2023 and 39th in 2022. The state was ranked 48th in 2014. Over the past decade, the statewide graduation rate has risen from 75% to 89.2%, higher than the national average. USM launches Mississippi Center for Apprenticeships and Residency in Education The 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book is a 50-state report of data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, analyzing how children and youth are faring across the nation. Each year, the Data Book presents national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — and ranks the states according to how children are faring overall. Mississippi ranks 48th in overall child well-being. 'Mississippi's momentum in education is the result of strong policies and dedicated, effective educators,' said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. 'Our students' achievements have made the state a national leader in improving academic outcomes. I am tremendously proud that our national ranking for education has steadily climbed from 48th in 2014 to 16th in 2025. Mississippi students have proven once again that there is no limit to what they can accomplish with the strong support of Mississippi educators.' The Children's Foundation of Mississippi (CFM) works with the national KIDS COUNT Data Center and produces an annual Mississippi KIDS COUNT Factbook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Latest report on the wellbeing of Hoosier youth gives Indiana a mixed report card
Members of the audience in the Indiana House on Monday respond to the annual State of the Child address, which revealed that Indiana's high-school graduation rate is over 90%, the highest it has been in over a decade. (Photo by Kate Breeden/ Charlotte, 8, excitedly pulled a pink pair of sunglasses out of the drawstring bag from MCCOY, the Marion County Commission on Youth. She used a bench in the lobby of the Indiana Statehouse Monday morning as a ramp for a fidget spinner, saying her favorite part of her visit to the state capitol was the new toys. While she, and other children, were excited about the trinkets and candy, they were there with family members, lawmakers and advocates focused on something else: How are Indiana's children doing? The annual Day of the Child event marks the release of the Indiana Youth Institute's (IYI) report on the wellbeing of Hoosier children. The report focuses on four categories: family and community, health, economic wellbeing, and education. Monday marked the ninth year for the event and 31st for the report. Charlotte was joined by her grandmother, October S. Kniess, who worked in family law for 25 years and is now an educator. 'I'm not going to stop trying to find ways to help young people,' said Kniess. She said the Day of the Child is important because it brings focus to issues impacting children and allows a view of who in Indiana is helping youth. The day opened in the House chamber, where Tami Silverman, president and CEO of IYI, began a summary of this year's report, which covered Indiana's more than 1.5 million children. There is a saying that the greatest responsibility of any generation is to care for the generations that follow. – Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute A look at last year's report is here. 'Whether it's at the Indiana Statehouse or out across the state, we all work together to serve our kids,' said Silverman. She described the study as a 'report card for adults.' 'Technology has changed, the times have changed. At the same time, the feelings of childhood have not changed that much,' said Silverman. 'We all were children once. … 'There is a saying that the greatest responsibility of any generation is to care for the generations that follow.' The 146-page Indiana Kids Count Data Book ranked Indiana 27th in the country for overall child wellbeing. This ranking was derived from data in the four outlined categories, and the information was collected considering age, gender, race, ethnicity, place of birth, language, household type and religion. 'Within that data, there is a lot of encouraging stories,' said Silverman. Teen birth rates are down, more mental-health providers are available, household median family income has increased, and child poverty is the lowest it has been in a decade. On the other side of the coin, just 40% of 3- and 4-year-olds in Indiana are enrolled in early childhood education, childhood food insecurity has increased, and only 40% of students in grades 3-8 passed both math and language arts state testing. 'As for learning in this country, and in our state, we still have significant work to do to help our kids catch up,' said Silverman. Children have also been less involved in civic engagement like volunteering. 'We're known for Hoosier hospitality and for showing up, and we need to be instilling that exact same value in the next generation,' said Silverman. In addition to lower civic engagement, only 23% of 6- to 17-year-olds played a sport or participated in an hour of daily activity. The number is above the national average but still far below the majority of kids. Silverman emphasized the state's love for sports and how we can extend that to youth. 'In our state, we live for competition. But at the same time, we are not meant to be just spectators,' said Silverman. On a national scale, more Indiana children live in neighborhoods that don't have parks, recreation centers or libraries. Continuing through the report, Silverman said more than 18,000 Indiana children experienced foster care in 2024. Four students from Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) shared how the program helped them overcome adversity in their lives. JAG student Shelby Williams was adopted at 10 months old. 'That led to a sense of abandonment, and I struggled to adjust,' she said. 'JAG helped me realize that being different is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it's what makes us unique.' After graduating, Williams will be pursuing her degree in biology with a minor in entrepreneurship from the University of Cincinnati. She hopes to then continue her education and become a dermatologist. Gunnar Crispin, another student in JAG, was born visually impaired. 