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Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being State of Maryland Children’s Cabinet 2006 Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Governor Michael S. Steele Lieutenant Governor Arlene F. Lee Executive Director Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 2 The Children’s Cabinet and The Governor’s Office for Children Vision Children’s Cabinet: All Maryland’s children will be successful in life. Governor’s Office for Children: Maryland will achieve child well-being through interagency collaboration and state/ local partnerships. Mission The Children’s Cabinet, led by the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Children ( GOC), will work collaboratively to create and promote an integrated, community- based service delivery system for Maryland’s children, youth, and families. Our mission is to improve the well- being of Maryland’s children. Children’s Cabinet Kristen Cox, Secretary Department of Disabilities Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools Maryland State Department of Education Cecilia Januszkiewicz, Secretary Department of Budget and Management Christopher J. McCabe, Secretary Department of Human Resources S. Anthony McCann, Secretary Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Kenneth C. Montague, Jr., Secretary Department of Juvenile Services Arlene F. Lee, Executive Director ( Chair) Governor’s Office for Children Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 3 MARYLAND’S RESULTS FOR CHILD WELL- BEING 2006 Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., Governor Michael S. Steele, Lt. Governor Arlene F. Lee, Executive Director Maryland Children’s Cabinet Governor’s Office for Children 301 W. Preston Street, 15th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21201 Tel: 410- 767- 4160 Fax: 410- 333- 5248 www. goc. state. md. us Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 4 Dear Citizens of Maryland: As the father of two small children, I understand the challenges facing par-ents as they guide their children through the years. As such, my Admini-stration is serious about developing and enhancing the necessary tools to help protect Maryland’s children as they grow and succeed in life. From school construction to foster care, we are making significant new invest-ments in the health, well- being and safety of our children. We are dedi-cated to improving systems of care for children so that our families do not have to reach a point of crisis to get help. I applaud the Children’s Cabinet, the Governor’s Office for Children and the local management boards for their hard work on behalf of children and families in Maryland. The Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, comprised of the Secretary of Budget and Management, the Secretary of Disabilities, the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Secretary of Human Re-sources, the Secretary of Juvenile Services, the State Superintendent of Schools, and the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Children work together to develop child well- being policies. Local management boards in each of Maryland’s counties and Baltimore City focus their atten-tion and efforts on the needs of their local communities. As you read the information and statistics contained in Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being, please note that our state’s effort has been part of a national movement toward result- based services and accountability for out-comes. We are concerned about all children being ready for school, being safe at home and in their communities, succeeding in school, and becoming ready for citizenship, successful careers, and parenthood. Using Maryland’s Results and Indicators, the Governor’s Children’s Cabi-net, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, strives to meet the needs of Maryland’s children, families, and communities. I commend the efforts of all that contributed to the contents of this publication. Your work comes from a passion and purpose in helping those in need, and for that, we are all grateful. Very truly yours, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Governor FROM GOVERNOR ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 5 FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ARLENE F. LEE Dear Governor Ehrlich and Citizens of Maryland: I am proud to submit the 2006 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being. It is the vision of the Governor’s Office for Children and the Children’s Cabi-net that all of Maryland’s children, youth and families will thrive in their home and communities. In line with our vision, this publication is our re-port to the community; one that is meant to promote, support, and identify the needs of our children. I regard this publication as one of the Gover-nor’s Office for Children’s most important contributions to the State’s ef-forts to address the needs of families and children. The Eight Results for Child Well- Being were established to identify the most effective way to address a child’s social, emotional, and physical health. These result areas include: Babies Born Healthy, Healthy Children, Children Enter School Ready to Learn, Children Successful in School, Children Completing School, Children Safe in their Families and Commu-nities, Stable and Economically Independent Families, and Communities that Support Family Life. These areas allow the State to effectively evalu-ate the challenges that Maryland’s children face; select priority areas; set goals for improving child and family well- being; and monitor the impact of resources, such as services, programs and initiatives, on the children and families served. Governor Ehrlich’s Children’s Cabinet, which includes all of the State’s child- serving agencies, continues to make great progress in their efforts to assist children and families. While we have many successes to highlight, we must continue to support an interagency approach to serving children and families in order to ensure that all children are safe, healthy and well prepared for adulthood. For more information, please visit the Governor’s Office for Children’s website at www. goc. state. md. us. Sincerely, Arlene F. Lee Executive Director Governor’s Office for Children Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 6 Letter from the Governor ......................................................................................... 4 Letter from the Executive Director .......................................................................... 5 Guide to Results and Indicators ............................................................................... 7 Babies Born Healthy................................................................................................ 13 Infant Mortality .............................................................................................. 14 Low Birth Weight........................................................................................... 16 Births to Adolescents...................................................................................... 18 Healthy Children...................................................................................................... 21 Immunizations ................................................................................................ 22 Injuries............................................................................................................ 24 Deaths............................................................................................................. 26 Substance Abuse............................................................................................. 28 Children Enter School Ready to Learn.................................................................. 31 Kindergarten Assessment ............................................................................... 32 Children Successful in School ................................................................................. 35 Absence From School..................................................................................... 36 Academic Performance .................................................................................. 38 Demonstrated Basic Skills.............................................................................. 40 Children Completing School................................................................................... 43 Dropout Rate .................................................................................................. 44 High School Completion Program ................................................................. 46 High School Diploma ..................................................................................... 48 Graduation/ School Completion of Children with ED..................................... 50 Children Safe in Their Families and Communities............................................... 53 Abuse or Neglect ............................................................................................ 54 Deaths Due to Injury ...................................................................................... 56 Juvenile Violent Offense Arrests.................................................................... 58 Juvenile Serious Non- Violent Offense Arrests............................................... 60 Domestic Violence ......................................................................................... 62 Stable & Economically Independent Families....................................................... 65 Child Poverty.................................................................................................. 66 Single Parent Households............................................................................... 68 Out- of- Home Placements ............................................................................... 70 Permanent Placements.................................................................................... 72 Homeless Adults and Children....................................................................... 74 Communities that Support Family Life ................................................................. 76 Appendices................................................................................................................ 78 History of Results and Indicators ................................................................... 79 Glossary & Source List .................................................................................. 80 The data in this report are gathered at the State and local levels but have a statewide focus for the purposes of this publication. Information about a specific local level indicator may be accessed at www. goc. state. md. us. TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLICATION STAFF: David Ayer Christina Gregg Deborah Harburger Crystal Penn Marcia Soulé Published: July 2006 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 7 GUIDE TO RESULTS AND INDICATORS FROM THE GOVERNOR WHAT ARE RESULTS AND INDICATORS? What is a result? A goal that Maryland has established for its children, families, and/ or com-munities. Maryland has eight results. Each describes the general well- being of Maryland’s children and families in an area known to affect a child’s ability to grow up healthy and secure. Babies Born Healthy Children Completing School Healthy Children Children Safe in Their Families & Communities Children Enter School Ready To Learn Stable & Economically Independent Families Children Successful In School Communities that Support Family Life What is an indicator? Information that demonstrates Maryland’s progress toward meeting a result. USING MARYLAND’S RESULTS AND INDICATORS The Children’s Cabinet, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, strives to meet the needs of Maryland’s children, families, and communities. Through this collaborative approach, each jurisdiction identifies and focuses on results and indicators that are priorities in their community. The information in this publication assists in tracking and evaluating the well-being of children across the State and in each local jurisdiction. Indicators are used to: ♦ Assess and understand the current status of children and families and how trends emerge over time: • Examine data for population subgroups, such as race, sex, and age, to find major differences across the groups to ensure that all children and families do well. • Analyze trends to identify where results have been changing on a local level in ways that are different from state- wide trends. This assists local jurisdictions in targeting potential priority areas. • Provide parents and communities with the information and resources they need to understand the status and trends concerning children in their communities. ♦ Select priority areas and set goals for the improvement of child and family well- being: • Use the indicators to identify troubling trends, to choose strategies to address the problem area, and to measure progress towards set goals. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 8 • Compare and collaborate with similar jurisdictions to help identify potential strategies. • Choose intervention strategies that will achieve progress toward the goals. Use indicators as part of strategic planning. • Help parents and communities to be better informed and become more involved in setting goals for improvement in their communities. ♦ Monitor progress toward goals in comparison with invested resources made in selected programs, services, and initiatives. Indicator data will help assess intervention strate-gies. GOVERNOR Several years ago the result area “ Children Enter School Ready to Learn” became and con-tinues to be a central focus of attention for the Children’s Cabinet and for the Maryland Leg-islature’s Joint Committee for Children, Youth, and Families. A key indicator of school readiness ( Kindergarten Assessment) has become available through the Maryland Model for School Readiness, and has been added to this result area. This has increased the State’s abil-ity to better assess the degree to which we are achieving this important result. More recently, the Children’s Cabinet created a time- limited workgroup, to examine possible indicators for the result area “ Communities Which Support Family Life.” This workgroup affirmed the conclusion reached in the first effort to develop statewide measures for this re-sult area: each community has unique strengths, concerns, and priorities. Therefore, the indi-cators for this result area should remain locally determined. This workgroup also considered possible indicators that could measure positive youth devel-opment. The interest in and the wide range of positive ways that school- age children and youth grow and develop have spurred the State to include youth development concepts in assessing how older children are faring. The youth development movement marks an inno-vation in the field of child and youth policy equivalent to the important contribution made by the school readiness movement in the field of early childhood care and development. New to Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being last year was the inclusion of youth devel-opment in the discussion of a number of the current results and indicators, as applicable. Youth development focuses on supporting positive developmental processes that occur from about age 6 to the early 20’ s, as opposed to focusing on risk and problem