November 2012

Use of Juvenile Lock-up Plummets; Public Safety Maintained

The number of juveniles who land in jail has dropped dramatically over the past eight years, saving millions in taxpayer dollars, while maintaining public safety and putting more youth on a path to productive adulthood, according to a new report by Advocates for Children of New Jersey.

The Kids Count Special Report: Juvenile Justice found that in 2011, New Jersey locked up about 6,000 fewer juveniles in one year than it did prior to the start of an initiative to reduce New Jersey’s overuse of juvenile detention. On any given day in 2011, 446 fewer youth spent time in a New Jersey county detention center.

Read the report.
View pictures of the report release event.

Changing Student Assessment in New Jersey

New Jersey, like many states, spends millions of dollars each year to assess student achievement. Despite these high costs, the information gathered, especially for young children, is often used only to comply with state requirements, without actually benefiting teachers or students.  To advance student achievement, school leaders must link assessments to improved teaching and learning.

This new policy brief describes an exciting collaboration of educators and advocates to advance efforts to effectively assess young students to improve their school success.

Read the report.

NJ’s kids are counting on us.  We are counting on you

With your help, we scored significant wins for kids this year – more working parents receiving child care assistance, more kids getting a healthy breakfast at school day, fewer juveniles in lock-up. That’s great news and reason to celebrate. But we can’t stop there. Expanded preschool, better quality child care and improved safety protections for infants and toddlers are on our agenda for 2013. Your generous support will help us achieve more wins for kids in the coming year.

Please donate today.

Taskforce Recommendations Threaten Quality Preschool

The Education Transformation Task Force’s recent recommendations threaten to erode the high-quality preschool being delivered to tens of thousands of children living in some of New Jersey’s poorest school districts. These successful preschools have given thousands of children a better chance at school success. The proposed changes would rob them of that chance.

ACNJ is circulating letters that will go to the Governor, Legislature and Education Commissioner. Please Sign on today!

In This Issue

Juvenile Justice Report

Student Testing

Threats to Preschool

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