We can improve Philadelphia Schools by installing curricula designed and proven to enable children to grow academically and emotionally.
We can also create incentives to insure children arrive at school reading ready, thereby reducing the academic achievement gap.
What we know about education is that the parent's level of involvement in their child's education is the single most effective predictor of a child' academic success (Catsambis, Epstein). Thus like poverty and crime cycles, we have an education cycle. Children whose parents were not involved in their education, become parents, and then they are not involved on their child's education. The legislation I will propose is called Individual College Accounts (ICAS) and will address the education cycle.
During the presidential campaign in 2008, Candidate Barack Obama stated that parents have to step up. Parents have to turn off the television and make sure the home work is done.
Individual College Account Plans (ICAs) combine what Barack Obama realizes and what persistent research has determined: The home environment is the most important criteria in academic achievement (Coleman Report). ICAs reward each child and parent based on their own merit, effort, and results: It's the American way.
Here is how they work. When a child is born, $5000 is placed one time into an Individual College Account (ICA) in the child's name. The ICA matures as a 401K or 403 B would. When the child enters first grade, assuming the child is reading ready, the parents receive $2000. If the child is not reading ready, the $2000 goes right to the district the child is enrolled in to help pay for the extra costs associated with enabling this child to be at grade level reading by grade 3.
The remaining money in the account continues to mature until the child enters college or technical training school. At that time, a percentage of the matured funds based on grades, behavior, and parental involvement, are sent to the college or trade school the child will be attending.
ICAs reward taxpayers. According to national statistics, a high school graduate earns $392,000 more than a non high school graduate. Children who read at grade level are more likely than those who do not read at grade level to finish high school. Assuming a 40 year working career at a conservative 20% income tax rate, the high school graduate will pay more than $75,000 in taxes to the federal government than a non high school graduate.
The difference in earnings between a college graduate and a non college graduate nationwide is approximately $1.1 million. Assuming the same conservative tax rate a college grad pays more than $135,000 in taxes over the course of a career than a non college grad.
Clearly ICAs pay for themselves!
In Philadelphia the high school drop rate hovers around 45 -50%. When magnet schools such as Masterman and Central are excluded, the drop-out rate increases to 60%. Research by Hamre and Pianta demonstrates we can predict who will succeed academically by first grade and other researchers say it is kindergarten. Individual College Accounts will improve the skill levels and confidence children at risk have in the early grades. Frustration levels experienced by young children will reduce and the child's academic resiliency will increase. By combining ICAs with other programs such as the Visiting Nursing Program, parents will become engaged positive advocates for their children. The Academic Achievement Gap will no longer arrive at school, and our schools will become places where children flourish, instead of consistently receiving remedial work.
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