Some Challenges

The training session last night lasted ninety minutes. It was worthwhile and thought provoking. Attendees were mostly female, and all but three were older. There's some background and reference checking that needs to go on, but if that all goes smoothly, I'll commit to volunteer as a tutor/homework buddy for the rest of this semester and through the fall semester at the local high school.

At the session, they handed out a Kids Count profile for Providence which shows Providence's child statistics versus Rhode Island's. Here are some of the numbers, with Rhode Island numbers in parentheses.

Percentage of children in single parent families (2000): 51% (30%)

Median household income (2000): $26,867 ($42,090)

Percentage of children living in families below the federal poverty line (2000): 40.1% (16.5%)

Percentage of births to mothers with less than a high school diploma (2007): 28% (15%)

Rate of births per 100 to teens ages 15 to 17 (2002-2006): 4.7 (1.9)

Percentage of children who are English language learners (ELL) (2007): 16% (5%)

Percentage of 4th graders with reading proficiency (2007): 36% (64%)

Percentage of 8th graders with reading proficiency (2007): 37% (62%)

Percentage of 4th graders with math proficiency (2007): 26% (54%)

Percentage of 8th graders with math proficiency (2007): 24% (48%)

The place definitely has some challenges.

PS
We're thankful it's going to be 54-degrees this afternoon. Happy Hump Day, peoples!