The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "The Census Effect." Contents include: (1) The 2020 Census is Here -- Schools…

Detroit has a long and complicated history with housing instability, and obtaining safe and stable housing is a significant challenge, particularly for low-income residents. For many renters, housing quality is poor, rents are high, and eviction is common. In 2017, 16% of households with children in Detroit reported being either evicted or forced…

This most recent Iowa Kids Count data book, "Iowa Kids Count 2011: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children," provides data on 20 different indicators of child and family well-being at the United States, Iowa, substate and county level. The annually produced data book presents health, education, welfare and economic data including…

This most recent Iowa Kids Count data book, "Iowa Kids Count 2010: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children," provides data on 20 different indicators of child and family well-being at the United States, Iowa, substate and county level. The annually produced data book presents health, education, welfare and economic data including…

This lesson plan is intended to teach students about the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) law which provides "credit" or "refund" to low income families. The lesson can fit into any of five specific basal texts. Students should work in cooperative groups, with each group member having a specific responsibility (e.g., leader,…

This lesson plan is intended to teach students about the new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) law that provides "credit" or "refund" to low income families. The lesson can fit into any of four specific basal texts. Seven stages in the lesson are outlined (warm-up and review, introduction, presentation, practice of new skills and…

This latest annually produced Iowa Kids Count data book, "Iowa Kids Count 2009: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children," provides data on 18 different indicators of child and family well-being at the United States, Iowa, substate and county-level. The 18 indicators presented in the data book contain an expanse of data from economic,…

In recent years, parents have benefited from a significant expansion of educational options for their children. Parents have many more opportunities than just a few years ago to choose from an array of public school options, including charter, virtual, and magnet schools. Expanding educational options for parents is one of the hallmarks of the…

This new Iowa Kids Count data book, "Iowa Kids Count 2008: Trends in the Well-Being of Iowa Children," is the latest annually produced book containing data on 18 different indicators of child and family well-being for the United States, Iowa and its 99 counties. The 18 indicators provide a wealth of health, education, welfare and…

Critiques Chester Finn's analysis (EA 518 431, this issue) of teachers unions, outlining the ambiguities in Finn's theories. (MD)

Two major events affecting American education as a whole are the recent Supreme Court decision on tuition tax credits and the appearance of reports that have placed education at the top of the national agenda. A third major development is the appreciation of the teacher as essential to education, an orientation that has arisen from the awareness…

This packet contains revisions of the following sections of the "Understanding Taxes" teacher's resource kit: complete revisions of lessons 3 and 4; updated student handouts for lessons 2, 9, and 11; new glossary; and revised software user's guide. Lesson 3, "From W-4 to 1040A," is designed to acquaint students with the basic…

This redesigned version of a high school curriculum on understanding taxes contains 6 units with 12 lessons. The set of video, print, and software lessons is designed to teach students about the United States tax system through integrating the materials in a number of different classrooms: history, economics, math, consumer education, government,…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, addresses how to file and pay federal income taxes. Topics covered include the following: defining tax-related vocabulary; analyzing tax credits and selecting the most appropriate ones;…

This outline summarizes information to be presented in a child care consumer education course. The goal of the course is to add to the life-management skills of working parents by teaching them techniques that reduce the stress associated with child care. Sections of the course contain information on the disadvantages and advantages of the…