behaviors. The Children’s Cabinet agreed this emphasis should start with children at age 5, to create a seam-less transition from early childcare and education. For simplicity, the age ranges were di-vided roughly by school stages: ages 6– 10 ( elementary school); ages 11– 14 ( middle school); and ages 15– 19 ( high school). The Children’s Cabinet recognized that many older youth are not fully prepared for adulthood by age 18, and in the future may consider indicators up to age 24. The goal of the youth development approach is to create an environment for youth to grow and mature to their fullest potential, targeting positive outcomes, using human and structural supports, and occurring in a variety of settings. Outcomes, supports and settings will differ over these two decades depending on the age of the youth and the developmental milestones they are working to achieve. Additionally, outcomes, supports, and settings should include not only school time and academics, but also other activities that fully prepare youth for be-ing an adult in the vocational, physical, emotional, social, and civic realms. To ensure that no major areas of a young person’s life were left out, the wide range of ways children and youth develop were organized into five overarching areas: FOCUS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 9 DESCRIPTIVE GUIDE TO THE RESULTS AND INDICATORS Indicator Definition Significance Baseline Data Data Sources Considerations Related Measures Story Behind the Data The information on each indicator is organized as follows: A brief description of the indicator. A detailed description of the indicator. A brief discussion of why this indicator is important and how it relates to child and family well- being. Where available, multi- year state and national data are shown. The name of the agency that produces the data and a brief description of the break-downs that are available ( e. g. broken down by age, race, or gender). Special information about the source, the definition or the significance of the indica-tor that may be helpful when using the indicator to track trends or to set perform-ance goals. If they exist, other measures that relate to the indicator will be listed along with the source of data. A brief overview of the trend that exists for this indicator, factors that may be im-pacting the trend, and what is happening at the State level to address this indicator are discussed in this section. This section may include additional information on how the indicator relates to youth development. Self- Sufficiency — Promoting the basic skills and information needed to obtain and retain a job; promoting employment; and fostering participation in careers that al-low one to give back to their community. Learning — Promoting the basic and higher order skills needed to succeed in a job and/ or four- year university; preventing school failure and dropout; facilitating school success and completion; and fostering participation in efforts to improve schools and community- based organizations. Physical Health — Promoting health and fitness habits; preventing injury, illness and death; and fostering participation in community health promotion events. Mental Health and Social Competencies — Promoting the social and emotional skills, values, and support systems needed to maintain a balanced personal life and family; preventing suicide, teen pregnancy, and alcohol and drug abuse; and foster-ing participation in peer groups and communities as a positive, supportive friend and neighbor. Cultural and Civic Contributions — Promoting the basic skills and information needed to participate in cultural and civic life; preventing crime and violence; and fostering participation in the community as voters, volunteers, artists, advocates, decision- makers, and leaders. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 10 THE GOVERNOR A GUIDE TO STATISTICS The following is a brief description of two key statistics used throughout this guide ( percent and rate), a word of caution about their use in setting goals, and instructions on how to calculate the rate- of- change statistic in order to track trends. Percent: Percent means per 100. For example, 15% means 15 out of 100, 75% means 75 out of 100. Percent = ( Number in sub- group) ÷ ( Number in whole group) x 100 Example: Percent of babies born at low birth weight ( LBW), 2002 Percent = ( Number LBW) ÷ ( Total number of births) x 100 = 6,623 ÷ 73,250 x 100 = 9% of births in 2002 were less than 2,500 grams ( 5.5 pounds) Rate: The easiest way to understand a rate is to think of a percent as a rate per 100. In the example above, 9% of babies born at low birth weight could also be expressed as “ 9 babies per 100” are born at low birth weight. Rate = ( Number in sub- group) ÷ ( Number in whole group) x MULTIPLIER Example: Rate of youth ( 10- 17) arrested for violent crimes per 100,000, 1998 Rate = ( Number arrested) ÷ ( Number of youth ages 10- 17) x 100,000 = 3,037 ÷ 567,678 x 100,000 = 535 per 100,000 youth ages 10- 17 were arrested for violent crimes in 1998 Rate of Change: It is helpful to see how an indicator has changed over time. The rate of change refers to the magnitude of the change from one time frame to another ( e. g. from 1995 to 1998). Rate of change is expressed as a percentage. A positive percentage indicates an upward trend while a negative percentage denotes a downward trend. Rate of Change = {[( Recent year number) ÷ ( Prior year number)] - 1} x 100 Example: Rate of change in the rate of out- of- home placement, FY02 to FY03 Rate of Change = {[( FY03 rate of placement) ÷ ( FY02 rate of placement)] - 1} x 100 = {[ 10.9 ÷ 11.2] - 1} x 100 = - 2.7% is the rate of change in the rate of placement from FY02 to FY03. Be Careful When Using Percentages or Rates to Set Goals: Caution is necessary when using percentages and rates to set performance goals. If the item to be measured has less than 5 occurrences ( e. g. Infant mortality in a given zip code area for a given year) then a percentage or rate should not be produced. One or both of the following methods can be employed to create a more stable percentage or rate: • Multi- year averaging, which involves using a longer time period to produce the rate ( e. g., Use 3 or 5 years data); or • Enlarging the geographic area, ( e. g., use a region containing several zip codes). Both of these methods increase the number of observed events and hence the stability of per-centages or rates being produced to set goals. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 11 THE GOVERNOR METHODOLOGY FOR STATE MAPS Included in the report are statewide composite maps for each Result area. These maps offer a visual representation of each county’s efforts. For each result area, with the exception of Com-munities that Support Family Life, a map illustrates each jurisdiction’s standing in Maryland. A jurisdiction’s standing is determined by the sum of the jurisdiction’s ranking on each of the indicators in that Result area ( e. g., for Babies Born Healthy, the sum of a jurisdiction’s rank-ings on Infant Mortality, Low Birth Weight, and Births to Adolescents). The maps illustrate five levels of State standing in sequential order from highest/ best ( 1) to lowest/ worst ( 24). Indi-cators without jurisdictional data are excluded from the Maryland maps. The indicators con-taining jurisdictional data used for each Maryland Map are listed below: Babies Born Healthy Healthy Children Infant Mortality Injuries Low Birth Weight Deaths Births to Adolescents Substance Abuse Children Enter School Children Completing School Ready to Learn Dropout Rate Kindergarten Assessment High School Program Completion High School Diploma Children Successful in School Absence from School Stable and Economically Self- Sufficient Academic Performance Families Demonstrated Basic Skills Child Poverty Single Parent Households Out- of- Home Placements Children Safe in their Families Permanent Placements and Communities Homeless Adults and Children Abuse or Neglect Deaths Due to Injury Juvenile Violent Offense Arrests Juvenile Non- Violent Offense Arrests Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 12 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 13 BABIES BORN HEALTHY THE GOVERNOR BABIES BORN HEALTHY INDICATORS: INFANT MORTALITY: The rate of deaths occurring to infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births. LOW BIRTH WEIGHT: The percent of babies born at low birth weight, weighing less than 2,500 grams ( about 5.5 pounds). BIRTHS TO ADOLESCENTS: The rate of births to adolescents less than 20 years of age. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 14 INFANT MORTALITY Indicator Definition Significance Baseline Data Data Sources Considerations Related Measures Story Behind the Data The rate of deaths occurring to infants under 1 year of age. The rate ( per 1,000 live births) of all births and births in various racial/ ethnic groups who do not survive beyond year one. Indicator is associated with family access to health care and prenatal, family, and environmental risks to a child’s healthy start. INFANT MORTALITY ( reported by calendar year) Maryland - Vital Statistics Administration, Department of Health and Mental Hy-giene ( DHMH). Data are reported by jurisdiction. National - National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control. ( National 2004 data are unavailable.) National comparisons as well as national and State trend data are available. If mor-tality rates are tracked in small jurisdictions, multi- year averaging may be neces-sary. A “ service delivery/ utilization” indicator that is often used as a proxy for results in this area is percent of births for which prenatal care was initiated in the first trimes-ter ( for all births, for various racial/ ethnic groups, for various age groups). Data are reported by Vital Statistics, DHMH, by race and by jurisdiction. The infant mortality rate in Maryland increased in 2004 to 8.5 per 1000 live births from 8.1 in 2003, the first time infant mortality has risen for two consecutive years in Maryland since 1975. The increase was due to the increase in infant mortality of both white and African Americans infants. In 2004, African American infants in Maryland were 2.7 times more likely to die than white infants. Infant deaths per 1,000 live births Maryland 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All Races 8.7 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.3 7.4 8.0 7.6 8.1 8.5 White 6.0 5.9 5.3 5.5 5.1 4.7 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.6 African American 15.3 14.5 16.1 15.4 14.7 13.0 13.6 12.7 14.7 14.9 National 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All Races 7.6 7.3 7.2 7.2 7.1 6.9 6.8 7.0 6.9 N/ A White 6.3 6.1 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.8 5.8 N/ A African American 15.1 14.7 14.2 14.3 14.6 14.1 14.0 14.4 14.1 N/ A Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 15 The leading causes of infant death in 2004, as in 2003 were ( 1) disorders relating to short gestation and unspecified low birth weight; ( 2) congenital malformations, de-formations and chromosomal abnormalities; and ( 3) Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ( SIDS). For African American infants, the leading causes were ( 1) disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight; ( 2) SIDS; and ( 3) newborns affected by maternal complications of pregnancy. For white infants, congenital malformations were first, followed by disorders of short gestation and low birth weight and then Sudden Infant Death syndrome. Among the three leading causes of death, only congenital malformations had a rate lower for African American infants than white infants. The overall infant mortality in Maryland continues to be higher than the national rate. White infant mortality has been lower than the US rate for some time; how-ever, the African American rate was slightly higher than the US rate in 2003 ( the first time since 1999). Infant Mortality Rates Maryland and National 1995 to 2004* 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 1,000 Maryland National * 2004 National data are unavailable. Infant Mortality Rates Maryland and National by Race 1995 to 2004* 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 1,000 NAT'L White MD White NAT'L African American MD African American * 2004 National data are unavailable. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 16 LOW BIRTH WEIGHT Data Sources Considerations Related Measures The percentage of babies born at low birth weight, weighing less than 2,500 grams ( about 5.5 pounds). The percent of all births, births in various racial and ethnic groups, and births to mothers in various age groups with birth weights less than 2,500 grams ( low birth weight). Infant birth weight is associated with infant survival, health, and overall develop-ment. Infants weighing less than 2,500 grams are more likely to have physical and developmental problems, including mental retardation, developmental delays, visual and hearing deficits, chronic respiratory problems, and learning difficulties. LOW BIRTH WEIGHT ( reported by calendar year) Maryland - Vital Statistics Administration, Department of Health and Mental Hy-giene. Data are available, but not published, on the number of low and very low birth weight babies by both maternal age and race. Data are also available by low and very low birth weight and by race for jurisdictions. National - National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control (* indicates that national 2004 data are preliminary; national 2004 data by race are unavailable). This indicator supports both a national and State health goal. Healthy People 2010 has set a national goal of 95 percent of infants to be born weighing 5.5 pounds or greater by the year 2010. At the state level, Healthy Maryland 2010 has set a goal to reduce the incidence of low birth weight to no more than 8% by the year 2010. National comparisons as well as national and State trend data are available. A “ service delivery/ utilization” indicator that is often used as a proxy for results in this area is percent of births for which prenatal care was initiated in the first trimes-ter ( for all births, for various racial/ ethnic groups, for various age groups). Data are reported by Vital Statistics, DHMH, by race and by jurisdiction. Percent of Births less than 2,500 grams Maryland 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All Races 8.5 8.6 8.8 8.7 9.1 8.7 9.0 9.0 9.1 9.4 White 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.7 6.4 7.0 7.0 7.1 7.4 African Am 13.5 13.4 13.7 13.1 13.7 12.9 13.0 13.3 13.1 13.2 National 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All Races 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.6 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.1* White 6.2 6.3 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.8 7.0 N/ A African Am 13.1 13.0 13.0 13.0 13.1 13.0 13.0 13.0 13.5 N/ A Discussion Low birth weight ( LBW) is a significant factor driving infant mortality rates. Also, LBW infants have a higher probability of experiencing developmental delays. Story Behind the Data Indicator Definition Indicator Significance Baseline Data Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 17 LBW babies may be born either prematurely ( before 37 weeks gestation) or full term ( 40 weeks gestation) but small for gestational age. Infants of multiple births ( twins, triplets or higher order) have a significantly higher risk of being LBW than single-tons. The percent of LBW infants born in Maryland continues to be higher than the na-tional average. The percent of LBW infants increased 3.2% from 2003 to 2004. The LBW rate for both white infants and African- American infants increased slightly in 2004. In general, trends show that the percentage of LBW births is slowly increas-ing in Maryland and nationally. An increase in multiple births associated with fertility treatment as well as increasing age of mothers may be influencing the proportion of low birth weight infants. Percent of Low Birth Weight Babies Maryland and National 1995 to 2004* 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Percent Maryland National * 2004 National data are preliminary. Percent of Low Birth Weight Babies Maryland and National by Race 1995 to 2004* 5 10 15 20 25 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Percent NAT'L White MD White NAT'L African American MD African American * 2004 National data are preliminary; 2004 National data by race are unavailable. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 18 BIRTHS TO ADOLESCENTS Significance Baseline Data Data Sources Related Measures Story Behind the Data The rate of births to adolescents less than 20 years old. The rate of births ( per 1,000) for adolescents less than 15 years ( 10- 14 year olds) and for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17, as well as those between the ages of 15 and 19, adolescents in various racial/ ethnic groups, and adolescents in various age groups. Adolescent mothers are more likely to drop out of high school, experience unem-ployment, or, if employed, earn lower wages than women who begin childbearing after age 20. Children born to teen mothers face increased risks of low birth weight, developmental problems, and poverty. BIRTHS TO ADOLESCENTS ( reported by calendar year) Maryland - Vital Statistics, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. These data are published by jurisdiction for larger age categories. National - Federal Inter-agency Forum on Child and Family Statistics http:// childstats. gov. ( National Data for 2004 are unavailable.) US Census Bureau population estimates were used to calculate the 15- 17 birth rate for 2001; and the 10- 14, 15- 17, and 15- 19 birth rates for 2002 through 2004. As Maryland Vital Statistics makes these population esti-mates available, these birth rate figures will be updated. National comparisons and state trend data are available. Since pregnancies before age 15 are more rare, to include these data in one overall rate would reduce the rate and mask its significance. In some communities, however, the rate for under age 15 is growing and deserves separate examination. Data for 2004 indicated that Maryland’s adolescent birth rates for young women 15- 19 years continued to decrease. The birth rate for 15- 19 year olds has dropped 32.3% over the last decade. Likewise the rate for 10- 14 year olds dropped 46.1% over the same period of time. The national trend for all age groups was also downward. Total live births per 1,000 women Age 10- 14 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.7 National 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 N/ A Age 15- 17 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 32.0 29.0 28.2 26.4 25.1 23.3 20.9 19.9 18.2 17.9 National 36.0 33.8 32.1 30.4 28.7 27.5 24.7 23.2 22.4 N/ A Age 15- 19 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 47.7 46.0 43.9 42.8 42.5 41.2 37.8 35.4 33.3 32.3 National 56.8 54.4 52.3 51.1 49.6 48.7 45.3 43.0 41.6 N/ A Indicator Definition Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 19 Maryland has used a multifaceted approach to prevent teen pregnancy including: health education and counseling ( abstinence, reproductive physiology, STD preven-tion – for both girls and boys), access to health care, outreach, and public awareness. Promoting social and emotional skills, and working with families and communities to create support systems needed to maintain a balanced personal life also help youth avoid teen pregnancy. Teen Birth Rates Ages 15 to 19 Maryland and National 1995 to 2004* 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 * National 2004 data not available. Rate per 1,000 Maryland National Teen Birth Rates Ages 15 to 17 Maryland and National 1995 to 2004* 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 * National 2004 data not available. Rate per 1,000 Maryland National Teen Birth Rates Ages 10 to 14 Maryland and National 1995 to 2004* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 * Maryland births age < 15; National 2004 data not available. Rate per 1,000 Maryland National Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 20 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 21 HEALTHY CHILDREN THE GOVERNOR HEALTHY CHILDREN INDICATORS: IMMUNIZATIONS: The percent of children fully immu-nized by age two. INJURIES: The rate of child injuries that require hospitali-zation. DEATHS: The rate of child fatalities among children one year of age and older. SUBSTANCE ABUSE: The percentage of public school students who report using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 22 IMMUNIZATIONS Definition Significance Baseline Data Data Sources Considerations Related Measures Story Behind the Data The percent of children fully immunized by age two. The percent of children 19- 35 months of age who have received the full schedule of appropriate immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and polio. Haemophilus influenza type B ( HIB), hepatitis B, and chicken pox vaccines are also part of the basic immunization series, but coverage with these vaccines is measured separately by the National Immunization Survey. The immunization status of young children is an almost perfect predictor of avoid-ance of death, disability, or developmental delays associated with immunization-preventable diseases. IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE AT AGE 2 ( reported by survey year) for 4 doses of Diphtheria, 3 doses of Polio, and 1 dose of Measles- containing vaccine ( 4: 3: 1). The National Immunization Survey ( NIS), which is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC), provides state estimates of vaccination cov-erage levels among children aged 19- 35 months. Households in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 27 urban areas are interviewed quarterly. In addition, pediatricians, family physicians, and other health care providers are also surveyed. As vaccines are introduced, immunization rates on these vaccines may need to be included, such as the HIB and Hepatitis B vaccines. Data are not yet available by jurisdiction. Maryland has developed an immunization registry ( ImmuNet) that can track current immunization status of all children up to age 18. ImmuNet is a secure web- based registry for Vaccine for Children ( VFC) providers to register immuniza-tions for children receiving vaccines through Medical Assistance. Go to www. MDImmunet. org for more information. In addition, each year the recommended schedule for immunization is updated. To see the current recommended schedule go to http:// www. edcp. org and click “ immunization.” According to national statistics, the percentage of children ages 19- 35 months that were fully immunized in Maryland in 2004 stood at 81%, compared to a national average of 84%. Since 1994 the total percentage of child immunizations in Mary-land has ranged between 79% and 85% and equaled or exceeded the national aver-age in all but two years ( 1998 and 2004). Both the national ( Healthy People 2010) and state ( Maryland Health Improvement Plan) goal is for 90% of children age two and under to be up- to- date in their immunization series. Percent of children immunized by age 2 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 81 83 79 81 80 80 82 85 81 National 78 78 81 80 78 79 79 82 84 1995 81 76 Indicator Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 23 The reason for the larger changes ( up or down) in Maryland's immunization rates compared to the US rates is probably due to sample size differences. State specific samples are very small compared to the US sample and this is reflected in the stan-dard error rate for each National Immunization Survey. The US standard error rate has varied from ± 0.8 to 1.0 % from 2000- 2004. The Maryland standard error has been ± 4.0 to 5.5% for the same surveys. Over the last several years, the National Immunization Survey has been conducting a “ rolling” survey yielding results twice a year, as shown below. When one calcu-lates the linear trend lines for all the data since 2000, both the US and Maryland are showing steady improvement, with the US closing the gap with Maryland. The following graphs of the raw data and then the trend lines help to illustrate this trend. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has successfully launched ImmuNet ( www. mdimmunet. org), a secure web- based registry for Vaccine for Children ( VFC) providers to register immunizations for children receiving vaccines through Medical Assistance. In the last two years, over 120 VFC providers ( out of nearly 800 in Maryland), have begun participating in ImmuNet. ImmuNet will facilitate the tracking of immunizations for individual children. This will help improve both health care and health care policy. The Percent of Children Ages 19- 35 Months Fully Immunized Maryland and National, Survey Years 1995 to 2004 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Percent Maryland National The Percent of Children Ages 19- 35 Months Fully Immunized Maryland and National, with Linear Trendlines, Survey Years 2000 to 2004: Rolling Survey Data 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 00 00- 01 01 01- 02 02 02- 03 03 03- 04 04 Percent Linear ( National) Linear ( Maryland) Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 24 INJURIES Definition Significance Baseline Data The rate of child injuries that require inpatient hospitalization. The rate of injuries per 1,000 children that require inpatient hospitalization in three broad injury categories: unintentional injuries, assaults, or self- inflicted injuries. Childhood injuries requiring inpatient hospitalization present risks of long- term illness and disability. Nationally, each year unintentional injuries disable over 92,000 children and hurt 1 in 4 children seriously enough to require medical atten-tion. These injuries cost the US healthcare system $ 347 billion per year. CHILD INJURIES ( reported by calendar year) Data Sources All Maryland hospitals report hospital discharge data to the Health Services Cost Review Commission ( HSCRC). These data sets are used by the Center for Preven-tative Health Services ( CPHS) of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ( DHMH) to produce standardized jurisdiction profiles that include reports on child hospitalization and death. Data on children are available by the age brackets 0- 4, 5- 9, 10- 14, and 15- 19, as well as by jurisdiction. Child injuries per 1,000 children ages 0- 19 Unintentional injuries 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 All Races 4.5 4.6 4.3 3.4 4.0 3.8 3.8 African American 5.0 5.2 4.6 3.8 4.1 3.9 3.7 White 4.4 4.3 4.2 3.2 3.9 3.9 3.8 All other races 3.4 4.0 4.0 3.3 3.8 2.6 3.8 Assaults 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 All Races 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 African American 1.1 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.7 White 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 All other races 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.2 Self- inflicted injuries 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 All Races 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 African American 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 White 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 All other races 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.5 2002 3.8 3.9 3.7 5.1 2002 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.4 2002 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 2003 3.9 4.0 3.8 5.0 2003 0.4 0.8 0.1 0.3 2003 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 2004 4.2 4.2 4.1 5.8 2004 0.3 0.8 0.1 0.3 2004 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.6 Indicator Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 25 Story Behind the Data Injuries may be the result of unintentional or intentional events. Most unintentional injuries are related to motor vehicles, falls, fires and burns, poisonings, choking and suffocation, and drowning. Intentional injuries include both assaults and self-inflicted injuries. In Maryland from 1995 through 2000, the rate of unintentional injuries decreased slightly for all races, remaining stable through 2003 and increasing slightly for 2004. The unintentional injury rate for white children has declined since 1995. For African- American children, the rate has increased slightly from 2001 to 2004. For children of all other races, the rate increased markedly. Overall, unintentional injuries accounted for 85.5% of all injuries to children, while assaults accounted for 7.8% and self- inflicted injuries accounted for 6.7%. For Afri-can- American children, unintentional injuries remained the most common manner of injury, although assaults accounted for a much higher proportion of all injuries ( 15%). Self- inflicted injuries in African- American children accounted for 4.5% of all injuries. In contrast, assaults accounted for 3.3% of the injuries in white children, while self- inflicted injuries accounted for 7.7%. The highest percent of self- inflicted injuries occurred in children of other races. For these children, 9.8% of the injuries were self- inflicted, while 5.3% were assaults and 84.9% were unintentional. It is estimated that as many as 90% of childhood injuries can be prevented. For every dollar spent on bike helmets, society saves $ 30. For every dollar spent on car seats, society saves $ 32, and for every dollar spent on smoke alarms, society saves $ 21. Devoting time and resources to educational initiatives and equipment distribu-tion can reduce the instance on injury. The Center for Preventive Health Services has established an Injury Prevention advisory group that is currently addressing many of these injury issues through the development of the Maryland Injury Preven-tion Strategic Plan. Considerations It may be desirable to use multi- year averaging and trend lines as well as large age brackets in smaller jurisdictions. CPHS encourages jurisdictions to solicit addi-tional data on specific types of injuries pertinent to local issues. It is important to note that the coding for external cause of injury is not reliable enough to indicate whether a child injury was related to abuse or neglect. It is also important to note that changes in analytic methods may be the cause of increases seen after 2002. Child Injuries Caused by Unintentional Injuries, Assault, or Self- inflicted Injuries, 2004 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 All Races African American White All Other Races Rate per 1,000 Unintentional Injuries Assaults Self- inflicted Injuries Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 26 DEATHS Definition Significance Baseline Data Data Sources Considerations The rate of deaths among children one year of age and older. The rate per 100,000 of deaths among children one year of age and older by age ( 1- 9, 10- 19) by race/ ethnicity. The indicator measures the ultimate poor health outcome for children. The rates and causes of death indicate specific risks for children of different ages, genders, and racial/ ethnic backgrounds. CHILD DEATH RATE BY AGE & RACE ( reported by calendar year) Maryland - Vital Statistics, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; National - Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, http:// wonder. cdc. gov/ mortsql. html. ( National Data unavailable for 2003 & 2004.) It may be desirable to compute multi- year averages, particularly for small jurisdic-tions and subgroups. It may be possible to develop other categories using unpub-lished data. Child deaths per 100,000 children ages 1- 19 Maryland 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All Races 44.5 37.8 36.3 34.7 36.0 32.7 34.6 33.3 34.5 33.7 White 32.5 24.8 25.2 23.3 28.2 28.8 28.2 26.1 27.0 26.4 African American 72.9 66.5 61.6 58.9 53.9 46.4 49.3 47.4 50.9 49.3 All Other 19.8 22.4 15.4 24.2 19.7 9.6 16.4 24.1 18.1 13.5 National 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All Races 41.8 39.9 38.0 36.3 34.9 33.9 33.6 33.5 N/ A N/ A White 37.6 35.9 34.8 33.5 32.7 32.1 31.9 31.9 N/ A N/ A African American 63.4 59.3 53.7 50.4 48.2 45.2 44.0 43.7 N/ A N/ A All Other 57.9 54.7 50.2 47.0 42.8 40.2 39.7 39.3 N/ A N/ A Related Measures The Center for Maternal and Child Health produces a Child Death Report. A Report with 2003 data is currently available ( http:// www. fha. state. md. us/ mch/ pdf/ ChildDeathReport2004FINAL. pdf). National Kids Count 2005 report publishes child death rates for children ages 1- 14 through 2002. National Kids Count ( Child deaths per 100,000 children ages 1- 14) 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Maryland 30 29 30 27 25 23 20 21 21 22 National 29 30 29 28 26 25 24 24 22 22 2002 20 21 Indicator Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 27 Story Behind the Data In 2004, there were 232 deaths for children in the age group 1- 14. Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in childhood. Malignancies ( cancer) rank second. Other causes of death for children included homicides, congenital anomalies, infec-tious diseases, and chronic diseases. The State has a multi- pronged approach for reducing child deaths. Maryland contin-ues to stress prevention of accidents in the home, on the road, and in schools. As part of efforts to reduce the number of homicides, Maryland has enacted the toughest gun measures in the nation and police forces around the State have worked diligently with schools. Finally, the State supports prevention programs encouraging youth to develop the skills to participate in the cultural and civic life of their communities, thereby reducing the chances of becoming victims of violence. Child Death* Rates Ages 1 to 19 Maryland and National** 1995 to 2004 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 100,000 Maryland National * For deaths less than one year of age see infant mortality. ** National data are unavailable for 2003 and 2004. Child Death* Rates Ages 1 to 19 in Maryland by Race 1998 to 2004 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 100,000 All Races White African American All Other Races * For deaths less than one year of age see infant mortality. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 28 SUBSTANCE ABUSE Definition Significance Baseline Data The percentage of public school students who report using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Percent of public school students who report using alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs by type of substance and by age/ grade ( 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th) within the last 30 days. Use of various substances poses major health risks to youth. Early use of some substances ( e. g. tobacco) is associated with later use of others. SUBSTANCE ABUSE WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS ( percent of students, re-ported by academic year) Cigarettes Alcohol Marijuana Maryland 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 6th Grade 4.2 2.5 1.3 1.5 9.1 6.3 5.0 5.4 1.8 1.2 0.8 0.8 8th Grade 14.8 10.6 6.6 5.9 26.6 22.8 16.4 16.2 10.0 10.6 6.9 6.4 10th Grade 23.9 16.6 12.7 11.2 42.9 35.0 35.0 31.4 22.7 19.8 16.7 15.6 12th Grade 28.6 25.5 19.8 19.8 48.4 47.5 44.3 44.1 24.2 22.7 21.0 21.9 Heroin Ecstasy LSD Maryland 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 6th Grade 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.3 8th Grade 1.8 1.1 0.7 0.8 1.3 2.4 1.4 1.2 2.6 2.2 0.8 1.0 10th Grade 2.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 3.6 4.8 3.1 1.9 5.0 3.7 2.4 1.7 12tth Grade 1.1 0.9 1.4 1.5 3.1 4.8 3.6 2.7 4.8 3.7 2.7 2.1 Cigarettes Alcohol Marijuana National 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 8th Grade 19.1 12.2 10.7 9.2 23.0 21.5 19.6 18.6 9.7 9.2 8.3 3.4 10th Grade 27.6 21.3 17.7 16.0 38.8 39.0 35.4 35.2 18.7 19.8 17.8 15.9 12th Grade 35.1 29.5 26.7 25.0 52.0 49.8 48.6 48.0 22.8 22.4 21.5 19.9 Heroin Ecstasy National 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 1998 2001 2002 2004 8th Grade 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.9 1.8 1.4 0.8 1.1 1.0 0.7 0.5 LSD 10th Grade 0.7 0.3 0.5 0.5 1.3 2.6 1.8 0.8 2.7 1.5 0.7 0.6 12th Grade 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 1.5 2.8 2.4 1.2 3.2 2.3 0.7 0.7 Data Sources The Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) administers the Maryland Adolescent Survey ( MAS) to assess information and attitudes on the nature, extent and trends in alcohol, tobacco, and drug use in middle and high school populations. Indicator Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 29 The results of the MAS are generalizable to the population of public school stu-dents. Considerations Related Measures The annual national survey, “ Monitoring the Future,” conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, gathers information on 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. Story Behind the Data Findings reported in the 2004 MAS indicate that since 1998, there has been an overall decline in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and/ or other drugs. The fact that the majority of our adolescents do not use any drugs is often overshadowed by the dis-cussion of those adolescents who do use drugs. While approximately two- thirds of our 12th graders have tried alcohol, it is important to point out that less than 50% report using alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey. After a significant increase in 2001 in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grade, use of Ecstasy decreased across these grades in 2002 and continued to decline in 2004. Alcohol continues to be the most fre-quently used substance at each grade level throughout the entire time frame. These trends in Maryland are consistent with the findings of the 2005 Monitoring the Future Study. The survey is conducted biennially and has been designed to parallel the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s annual national survey “ Monitoring the Future.” The MAS provides information about substance abuse and risk and protective factors at the jurisdictional level. Percent of 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th Graders Reporting Use of Ecstasy, Heroin, and LSD in the Last 30 Days 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 2001 Ecstasy 2002 Ecstasy 2004 Ecstasy 2001 Heroin 2002 Heroin 2004 Heroin 2001 LSD 2002 LSD 2004 LSD Percent 6th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Percent of 8th Graders Reporting Substance Use in Last 30 Days, Maryland and National 2004 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Cigarettes Alcohol Marijuana Ecstasy LSD Percent Maryland National Percent of 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th Graders Reporting Use of Cigarettes, Alcohol, and Marijuana in the Last 30 Days 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2001 Cig. 2002 Cig. 2004 Cig. 2001 Alc. 2002 Alc. 2004 Alc. 2001 Mar. 2002 Mar. 2004 Mar. Percent 6th Grade 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 30 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 31 CHILDREN ENTER SCHOOL READY TO LEARN THE GOVERNOR CHILDREN ENTER SCHOOL READY TO LEARN INDICATOR: KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT: The percent of kin-dergarten students who have reached one of three levels of readiness on the Work Sampling System Kindergarten Assessment: full readiness, approaching readiness, or de-veloping readiness. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 32 KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT Indicator Definition Significance Baseline Data Percent of kindergarten students who have reached one of three levels of readiness on the Work Sampling System ™ Kindergarten Assessment: full readiness, ap-proaching readiness, or developing readiness. The three levels of readiness are based upon teacher ratings in the following seven domains: social and personal, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scien-tific thinking, social studies, the arts, and physical development. Full readiness is defined as consistently demonstrating skills, behaviors, and abilities that are needed to meet kindergarten expectations successfully. Approaching readiness indicates that a student is inconsistently meeting those goals and requires targeted instruc-tional support. Students who are developing readiness do not successfully meet kindergarten readiness goals and require considerable support. Recent neuroscientific research strongly supports the belief that early learning ex-perience prior to formal education is an essential foundation for later school suc-cess. Research in how young children learn encourages the assumption that im-provement in school readiness will positively impact school performance, as meas-ured by the results of future assessments administered statewide to Maryland stu-dents. KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT ( reported by academic year) Data Sources The Work Sampling System ™ Kindergarten Assessment is administered by local public schools. Data are collected by the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) and are available by jurisdiction and by individual schools. The Work Sampling System is a registered trademark of Pearson Early Learning, Inc. Full Readiness Approaching Readiness Developing Readiness Academic Year 2003 2004 2005 2003 2004 2005 2003 2004 2005 Composite 52 55 58 41 38 35 7 6 6 Social and Personal 60 62 63 33 31 30 8 7 7 Language and Literacy 42 45 48 46 44 41 12 11 11 Mathematical Thinking 44 49 54 43 40 36 12 11 10 Scientific Thinking 29 32 36 57 55 53 14 13 12 Social Studies 37 41 44 52 50 47 11 10 9 The Arts 58 62 63 36 34 32 5 4 4 Physical Development 66 70 72 30 28 25 3 3 3 Percent of students entering kindergarten demonstrating school readiness 2006 60 63 50 56 38 46 64 74 2006 34 30 40 35 52 45 32 23 2006 6 7 10 9 11 8 4 3 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 33 Story Behind the Data The school readiness information for school year 2005- 06 represent the fifth year that all kindergartners in the state of Maryland were rated on their readiness for school. The Statewide data for the composite score reveals that 60% of entering kindergarten students in Maryland were rated by their teachers as “ fully ready” to do kindergarten work. Thirty- four percent ( 34%) of entering students were at the “ approaching readiness” level and in need of target support in order to meet kinder-garten expectations. Six percent of the students were in the “ developing readiness” category and needed considerable support in order to do kindergarten work success-fully. Most of the support was needed in the domains of Scientific Thinking, Lan-guage and Literacy, Social Studies, and Mathematical Thinking. A comparison of school readiness baseline data collected in school year 2001- 02 and the composite school readiness data for 2005- 06 shows that 11% more kindergarten students came to school fully ready. There was improvement in all domains. The largest improvement area in 2005- 06 was in Language and Literacy with an increase of 14% of the students rated “ fully ready” as compared to 2001- 02 data. Percent of Kindergarten Students Demonstrating School Readiness: Composite, Social & Personal, Language & Literacy, and Mathematical Thinking, Maryland 2006 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Composite Social & Personal Language & Literacy Mathematical Thinking Full Readiness Approaching Readiness Developing Readiness Percent Percent of Kindergarten Students Demonstrating School Readiness: Scientific Thinking, Social Studies, The Arts, and Physical Development, Maryland 2006 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Scientific Thinking Social Studies The Arts Physical Development Full Readiness Approaching Readiness Developing Readiness Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 34 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 35 CHILDREN SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL THE GOVERNOR CHILDREN SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL INDICATORS: ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL: The percent of students in all grades who are absent more than 20 days annually from school. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: The percent of public school students in grades 3 to 8 performing at basic, proficient, or advanced levels in reading and mathematics. Students in grades 3 to 8 take the MSA in reading and math. DEMONSTRATED BASIC SKILLS: The percent of pub-lic school students in grades 9 through 12 performing at the passing level in four core subjects: algebra, biology, English, and government. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 36 ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL Indicator Definition Significance Baseline Data The percent of students absent more than 20 days of school annually. Percent of students in all grades missing more than 20 days of the school year. School attendance data are calculated as the percentage of students present in school for at least half the average school day throughout the school year. This measure is consistent with the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) standard that students attend 94 percent of school days. Data are published for the elementary ( grades 1- 5), middle ( grades 6- 8), and high ( grades 9- 12) school levels. Absenteeism and truancy indicate a loss of opportunities to learn and have negative long- term consequences. High levels of school absence are associated with a higher risk of school failure, dropping out of school, delinquent behavior, substance abuse, and other high- risk behaviors. ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL ( reported by academic year) All grades — Percent absent more than 20 days 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 13.6 13.8 12.9 13.7 12.3 12.3 11.3 13.0 13.1 13.4 Data Sources MSDE collects attendance data through the Maryland Report Card Performance Report. Attendance rates are reported for the State, school system, and school levels for elementary, middle, and high school levels. Considerations The current data reporting system is structured to collect statistics for absences of more than 20 days. It is important to note that these data do not differentiate be-tween students with “ excused” versus “ unexcused” absences. Local school systems have detailed data on reasons for absences. Also, the measure does not include stu-dents enrolled for fewer than 91 days during the school year. Story Behind the Data Maryland public schools recognize the significant role parents play in their chil-dren’s education. Absentee rates from school are one measure of parent- school collaboration. Between 1996 and 2005, the percentage of students missing 20 or more days decreased slightly from 13.6% to 13.4%. However, during that decade the rate fluctuated from a high of 13.8% in 1997 to a low of 11.3% in 2002. The Maryland State Board of Education’s family involvement policy, adopted in October 2001, is supportive of the fact that when schools, families, and community organizations work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more. This comprehensive family involve-ment policy is committed to empowering parents to become involved in their chil-dren’s education. The Board’s family involvement policy also recognizes that students with involved parents earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher- level programs, attend Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 37 school regularly, pass their classes, are promoted, develop better social skills, dem-onstrate improved behavior, and go on to postsecondary education. Creating posi-tive home, school, and community partnerships is essential to accomplishing the mission of successfully educating all students in Maryland. In the fall of 2003, the Maryland’s Parent Advisory Council ( M- PAC) was formed to serve in an advisory capacity to the State Department of Education and the State Board of Education on issues of parent involvement, from the development and im-plementation of policies and procedures, to parents’ rights and roles in student achievement. This group is expected to have a positive impact on every family in Maryland. The Percent of Students in all Grades Missing More Than 20 Days of the School Year in Maryland 1996 to 2005 5 10 15 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Percent Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 38 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE Indicator Definition Significance Baseline Data The percent of public school students in 3rd to 8th grades scoring proficient or ad-vanced on the Maryland School Assessment ( MSA). For students with significant cognitive disabilities, the Alternate Maryland School Assessment ( Alt- MSA) is used to measure student progress in reading and mathematics. The percent of public school students in 3rd to 8th grades performing at proficient or advanced levels in reading and mathematics. Students in grades 3 to 8 take the MSA in reading and in math. The MSA requires students in 3rd to 8th grades to demonstrate their knowledge of reading and math. The test will produce a score that describes how well a student masters the reading and math content specified in the Maryland Content Standards. Each child will receive a score in each content area that will categorize their per-formance as basic, proficient, or advanced. These data will provide parents with objective information on where their child stands academically. 3rd to 8th GRADE MARYLAND SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS Percent of students scoring at basic, proficient or advanced levels ( reported by academic year) Data Sources Collected by the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) through the Maryland School Assessment for 3rd to 8th grades. Data are currently reported as the percent of students achieving basic, proficient or advanced performance and are available on the State, school system, and individual school levels. Considerations The Maryland School Assessment ( MSA) was established to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act ( NCLB). In 2005, the MSA was adminis-tered in reading and mathematics in 3rd to 8th grades. All students with disabilities are tested. Students with severe cognitive disabilities who are pursuing an alternate course of study based on their Individualized Educa-tion Program ( IEP) take the Alt- MSA, Maryland’s alternate assessment. 2005 Reading Mathematics Basic Proficient Advanced Basic Proficient Advanced 3rd Grade 24.1 58.2 17.6 23.2 51.2 25.6 4th Grade 19.0 63.3 17.7 23.5 49.5 27.0 5th Grade 25.7 44.4 29.9 30.8 51.9 17.3 6th Grade 29.7 39.1 31.2 39.9 45.2 15.0 7th Grade 32.8 39.0 28.2 44.6 41.6 13.8 8th Grade 33.6 42.5 23.9 48.3 32.9 18.8 Story Behind the Data The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires Maryland to monitor school pro-gress, report the results to parents, and take action when schools are not making Adequate Yearly Progress ( AYP). Each year, schools must meet performance goals Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 39 in the category of All Students and in each student subgroup category in order to make AYP. There are a total of eight subgroups: five racial groups, students re-ceiving special education services, students with limited English proficiency, and students receiving Free and Reduced- Price Meals. The performance goals for schools will increase each year until 2014, when the goal will be for 100% of students to demonstrate proficiency in reading and math. Achievement information for schools, school systems, and the state is printed in an annual “ report card” ( the Maryland School Performance Report). The report is available on the Web at www. mdreportcard. org. This report provides AYP charts for each school and school system and shows whether or not the school or school system met all of its performance goals. If a school has met its goals, it will receive a “ met” in each area of the chart. In order to make AYP, schools must meet all goals. A school that does not make AYP goals in the same subject for two consecutive years will be identified for State School Improvement. State School Improvement is an opportunity for the school to work on improving the performance of one or more subgroups of stu-dents. Maryland School Assessment ( MSA) Reading Achievement Levels for 3rd, 5th, and 8th Grade Students, 2005 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 Basic Proficient Advanced Percent 3rd Grade 5th Grade 8th Grade Maryland School Assessment ( MSA) Mathematics Achievement Levels for 3rd, 5th, and 8th Grade Students, 2005 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 Basic Proficient Advanced 3rd Grade 5th Grade 8th Grade Percent Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 40 DEMONSTRATED BASIC SKILLS Indicator Definition Significance Baseline Data The percent of high school students demonstrating basic skills at the passing level on each of the four Maryland High School Assessments ( HSA). The percent of public school students in grades 9 through 12 performing at the pass-ing level in four core subjects: English 2, government, algebra, and biology. Stu-dents take each test whenever they complete the corresponding course. Beginning with the graduating class of 2009 students are required to earn a satisfactory score on the HSA in order to earn a Maryland High School Diploma. The achievement of minimum academic standards affects graduation, adult achieve-ment, and life skills. HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS – Percent of public school students scoring at the passing level for each of the four assessments ( reported by academic year) Data Sources Collected by the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) through the Maryland High School Assessments. Data on the percent passing and the number exempt are available at the end of grade ten. The English 2 assessment replaces the English 1 assessment that is no longer in use. Story Behind the Data In 2004, the State Board of Education ruled that, beginning with the class of 2009, public school students must pass the High School Assessments ( HSA) to graduate. The HSA are comprised of four tests— one each in algebra/ data analysis, biology, government, and English. There are two ways to pass the HSA to graduate: 1) Pass all four HSA tests with the scores listed below, or 2) Earn a minimum score on each test and a combined score of at least 1602--- the total of the four passing scores. This combined- score option allows students to offset lower performance on one test with higher performance on another. Percent Passing Subject Area 2004 Algebra 58.8 Biology 60.9 English 2 N/ A Government 65.9 2003 53.2 54.3 N/ A 60.2 2002 52.1 54.5 N/ A 57.3 2005 53.8 57.6 57.3 66.4 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 41 The passing and minimum scores are: Each assessment test contains both selected and constructed response questions and cov-ers about 60% of a course’s content. Each HSA takes approximately three and one- half hours to complete. Sample tests can be viewed at www. MarylandPublicSchools. org, click on Testing/ High School Assessment. Algebra/ Data Analysis 412 402 Biology 400 391 Government 394 387 English 396 386 HSA Test Passing Score Minimum Score Maryland High School Assessments ( HSA) Passing Percents for High School Students, 2002- 2005 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Algebra Biology English 2 * Government High School Assessment Areas Percent Passing 2002 2003 2004 2005 * English 2 assessment replaces the English 1 assessment no longer in use. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 42 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 43 CHILDREN COMPLETING SCHOOL THE GOVERNOR CHILDREN COMPLETING SCHOOL INDICATORS: DROPOUT RATE: The percent of students in grades 9 through 12 who drop out of school in a single year. HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM COMPLETION: The per-cent of high school graduates who complete minimum course requirements needed for career and technology pro-grams, or requirements needed to enter the University of Maryland, or who complete both. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA: The percent of persons 25 years of age and over with a high school diploma or equivalent. GRADUATION/ SCHOOL COMPLETION OF CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES: The percent of children with Emotional Disturbances who graduate from or complete high school. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 44 DROPOUT RATE Indicator Definition Significance The percent of students in grades nine through twelve who drop out of school in a single year. Percent of public school students in 9th through 12th grade who withdrew from school before graduation or before completing a Maryland approved educational program during the July to June academic year. Failure to complete high school is closely linked with decreased employment oppor-tunities, low pay, and limited paths to advancement. Baseline Data DROPOUT RATE — Percent of students ( reported by academic year) Maryland - Percent Dropouts ( grades 9- 12) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 4.6 4.7 4.1 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.4 3.9 3.7 National - Percent Dropouts ( grades 10- 12) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 5.0 4.6 4.8 5.0 4.8 5.0 N/ A N/ A N/ A N/ A Data Sources Maryland data are collected by the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) through the Maryland School Performance Program for grades 9 through 12. Data are available on the State, school system, and school levels. National Source: US Department of Education National Center for Educational Statistics, Dropout Rates in the United States. Considerations The dropout rate is reported for grades 9- 12. Data on dropout rates are not collected for individual students across school years. Related Measures Local school systems have data on the various reasons students drop out of school. These reasons often include expulsion, pregnancy, and parenthood. Additionally, the US Census Bureau collects two related measures: people ( age 20- 24) who have not completed high school and teenagers ( age 16- 19) who are not enrolled in school and are not high school graduates. Story Behind the Data Research has identified four major categories of factors that increase the potential for a student to drop out of school. The four categories list risk factors that are school- related, student- related, community- related, and family- related. As the com-bination of risk factors becomes more complex, the potential for student dropout increases. Poor academic performance is considered to be the strongest of these factors. The United States Department of Education annual dropout report states that students who repeated one or more grades are twice as likely to drop out as those who have never been retained. Those who repeated more than one grade were four times as likely to leave school before completion. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 45 Student- related factors include personal problems such as substance abuse, preg-nancy, and parenthood. These personal problems lead to behavior problems includ-ing truancy, absenteeism, tardiness, suspension, and ultimately expulsion. Mary-land has in place intensive student supports such as counseling, advocacy, psycho-logical services, and health services that help students cope with their personal problems and increase their academic performance. Both the degree and nature of family support are critical in keeping students in school. Research has shown that factors such as stressful/ unstable home life, single parent households, poor education of parents, socioeconomic status, and a primary language other than English increased the likelihood of a student dropping out of school. Of the community- related factors, poverty is the strongest predictor of the likelihood that a student may drop out of school. Maryland’s dropout rate is one of the lowest in the nation. Since 1993, there has been a steady improvement in Maryland’s dropout rate. In 1993, Maryland’s drop-out rate was 5.4%. In 2005 the rate is 3.7%, a 31% decline from the 1993 level. Maryland’s schools have made a concerted effort in the last 10 years to create a team approach to address the dropout problem. Maryland has realized that the resources necessary for addressing the dropout prob-lem go well beyond the school and require the combined efforts of students, parents, teachers, administrators, community- based organizations, and local businesses. The Maryland Parent Advisory Council ( M- PAC) has developed recommendations for schools, parents, and the community at large to work collaboratively to improve student and school performance, including school attendance. For more informa-tion on M- PAC, please refer to “ Absence from School,” p. 36 of this report or the M- PAC section of the MSDE website, www. marylandpublicschools. org. Dropout Rate* Maryland and National Percent of Students Leaving School 1996 to 2005 2 4 6 8 10 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Percent Maryland National * Maryland-% of students grades 9- 12 who withdrew from school before graduation or completing an approved educational program. National-% of students enrolled in grades 10- 12 one year earlier who were not enrolled and not graduated in the year for which the data are presented; national data not available for 2002- 2005. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 46 HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM COMPLETION Indicator The percent of high school graduates who complete minimum course requirements needed for career and technology programs, or requirements needed to enter the University of Maryland, or who complete both. Significance The completion of program requirements indicates students’ potential readiness for post- secondary education and/ or employment. Baseline Data HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM COMPLETION – Percent of graduates who complete the various post- secondary requirements ( reported by academic year) University System of Maryland Career & Technology Education Programs Both 1996 50.8 12.7 5.0 1997 53.1 14.3 5.4 1998 57.6 14.2 6.8 1999 58.3 14.3 8.7 2000 57.7 14.2 9.7 2001 57.8 14.6 10.7 2002 52.2 15.9 11.3 2003 54.1 15.3 10.8 2004 55.7 14.7 10.3 2005 57.0 13.5 12.0 Data Sources Data are collected by the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) through the Maryland School Performance Program ( MSPP). Data are available on the State, school system, and school levels at http:// mdreportcard. org. Considerations It is important to note that the minimum required course work at the passing level might not be sufficient to predict success at the college level. Story Behind the Data Increasingly, students who complete state- approved Career and Technology Educa-tion ( CTE) programs are also meeting the requirements for entry into the University of Maryland System. These students, known as “ dual- completers,” have been in-creasing at about 10 times the rate of overall growth in the CTE programs. It ap-pears that more students who are preparing to enter directly into four- year colleges are finding value in acquiring the knowledge and skills gained by completing a CTE program. Data from the 2005 High School Graduate Survey show that Maryland graduates continue to set high expectations for themselves with 87.2% of the Class of 2005 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 47 planning on entering directly into some form of higher education, including special-ized training and the military. This rate is up from 78.8% seven years ago. This information is available on- line for each Local School System and each individual school in the MSPP Report Card referenced above. In terms of academic preparation, Maryland’s average Scholastic Aptitude Test ( SAT) verbal score for the Class of 2005 remained at 511, and its average math score remained steady at 515 as the number of test takers ( 71%) continued to climb. Maryland’s composite average of 1026 represents a 12- point jump since 1992. Among the state’s recent graduates, minority students represented 38% of the State’s test- takers. The average verbal score for African- American test- takers in-creased by 4 points to 434 while the average math score increased by 3 points to 426. Participation and scores in the College Board’s Advanced Placement ( AP) program increased for Maryland students overall and for all subgroups. Exams are scored on a five- point scale and used by many colleges to award course credit or place-ment into advanced college credit. The number of Maryland students receiving grades 3 to 5, the high- level scores, increased by 10%. AP participation and scor-ing among ethnic minority groups also improved. The number of African Ameri-can students taking the test increased by 12 percent. Percent of Maryland High School Graduates who Complete Requirements to Enter University System of Maryland, Career & Technology Programs or Both, 1996 to 2005 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Percent University of Md Career & Technolgy Both Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 48 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA Indicator Definition Significance The percent of persons 25 years of age and over with a high school diploma or equivalent. The percent of all persons 25 years of age and over residing in Maryland who have a high school diploma or equivalent. Completing high school is closely linked with increased employment opportunities, higher pay, and expanded paths to advancement. Baseline Data EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT - Percent of persons 25 years and over with a high school diploma or equivalency ( reported by calendar year) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 84.6 84.7 84.7 84.7 85.7 88.1 87.5 87.6 87.4 National 81.7 82.1 82.8 83.4 84.1 84.1 84.1 84.6 85.2 Data Sources US Census - Current Population Survey data for Maryland are from Table 13 Edu-cation Attainment in the United States ( http:// www. census. gov/ population/ www/ socdemo/ educ- attn. html). Considerations The Census provides the data once every ten years. Mid- decade data are made available through Current Population Reports from the US Bureau of the Census. Related Measures The percent of young adults, ages 16 to 24, who are currently enrolled in high school and have completed high school, either by obtaining a diploma or an alterna-tive credential such as a General Education Development ( GED). Story Behind the Data In Maryland and nationally, the percentage of adults 25 years old and over with a high school diploma or an equivalent credential has increased steadily. Every year from 1991 to 2004, Maryland has equaled or exceeded the national percentage. This is important because obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent is a measure of the extent to which these adults have mastered the basic reading, writ-ing, and math skills needed to function in the 21st century. It also represents the extent to which adults 25 years and over have completed a prerequisite for many entry- level jobs, as well as higher education. High school graduates earn substantially more than persons who leave high school without graduating. For example, in 2002, median annual earnings for male full-time, full- year wage and salary workers ages 25- 34 were $ 29,647 for high school graduates compared to $ 22,903 for those male workers who had completed up to grades 9- 11. For young women, the gap was similar. Female full- time, full- year workers ages 25- 34 with a high school degree earned a median annual salary of $ 23,458 compared to $ 17,114 for those who had completed up to grades 9- 11 ( US Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics). The percentage of 25 to 29 year- olds who have completed high school or who have received GED credentials has increased from 83% in 1975 to 87% in 2004. Com- Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 49 pletion rates for African Americans have risen more dramatically during that same period of time from 72% to 89%. Completion rates have also increased among Whites, but to a lesser extent ( from 87% to 93%), resulting in a narrowing gap be-tween African American and white rates over time. Hispanics have had much lower high school completion rates than either African Americans or Whites since the 1970’ s. In 1975, the rate of completion for Hispanic youth was 53% and in 2004 that rate stood at 63% ( US Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statis-tics). Adults without a high school diploma or its equivalent are less prepared to enter and/ or progress in the 21st century workforce. A strategy to address this issue is to offer a variety of educational programs to prepare individuals for obtaining a diploma or GED. Percent of Persons 25 Years Old and Over With High School Diploma or Equivalent, Maryland and National 1995 to 2004 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland National Percent Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 50 GRADUATION/ SCHOOL COMPLETION OF CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES ( ED) Indicator Percent of children with Emotional Disturbances ( ED) who graduate from or com-plete high school. Prior to the passage of IDEA ( Individuals with Disabilities Edu-cation Act), ED was referred to as Serious Emotional Disturbance ( SED). Definition Percent of children with ED who exit special education by graduating or completing school. The denominator does not include those students with ED who exited the program to return to general education or to transfer to another program. The de-nominator does include those students who reached maximum age, dropped out, were expelled ( 1994- 1997), or exited with a diploma or certificate. Significance High school graduation/ completion is an indicator of adequate functioning for chil-dren with mental illness. The National Mental Health Association found that chil-dren with emotional disturbances have the highest school dropout rate of any group of children with disabilities ( The National Mental Health Associations’ 1993 Re-port, “ All Systems Failure”). Baseline Data GRADUATION/ COMPLETION RATE - Exit data: percent of students with disabilities diagnosed with emotional disturbance ( reported by calendar year) 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 51.0 54.4 61.2 61.4 55.3 57.8 56.8 56.1 National 44.4 46.5 49.1 48.4 47.2 53.4 47.2 N/ A 2005 54.1 N/ A 1996 53.5 42.6 Data Sources Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE), Special Services Information System ( SSIS) Exit Data on the reasons students exited special education and Of-fice of Special Education Programs ( OSEP) Annual Reports to Congress ( 17th – 25th) Part B Report Tables. Considerations Several factors must be considered regarding school identification of children with ED: differing diagnostic procedures and populations across counties affect enroll-ments; and, other characteristics of the population and available resources also af-fect enrollment and school completion. Related Measures Consideration was also given to the number of children receiving mental health services. These data are limited in availability. Further, it was recognized that it would be difficult to determine whether an increase in this number would be consid-ered positive or negative in terms of children’s outcomes. Story Behind the Data The number of students with ED receiving a diploma or certificate has decreased by 2 percent from the 2003- 2004 school year to 2004- 2005 school year. The 2003- 2004 national data indicate that Maryland’s students with disabilities, including students with ED, continue to exceed the national percentage of students with dis-abilities receiving diplomas or certificates. In an effort to increase the graduation rate for students with ED and to enhance the quality of life for students and their families, the Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) has taken a number of steps to provide comprehensive support Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 51 to families, school systems, and communities. These steps include assisting local schools in the educational development of children and youth with ED, fostering better interagency collaboration, and providing technical assistance to local school systems and state- operated programs to assure appropriate and necessary staffing for educational services. Many of Maryland’s schools have adopted a systems approach to enhancing the ca-pacity of schools to sustain the use of effective practices for all students through the use of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports ( PBIS). This approach assists schools in moving toward school- wide behavior systems that address the entire school - all students in all venues: the classroom, areas outside the classroom ( hallway, restroom, cafeteria, and playgrounds), and the individual students with challenging behaviors. These systems define school rules and expectations, provide training about the rules, and offer feedback through acknowledgements and correc-tions. PBIS is a team- based process for systemic problem solving and planning. It is an approach to create an environment within which school- based teams of educators are provided training in systems change, effective management principles and practices and applications of research- validated instruction and management practices. In 2004, nearly 80 schools were trained in PBIS, over 200 schools have been trained since 1999, and over 100 schools are anticipated to be trained in the summer of 2006. Percent of Children with Emotional Disturbances Exiting Special Education* by Graduating or Completing School 1996 to 2005 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Percent * The denominator excludes those students with ED who exited the program to return to general education or to transfer to another program. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 52 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 53 CHILDREN SAFE IN THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES THE GOVERNOR CHILDREN SAFE IN THEIR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES INDICATORS: ABUSE OR NEGLECT: The rate of child abuse or neglect investigations ruled as indicated or unsubstantiated. DEATHS DUE TO INJURY: The rate of injury- related deaths to children. JUVENILE VIOLENT OFFENSE ARRESTS: The rate of arrests of youth ages 10- 17 for violent offenses. JUVENILE SERIOUS NON- VIOLENT OFFENSE ARRESTS: The rate of arrests of youth ages 10- 17 for serious non- violent offenses. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The rate of victims receiving domestic violence services through community- based programs funded by the Department of Human Resources. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 54 ABUSE OR NEGLECT Indicator Definition Significance The rate of investigations of child abuse or neglect ruled as indicated or unsubstanti-ated. Rate ( per 1,000 children under 18) of child abuse or neglect Child Protective Ser-vice investigations ruled “ indicated” ( where credible evidence is not satisfactorily refuted) or “ unsubstantiated” ( where insufficient evidence is found to support a finding as either indicated or ruled out). The indicator measures the extent to which important adults threaten children’s se-curity. Child abuse or neglect can result in physical harm, developmental delays, behavioral problems, or death. Abused and neglected children are at greater risk for delinquency and mistreatment of their own children. Baseline Data RATES OF INDICATED AND UNSUBSTANTIATED CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT ( reported by state fiscal year) Rate per 1,000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Indicated 7.2 6.9 6.2 6.3 6.2 5.8 5.5 5.3 4.6 Unsubstantiated 6.0 6.4 6.0 6.3 5.9 6.0 6.3 6.1 5.5 Total 13.2 13.3 12.3 12.6 12.1 11.8 11.8 11.5 10.1 2005 4.4 5.4 9.9 Data Sources The Department of Human Resources ( DHR) Client Information System ( CIS): data are available by jurisdiction and by type of abuse. DHR/ CIS does not track the number of investigations ruled out because state law requires that they be ex-punged. At the State level investigations are counted by household, not by an indi-vidual child; consequently statewide data on individual children involved in CPS investigations are not available. Data have not been available by child, age, gender, race/ ethnicity, maltreatment type, or relationship of perpetrator to victim. Recent changes to the law permit the State to begin to collect these data. Considerations The indicator represents a conservative estimate of the true incidence of abuse or neglect. When evidence is insufficient, but there is a suspicion that maltreatment did occur, the incident is classified as unsubstantiated. In addition, an unknown amount of abuse and neglect is never reported to authorities. Furthermore, a higher number of incident- based reports can reflect improvements in reporting systems rather than increases in incidents. Related Measures Both domestic violence and substance abuse are related to the risk of child maltreat-ment. Story Behind the Data The total number of investigations of alleged child abuse and neglect decreased less than one percent in Maryland during FY05. The rate per 1,000 for indicated reports decreased slightly, continuing the trend from FY95. The rate per 1,000 for unsub-stantiated reports of child abuse and neglect has remained essentially stable through FY03, but has fallen below 6 per 1,000 during the last two years. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 55 Investigation of allegations of child abuse and neglect is only the first step in pro-tecting children from continued abuse and neglect. Ongoing child protective ser-vices and family preservation programs are vital in helping families build sufficient supports to prevent the recurrence of maltreatment. Low worker- to- family ratios and intense service provision appear to be effective in preventing new incidents of child abuse and neglect, thereby reducing the need to place children outside of their homes. The need to protect Maryland’s children from abuse and neglect continues. When counseling, substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, and other services are unsuccessful in creating a safe home environment for a child, it becomes necessary to find an alternative arrangement. The first choice for alternative living arrange-ments is with relatives. When that is not possible, children are placed with foster parents until a more permanent living arrangement can be found. Maryland has begun several initiatives to create a safer living environment for children likely to be removed from the home and has expedited finding more permanent alternative living arrangements. Child Abuse and Neglect: Rate of Indicated and Unsubstantiated Cases in Maryland, 1996 to 2005* 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Rate per 1,000 Indicated Unsubstantiated Total * By State Fiscal Year Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 56 DEATHS DUE TO INJURY Indicator Definition Significance The rate of injury- related deaths to children. The rate per 100,000 of injury- related deaths to children ages 0- 19, in three broad injury categories: accidents ( motor vehicle or other), homicide, or suicide. The indicator is associated with social, economic, and environmental threats to a child’s life. For every childhood death caused by injury, there are approximately 34 hospitalizations, 1,000 emergency department visits, many more visits to private physicians and school nurses, and an even larger number of injuries treated at home ( CDC). Baseline Data CHILD DEATHS DUE TO INJURIES — Deaths due to injuries per 100,000 children ages 0- 19 years ( reported by calendar year) All races 1996 1997 1998 1999* 2000 2001 Accidents 12.3 11.0 10.8 12.1 9.7 11.7 Homicide 8.4 8.0 8.6 7.5 5.8 6.3 Suicide 1.8 1.6 1.8 2.1 2.3 2.0 African American 1996 1997 1998 1999* 2000 2001 Accidents 17.6 15.5 13.2 11.4 11.4 11.6 Homicide 23.7 22.2 22.4 19.5 15.0 16.2 Suicide 0.9 1.1 1.3 2.1 2.5 1.6 White 1996 1997 1998 1999* 2000 2001 Accidents 10.4 9.3 9.4 13.2 9.8 11.9 Homicide 1.4 1.0 1.9 1.5 1.6 1.2 Suicide 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.5 All other races 1996 1997 1998 1999* 2000 2001 Accidents 3.2 3.1 13.5 2.8 3.5 6.1 Homicide 1.6 7.7 6.0 5.7 0.7 3.7 Suicide 3.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 2002 10.7 7.2 2.3 2002 13.0 17.7 1.8 2002 9.4 1.8 2.6 2002 10.8 4.0 1.3 2003 11.3 7.1 1.9 2003 11.4 18.3 0.8 2003 11.6 1.6 2.4 2003 6.6 1.3 2.6 2004 11.1 6.4 1.6 2004 13.0 14.9 0.8 2004 10.4 2.1 2.2 2004 6.4 0.0 0.0 * In 1999 the event coding system shifted from version 9 to version 10 of the International Classification of Diseases ( ICD). The injury events tracked for this indicator are highly comparable between the ICD 9 and 10 coding systems, therefore, the trends retain continuity throughout the years presented. Data Sources Data on child fatalities are provided by the Maryland Office of Vital Statistics and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. These data sets are used by the Center for Preventive Health Services ( CPHS) of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ( DHMH) to produce standardized county profiles that include re-ports on child hospitalization and death. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 57 Considerations It may be desirable to use multi- year averaging and trend lines as well as large age groups in small jurisdictions. Related Measures Data on all child fatalities may be found in the “ Healthy Children” section. Story Behind the Data Nationally, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children 1 to 19 years of age. However, there is variation between the 1- 14 and 15- 19 age groups as to the type of unintentional injuries most often found. Injuries from motor vehicles are the primary cause of death among 1- 14 year olds. For 15- 19 year olds, injuries from motor vehicles and fire arms are the primary causes of deaths. Safe Kids estimated that up to 90% of unintentional injuries are preventable. Injury prevention education such as bicycle helmets, car safety seats and smoke alarms are inexpensive interventions that save lives ( Department of Health and Human Ser-vices). In Maryland accidents are the leading cause of death for all races. For the race cate-gories white and all other races, accidents are also the leading cause of death. How-ever, for African American youth, homicide continues to be the leading cause of death caused by injuries. The African American rate has fluctuated over the years from a high of 23.7 per 100,000 children 0- 19 years in 1996 to a low of 14.9 per 100,000 children in 2004. The rate of child death due to homicide for Maryland African American youth, however, is 7.1 times greater that for white youth. Al-though the rate of death from suicide is low in Maryland, the rate for white youth is 2.8 times the rate for African American youth. Child Death Rates Due to Accidents Age 19 and Under by Race 1997 to 2004 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 All races African American White All Other Races Rate per 100,000 Child Death Rates Due to Homicide Age 19 and Under by Race 1997 to 2004 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 100,000 All Races African American White All Other Races Child Death Rates Due to Suicide Age 19 and Under by Race 1997 to 2004 5 10 15 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 100,000 All Races African American White All Other Races Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 58 JUVENILE VIOLENT OFFENSE ARRESTS Indicator Definition Significance The rate of arrests of youth ages 10- 17 for violent offenses. The rate per 100,000 of arrests of youth ages 10- 17 for violent criminal offenses: murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Involvement in violent offenses increases the risk of injury or death. Risk factors for juvenile delinquency include a lack of educational and job training opportunities, poverty, family violence, and inadequate supervision. Poor school performance, including absence from school, and falling behind in one or more grade levels, in-creases the likelihood of involvement in delinquent activity. Baseline Data JUVENILE VIOLENT OFFENSE ARRESTS — non- negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault ( reported by calendar year) Rate of arrests per 100,000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Age 10- 14 333 373 355 308 300 307 305 284 274 280 Age 15- 17 1,250 1,340 1,177 929 879 912 891 834 891 884 Age 10- 17 661 722 655 535 510 524 515 482 499 504 Data Sources Maryland State Police Uniform Crime Report ( UCR), Violent Crime Arrests. Age groups: 9 years or younger, 10- 12, 13- 14, 15, 16, 17, all juveniles. Data are also broken out separately for 18 and 19 year- olds and are reported by age, type of crime, county, and municipality. Considerations The indicator measures the number of incidents and may include repeated arrests of the same individual for different offenses within a given year, whereas the denomi-nator is the population estimate for ages 10- 17. It is recommended that an overall offense rate be included, as some counties will have small numbers. Localities may also want to use five- year averages for greater reporting accuracy. Related Measures Department of Juvenile Services ( DJS) intake for violent offenses data are also available. Story Behind the Data Ten year trend data ( 1995 to 2004) show that among 10- 17 year olds the rate of violent offense arrests for 2004 ( 504 per 100,000) has declined by 23.8% from the 1995 level ( 661 per 100,000). Over this 10- year period, there was a 16.0% decrease in the violent offense arrests for 10- 14 year olds ( 333 to 280 per 100,000), even with an increase from 2003- 2004. Finally, there was a 29.3% decrease for the 15- 17 year olds ( 1,250 to 884 per 100,000) between 1995 and 2004. As displayed in the graph, the rate of violent offenses peaked for both 10- 14 year olds ( 373 per 100,000) and 10- 17 year olds ( 1,340 per 100,000) in 1996. The drop in the violent offense rate over the years has been more pronounced for the 15- 17 age group than the 10- 14 age group. Even so, the rate for 15- 17 year olds is 3.2 times higher in 2004 than for the 10- 14 year olds. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 59 Juvenile Violent Offense Rates Ages 10- 14, 15- 17, and 10- 17 in Maryland, 1995 to 2004 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 100,000 Ages 10- 14 Ages 15- 17 Ages 10- 17 For all referrals since FY2001, DJS has seen a decrease in the number of referrals for property- related offenses, and an increase in the number of referrals for person-to- person offenses. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 60 JUVENILE SERIOUS NON- VIOLENT OFFENSE ARRESTS Indicator Definition Significance The rate of arrests of youth ages 10- 17 for serious non- violent offenses. The rate per 100,000 of arrests of youth ages 10- 17 for serious non- violent criminal offenses: breaking or entering, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Risk factors for juvenile delinquency include a lack of educational and job training opportunities, poverty, family violence, and inadequate supervision. Poor school performance, including absence from school and falling behind one or more grade levels, increases the likelihood of involvement in delinquent activity. Baseline Data JUVENILE SERIOUS NON- VIOLENT OFFENSE ARRESTS — breaking and entering, larceny/ theft, and motor vehicle theft ( reported by calendar year) Data Sources Maryland State Police Uniform Crime Report ( UCR), Non- Violent Crime Arrests. Age groups: 9 years or younger, 10- 12, 13- 14, 15, 16- 17, and all juveniles. Data are also broken out separately for 18 and 19 year- olds. Data reported by age, type of crime, county, and municipality. Considerations The indicator measures the number of incidents and may include repeated arrests of the same individual for different offenses within a given year, whereas the popula-tion is the individual count for ages 10- 17. There also may be high variability in law enforcement practices across jurisdictions. It is recommended that an overall offense rate be included, as some counties will have small numbers. Counties may also want to use five- year averages for greater reporting accuracy. Story Behind the Data Trend data from 1995 through 2004 indicate that the rate of serious non- violent juvenile ( ages 10- 17) arrests has declined from 2,701 to 1,871 per 100,000, a 30.7% decrease. Since reaching a peak in 1996, there has been a steady decline in non-violent offense arrests until 2003 when the rates increased for both 10- 14 and 15- 17 year olds. The rates for 10- 14 year olds increased again in 2004, while the rates for 15- 17 year olds resumed their decline. Across the years, the arrest rate for the 10- 14 year olds decreased 29.1% and the rates for the 15- 17 year olds decreased 33.3%. In 2004, the rate for 15- 17 year olds was 2.6 times that of the rate for 10- 14 year olds. The data suggest that, although the rates are higher for 15- 17 year olds, the gap is decreasing, and younger juveniles are becoming increasingly more likely to be arrested for a serious non- violent offense. Rate of arrests per 100,000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Age 10- 14 1,610 1,712 1,599 1,370 1,235 1,204 1,064 1,004 1,098 1,142 Age 15- 17 4,665 4,743 4,317 3,899 3,373 3,404 3,190 3,079 3,216 3,111 Age 10- 17 2,701 2,806 2,594 2,278 2,012 1,993 1,826 1,751 1,869 1,871 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 61 Juvenile Non- Violent Offense Rates Ages 10- 14, 15- 17, and 10- 17 in Maryland, 1995 to 2004 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rate per 100,000 Ages 10- 14 Ages 15- 17 Ages 10- 17 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 62 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Indicator Definition Rate of victims receiving domestic violence services through community- based programs funded by the Department of Human Resources ( DHR). Rate of victims ( adults and minor children) receiving domestic violence services through community- based programs funded by the Department of Human Re-sources ( DHR) per 100,000 households ( estimated) in Maryland. Domestic violence impacts a child’s ability to be safe at home and in the commu-nity. Children who grow up in violent homes exhibit a higher incidence of social, emotional, and behavioral problems than other children. These children also are at greater risk than other children for delinquency and mistreatment of their own chil-dren. Baseline Data DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ( reported by state fiscal year) Victims receiving Domestic Violence Services. Rate per 100,000.