'Growing up in a world that was meant for people with vision had been difficult and even isolating at times,' said Crispin. He experienced anxiety growing up and often felt overwhelmed, and he began using drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Overall, Indiana has seen a decline in substance use among children. Since 1993, monthly cigarette usage among 8th graders declined from 21% to 1.2%. Alcohol saw a similar downward trend, from 30% to 7%. However, rural communities are still disproportionately impacted. 'JAG became my lifeline. It gave me the structure, support and community that I needed,' said Crispin. He plans to attend Ball State University and study political science on a pre-law track. 'I will then go on to advocate for others like me and like others in this room,' said Crispin. While substance abuse among children is lower, Indiana's youth face struggles with mental health in general. The report found that almost one-third of teenagers experienced sadness and hopelessness for consecutive weeks, which then led to withdrawal from their normal activities. Children today have fewer friends, which they see less frequently. Additionally, smartphones and social media impact the modern social experience for youth. 'We need to reconnect our youth to the real world,' said Silverman. She emphasized the social aspect of the Statehouse event, that children had the opportunity to see government functions up close and personal and interact with lawmakers. 'We need them to connect to one another and to the things that they care about,' said Silverman. Makia Lucas, the third JAG student to speak, experienced trauma throughout her childhood, as her family has a history of addiction. In 2020, her father was murdered. Lucas went through therapy and began taking classes online, which led to social isolation. At this point, she joined JAG. 'It changed my life completely,' she said. Lucas began volunteering and worked at a local recovery center. 'Every day, I've worked to break my family's cycle,' she said. She is planning to attend Ball State University, where she will pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in criminal justice. She hopes to work for the FBI as a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. 'Every teenager has something they care about. They just need to feel empowered to do it,' Lucas said. Thirty-five percent of youth ages 16 to 19 were employed in Indiana in 2023, putting the state above the national average. Indiana's graduation rate is over 90%, the highest it has been in over a decade. 'Part of our job as adults is to prepare our kids for a future that we can't even predict,' said Silverman. 'We want every student to find their purpose.' Angel Tunny, JAG president, was the fourth and final student to speak. Tunny was in foster care by 4 years old and was adopted by her grandparents alongside her nine siblings. 'Through JAG, I learned to open up, and now I have the support to be who I want to be,' said Tunny. Tunny currently works for the Indiana Army and National Guard, and wants to work in the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit alongside Lucas. CONTACT US 'The important thing is to work hard and do your best, just like you ask of us,' said Tunny, addressing the adults in the audience. Silverman closed the speech by noting that the stories shared by the JAG students, while inspiring, are not guaranteed. 'There are thousands of Hoosier students that are waiting for their opportunity,' said Silverman. Progress has been made for youth in Indiana, Silverman said, but there is still room for improvement. 'Generations come and go in Indiana. They built this incredible, magnificent Statehouse. They passed laws, and they invested in our futures. Now it's our responsibility to pay it back, and we do that by paying it forward,' said Silverman. She called for more online protections and real-world freedoms and urged the state to provide students with strong starts. IYI will now travel to 17 counties around the state to provide data on a local basis. 'As adults in this room, we can make an impact, and we can be remembered,' said Silverman, 'because in the end, that will be our final report card.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill gives Alabama police criminal immunity in some cases
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — One Alabama bill would shield law enforcement from prosecution in some cases. It is called the Back the Blue Legal Protection Act. 'They get cussed on, spit at and attacked. It's a very difficult job,' said Calera Police Chief David Hyche. Hyche said police officers should always be held accountable, but they shouldn't be afraid of getting sued. 'When something happens, I've seen officers thrown under the bus by law enforcement leadership or politicians without due process,' Hyche said. 'Everybody in our country deserves due process.' That's what former Huntsville police chief and current state Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) hopes to give officers. His bill provides civil and criminal immunity to law enforcement. It states the use of force is justified unless it violates someone's rights. 'We've seen over the last five, six years where there's been numerous officers indicted quickly after instances within their communities. Some justified, some not across our nation,' Reynolds said. 2024 Alabama Kids Count Data Book released But state Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) said immunity bills dilute the justice system. 'I am bothered as an attorney when you see good people, good citizens, who simply are shut out because one class of individuals is immune,' Givan said. Givan said she respects the blue, but there's enough immunity in the books. 'If we continue to make everyone immune, there would be no need for a judicial system in regards to tort matters, in regards to negligence,' Givan said. Reynolds said officers will continue to be held accountable. 'Just as clear is the language that they can be prosecuted, and they can see civil remedies if they go outside the scope of their duties, if they don't follow policy,' Reynolds said. 'So we want to ensure that we're covering both sides of it. I think the bill clearly does that.' Reynolds said the bill will be taken up in the Judiciary Committee this week. He said there will be a public hearing on the bill Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
