The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared August National Immunization Awareness Month. According to the CDC, occurrences of vaccine-preventable diseases are at near record lows. However, it is important not to take this for granted and get you and your family immunized. Spread the word to your patrons. While better hygiene and sanitation practices play a large part in our improved health, vaccinations are still necessary. The CDC also says that Sweden, Great Britain, and Japan all had outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough) in the 1970s following drops in immunization levels.
A parent’s guide to childhood immunization. It contains an overview of fourteen childhood diseases and ten available vaccines. It can be printed or ordered online.
It is also important to remember that immunization is a lifelong effort. Children, college students, and travelers should maintain their vaccinations in order to prevent the spread of disease. Visit the CDC’s Immunization website for a complete look at vaccinations – their history, their importance, and what people need to know before they get vaccinated.
National Immunization Awareness Month http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/default.htm
CDC: Vaccines & Immunizations http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
Vaccination Catch-up http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/scheduler/catchup.htm
Indiana Department of Health: Immunization (See links to the left) http://www.in.gov/isdh/17094.htm
National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus: Immunization http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunization.html
GET READY FOR ISTEP!
Parents and students, are you ready for ISTEP? This year, you’ve got more time to prepare! ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress) testing begins later this year, September 15th. Also new is ISTEP Plus (ISTEP +). ISTEP+ includes multiple choice, essay, and short answer questions covering English/Language Arts, Mathematics at grades 3-8, and Science at grades 5-7. For more information on what’s tested on the ISTEP+ for the Fall and Spring, visit the ISTEP+ InfoCenter via the Indiana Department of Education’s website.
In addition to ISTEP, there are many resources to help prepare you and your child for school – including homework help, tips, and advice. Please check out the following websites to help you, your child, and your patrons be better prepared for ISTEP and the entire school year:
Indiana Department of Education: http://www.doe.in.gov/welcome.html
ISTEP+ InfoCenter: http://www.doe.state.in.us/istep/welcome.html
Education Web Pack (Students, Parents, Educators, and Community Members http://www.doe.state.in.us/webpack/welcome.html
Indiana’s Academic Standards: http://doe.state.in.us/standards/welcome.html
K-12 Websites: http://doe.state.in.us/htmls/k12.html
Video Information Network: http://www.doe.state.in.us/media/video/guide.html
U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html
EDUCATION DATA FROM NCES
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), of the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, produces a wealth of data and reports on education and educational topics across the United States. The annual reports it produces for the U.S. are: The Condition of Education, The Digest of Education Statistics, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, and Projections of Education Statistics. Browse through their national data tools, which include the College Navigator, Search for Public Schools, Search for Private Schools, and Search for Public Libraries. For access to data by Year and by Topic, please use the NCES Tables and Figures website.
U.S. POPULATION GROWS MORE DIVERSE
On August 14, the U.S. Census Bureau released population projections for the United States by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin. These projections are based on Census 2000 numbers and are made only for the U.S., and not broken down by states. The numbers tell us that a majority of the residents of the U.S. will, for the most part, be in an older segment of the population in the coming years. The August 14th press release states, “In 2030, when all of the baby boomers will be 65 and older, nearly one in five U.S. residents is expected to be 65 and older” and “the 85 and older population is expected to more than triple, from 5.4 million to 19 million between 2008 and 2050.” For links to the press release, information on methodology and assumptions used by the Population Estimates Program (PDF available), and projection tables and charts, please see the Census Bureau’s U.S. National Population Projections webpage.
Press release: “An Older and More Diverse Nation by Midcentury” http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012496.html
U.S. National Population Projections: http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/2008projections.html
by Katharine Springer & Elisabeth O’Donnell