* 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 301 337 342 312 499 490 556 605 680 2005 694 Data Sources Department of Human Resources ( DHR), Community Services Administration ( CSA), Office of Victim Services ( OVS). The data are collected from statistical reports submitted to OVS by the community- based service providers. The provid-ers sign and submit reports on a monthly basis. * Rate based on estimated number of households in Maryland Considerations These data provide incomplete information regarding the actual incidence of do-mestic violence and provision of service in Maryland. For example, victims may report incidents to police but not seek services from community- based service pro-viders funded by DHR. There may also be victims who seek services from more than one service provider and are, therefore, counted more than once in the data. Other programs/ entities also serving domestic violence victims, but not funded by DHR, do exist in the community and do not report their data to DHR. Story Behind the Data The rate of victims receiving domestic violence services remained relatively stable from FY96 to FY99 with rates ranging from 301 per 100,000 in FY96 to 342 per 100,000 in FY98. From FY00 to FY05, the rate of victims receiving domestic vio-lence services grew by 39.1%, from 499 per 100,000 in FY00 to 694 per 100,000 in FY04. One reason for this growth is that DHR has increased the funding for com-munity- based domestic violence programs during the last few years. Domestic violence not only affects those who are being abused, but also impacts the children who witness the acts. Ninety percent of children from violent homes di-rectly witness attacks even though parents think they are unaware of the violence. Seventy percent of men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children. Significance Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 63 Child abuse is 15 times more likely to occur in families where domestic violence is present. In the context of domestic violence, the younger the child, the greater the threat to healthy development. As the child grows older, years of witnessing domestic vio-lence may take their toll in varying ways, depending on the age of the child. Younger children may blame themselves, believing that they are the cause of the violence. They may also exhibit behavior and emotional problems such as becom-ing withdrawn, experiencing eating and sleeping difficulty, and having concentra-tion problems. Pre- adolescent children may develop a loss of interest in social activities and a low self- concept. Other common behavior includes temper tantrums, irritability, and frequent fighting at school and at home. Dropping out of school, delinquency, and substance abuse are common outcomes of an adolescent child who has witnessed domestic violence ( Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview - www. aaets. org/ arts/ art8. htm). Because domestic violence is a learned behavior, the ultimate risk for children who witness abuse is that they will grow up to be the next generation of batterers and battered victims. Rate* of Victims Receiving Domestic Violence Services in Maryland 1996 to 2005** 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0 300.0 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0 550.0 600.0 650.0 700.0 750.0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Rate per 100,000 Households * Based on estimated number of households in Maryland ** State Fiscal Year Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 64 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 65 STABLE AND ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT FAMILIES THE GOVERNOR STABLE AND ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT FAMILIES INDICATORS: CHILD POVERTY: The percent of children under 18 whose families have incomes below the poverty level. SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS: The percent of all households that are headed by a single parent. OUT- OF- HOME PLACEMENTS: The rate of children placed in out- of- home care. PERMANENT PLACEMENTS: The percent of children who leave out- of- home care for a more permanent living arrangement. HOMELESS ADULTS AND CHILDREN: The rate of homeless adults and children per 100,000 Maryland residents served by programs funded by the Department of Human Resources and other shelter providers. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 66 CHILD POVERTY Indicator Definition Percent of children under 18 whose families have incomes below the poverty level. Percentage of people under 18 ( SAIPE statistic) or related children under 18 ( CPS statistic) whose families have incomes below the US poverty threshold, as defined by the US Office of Management and Budget. “ Related children” include the householder’s children by birth, marriage, or adoption under age 18 as well as other persons under 18, such as nieces or nephews, who are related to the family head. Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to have unmet nutritional needs, live in substandard housing, be victims of crime and violence, lack basic health care, and have unequal access to educational opportunities. Significance Baseline Data CHILD POVERTY ( reported by calendar year) Data Sources This report includes two estimates of child poverty: Current Population Survey ( CPS) - weighted count and Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program ( SAIPE). Both estimates are from the US Census Bureau, but are produced using different methodologies and cannot be compared to one another. Child poverty rates at the State and county level are available once every ten years from the de-cennial census; estimates at the county level are available from SAIPE for 1993, 1995, and each year from 1997 to 2003. Considerations The official federal poverty level reflects an austere level of existence: the 2004 poverty guideline for a family of 4 was $ 18,850 ( for 2006, the poverty guideline is $ 20,000). Available research suggests that children whose families are “ near poor” also suffer significant disadvantages, compared to children in families who are bet-ter off economically. Thus, some public programs also include those children in families who earn a certain percentage above the poverty line, such as 150 percent or 200 percent. Congress has directed the Census Bureau to re- evaluate how pov-erty rates are calculated. Current Population Survey ( CPS) - Percent of related children under age 18 in poverty 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Single Year ( MD) 15.8 16.3 13.4 6.9 6.5 6.6 7.0 7.3 10.3 10.6 3- yr Average ( MD) 14.9 16.3 15.2 12.2 8.9 6.7 6.7 7.0 8.2 9.4 National 20.2 19.8 19.2 18.3 16.3 15.6 15.8 16.3 17.2 17.3 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates ( SAIPE) - Percent of people under age 18 living in poverty 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 13.2 14.1 14.9 12.6 10.1 10.7 9.4 10.1 11.5 N/ A National 20.8 20.5 19.9 18.9 17.1 16.2 16.3 16.7 17.6 N/ A Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 67 Related Measures Additional measures of children in poverty include enrollment data in means- tested programs such as the School Lunch or Food Stamps Programs. Related measures include single parenthood, low educational attainment, and part- time or no employ-ment. Story Behind the Data According to the University of Michigan’s National Poverty Center, “ Children repre-sent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States; they are 25 percent of the total population, but 35 percent of the poor population” ( www. npc. umich. edu/ poverty/). In 2004, 13 million children in the United States under age 18 ( 17.8% of all children) were living in poverty ( increased from 12.9 million in 2003); in Mary-land, that percentage was significantly lower at 11.0%. For the past five years, the single year Current Population Survey ( CPS) estimate of child poverty rate ( related children under age 18) for Maryland has been one of the lowest in the country. Maryland’s rate was the 8th lowest in 2004. Caution must be used, however, as the US Bureau of the Census warns against the use of single year State level estimates for child poverty because of the survey sample size used. The SAIPE estimates, on the other hand, are considered reliable and valid as single year estimates— SAIPE also produces jurisdiction breakdowns whereas the CPS methodol-ogy does not. The 2003 SAIPE estimate for Maryland ( 11.5%) is below the state’s 10 year average of 12.2% but is higher than the annual percentages seen over the past five years. This 2003 estimate for Maryland, however, is the fourth lowest in the na-tion. A positive factor bearing on child poverty has been Maryland’s relatively low unem-ployment over the last several years. Starting with 3.6% average unemployment in 2000, the average rate increased to 4.1% for 2005, and has dropped back to 3.7 in 2006 ( through April). The April 2006 unemployment rate was 3.4. On an annual basis, Maryland has been below the US average in unemployment during the same time period ( source: Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). Percent of Related Children Under Age 18 in Poverty ( based on CPS*), Maryland and National 1995 to 2004 5 10 15 20 25 30 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Percent National, Single Year Estimate Maryland, 3 Year Average * CPS = Current Population Survey, U. S. Census Percent of Children Under Age 18 in Poverty ( based on SAIPE*), Maryland and National 1993 to 2003 5 10 15 20 25 30 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Percent Maryland National * SAIPE = Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program, U. S. Census Bureau ( not available for 1994) Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 68 SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS Indicator Definition The percent of all households that are headed by a single parent. The percentage of children under age 18 who live in households headed by a person ( male or female) without a spouse present in the home. Children who live in group quarters ( for example, institutions, dormitories, or group homes) are not included in this calculation. The number of parents living with a child is linked to the amount and quality of human and economic resources available to that child. Generally, single parenting implies that there is no immediate adult back- up to reinforce disciplinary lessons or family teachings, to provide an additional role model, or simply to share the load of care. Children who live in a household with one parent are substantially more likely to have family incomes below the poverty level than are children who grow up in a household with two parents. Significance Baseline Data PERCENT OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS HEADED BY A SINGLE PARENT ( reported by calendar year) Data Sources Baseline data were changed to reflect a new data source, beginning with the 2006 Report. The data for this measure come from the 2000 and 2001 Supplemental Survey and the 2002 through 2004 American Community Survey ( ACS), a special nationwide survey of 700,000 households that the US Census Bureau conducted monthly dur-ing each calendar year. ( The 2000 and 2001 Supplemental Survey used the ques-tionnaire and methods developed for the ACS.) The ACS, when fully imple-mented, is designed to provide annually updated social, economic, and housing data for states and communities, data that traditionally have been collected only once every ten years ( for the decennial census). The data for this variable-- like all data from the ACS and the supplemental surveys-- reflect annual averages of monthly data. Considerations Jurisdictional breakdowns are not available. 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Maryland 36 31 32 32 33 National 30 30 30 30 31 Related Measures Current Population Survey ( CPS) data from the US Bureau of the Census provide national figures annually for family structure and the percentage of children under age 18 by presence of parents in household. Two parent, mother only, father only, and no parent ( e. g., children live with relatives or are placed in out- of- home care) breakdowns are available. State and jurisdiction breakdowns are not available. Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 69 Story Behind the Data Perhaps the most controversial indicator that Maryland has chosen, single parenting, cuts across many social and economic issues facing the nation and Maryland, in-cluding concerns about rising divorce rates, increasing numbers of unwed births, child poverty, and juvenile delinquency. The significance of this indicator is that the number of parents living with a child is generally linked to the amount and qual-ity of human and economic resources available to that child ( KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2004). Children of single parents are at greater risk to be in poverty. Nationally in 2004, 35.9% of children who live in single parent households with their mothers were below the poverty line. Regardless of race and social class, the youth of single par-ents are also at greater risk to become delinquents. Children of divorced and never-married parents are at greater risk to repeat a grade in school and to be expelled/ suspended, drop out of school, and/ or become teen parents. Drug involvement is greater among adolescents of divorced parents. While being raised by a single parent does not mean that children and youth will face such problems, the fact remains that increasing numbers of children are grow-ing up in single parent households. In 2004, 33% of all children in Maryland under the age of 18 lived in households headed by a single person, male or female, with-out a spouse present; the national figure was 31%. Maryland ranks 38th ( 1= lowest/ best percentage) among other states in the nation for the percentage of children in single parent households. Maryland has focused on different aspects of the single parenthood challenge. Teen births usually result in single parent families and the State is engaged in a number of strategies to reduce teen pregnancy. Welfare reform efforts are underway in Mary-land which some may argue will address the problems of welfare dependency and illegitimacy. Also, Maryland’s Department of Human Resources has focused ef-forts on supporting single parents and promoting responsible fatherhood. Percent of all Households that are Headed by a Single Parent Maryland and National 2000 to 2004 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Percent Maryland National Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 70 OUT- OF- HOME PLACEMENTS Indicator Definition Rate of children placed in out- of- home care. Rate per 1,000 children placed in foster care, juvenile justice, mental health, sub-stance abuse treatment, and education out- of- home placements. Children need safe and stable homes in order to thrive. Family instability, abuse/ neglect, extreme poverty, crime, violence, homelessness, substance abuse, and seri-ous illness/ disability may pose substantial risks to children and may contribute to the need for children to be placed in alternative care. Significance Baseline Data RATE OF ENTRY INTO OUT- OF- HOME PLACEMENTS - Per 1,000 chil-dren under age 18 ( reported by state fiscal year) Data Sources The Report on Out- of- Home Placements ( December 2005) tracks out- of- home placements by the Department of Human Resources ( DHR), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ( DHMH) Mental Hygiene Administration ( MHA), DHMH Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration ( ADAA), DHMH Developmental Disabili-ties Administration ( DDA), the Department of Juvenile Services ( DJS), and the Local School Systems ( LSS). The Maryland State Department of Education ( MSDE) co- funds educational placements by local school systems. Rate of entry figures are updated for most years due to data adjustments in the most recent report. Data are not unduplicated and are also available by both agency and jurisdiction. Considerations These data are the combined total of out- of- home placements ( across agencies rather than for separate agencies). Jurisdictions with small numbers may want to use multi- year averaging. Related Measures DHR/ SSA tracks placements in Foster Care Family Care, Kinship Care, Pre- Adoption Services, and Treatment Foster Care. Additionally, the decennial Census measures the number of children who live away from their families in group quar-ters. These data include the child welfare, corrections, and mental health systems. Data from both sources are available by jurisdiction. Story Behind the Data Although the number of children served in out- of- home placements statewide has been rising steadily at an average annual increase of 0.5% over the past decade, the rate of entry into care per 1,000 children has declined by 8.2% since FY96. The number served continued to decline for a fifth year in a row, and has decreased by 12.3% since its recent peak in FY00. In FY05, 26,884 children were served in 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Maryland 11.0 11.6 12.2 12.0 11.9 10.9 11.2 10.9 10.1 10.1 COSTS OF OUT- OF- HOME PLACEMENT ( MILLIONS OF DOLLARS - Actual Costs) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Maryland 374.1 392.4 412.5 459.6 497.3 515.8 552.7 576.0 621.8 643.1 Maryland’s Results for Child Well- Being 2006 71 placements, compared with 30,656 served in FY00. Only the following placement types experienced increases in their out- of- home care populations: MHA RICA ( Region |
