Pathways to Ready Schools

To encourage communities to play a more significant role in getting kids ready for school and schools ready for kids, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation launched Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) in 2001. This nationwide initiative emphasized community-based collaboration and the development of strategic infrastructures to support early care and education and school readiness among at-risk children. As part of this initiative, the authors were charged with developing a definition of a ready school. Following consultation with experts, a literature review, and four site visits, the authors identified the following nine pathways to ready schools: children succeed in school; a welcoming atmosphere; leadership; connections to early care and education; connecting culturally and linguistically with children and families; parental involvement; partnering with the community; using assessment results for individual student progress and improving school performance; and quality improvement including professional development and training.     

Statistical quality control at statistics canada

Over the past several years statistical quality control methodologies at Statistics Canada have evolved frotn forrnal Product Control (k Acceptance Sampling By Attributes) to a more complete use of all quality control information obtained to achieve what is now called Acceptance Control. The use of this additional information allows us to continually adapt our quality control methods to the existing conditions of survey operations. In this context this paper reviews the general approach to statistical quality control and its relation to survey processing operations in Statistics Canada.     

Audit of advertised housing and support vacancies for people with disabilities in Australia

The introduction of Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has changed the way housing and support are delivered to Scheme participants. NDIS policy reform focuses on coordinated housing and support responses. These responses are guided by the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Rule, Framework and pricing and Supported Independent Living payments. To date, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has only released limited data to understand SDA demand or inform market development. To understand changing housing and support approaches and the impact of NDIS housing policy on market responses, this research had three aims: (1) to examine the locations and characteristics of housing and support vacancies advertised for people with disability; (2) to investigate funding sources for, and providers of, these supported housing options; and (3) to examine the proportion and source of government, nonprofit and private sector funding for housing and support developments advertised. An audit was undertaken of all advertisements on the two main non‐government organisation Websites that list Australian supported housing vacancies. A total of 562 property adverts were reviewed in March 2019. Audit findings are considered in relation to the current NDIS policy context. Possible housing futures and market gaps for people with significant and permanent disability in Australia are discussed.     

Child poverty in Taiwan during the global financial crisis: from the perspective of new social risks

The economic conditions of families with children during the 2008 financial crisis became worse. The factors affecting child poverty in Taiwan can be explained from the perspective of new social risks. This study analyzed the poverty reduction effects of public transfers and taxes in order to evaluate the government role in the economic downturn. From the viewpoint of the protection of children's rights, new policies must be created in response to new social risks and future financial crises.     

Australian Baby Boomers Face Retirement During the Global Financial Crisis

This paper examines the impact in Australia of the global financial crisis on the baby boom cohort approaching later life. Data from national focus groups of people aged 50 to 64 years (N?=?73), conducted in late 2008, found widespread but variable concern and uncertainty concerning work and retirement plans and experiences. A national survey (N?=?1,009) of those aged 50 to 64 years in mid-2009 reported lower levels of financial satisfaction compared with other life domains; many planned to postpone retirement. Findings are interpreted in the context of policies and markets that differed significantly from those in the United States, notwithstanding the global nature of the financial crisis.     

Seeking to Engage ‘Hard‐to‐Reach’ Families: Towards a Transferable Model of Intervention

This paper describes an exploratory evaluation of the Peers Early Education Partnership ‘Room to Play’, an innovative and experimental ‘drop‐in’ service seeking to attract and engage ‘hard‐to‐reach’ families in one of the most deprived areas of a Midlands city. Located in a shop unit of a busy community shopping centre, it offers play and learning activities for children, and provides opportunities for parents to talk to practitioners in a neutral and supportive environment. Through a mixed methods design, the authors attempted to document the core components of a potential transferable model of intervention, within challenging research constraints.