Community Report Card Shows Disturbing Statistics for Danbury Children

A Community Report Card that evaluates Danbury's children has been released by the Promise for Children Partnership. The report card examines the academic success, physical fitness, obesity, pre-school attendance, and struggles that some of Danbury's children face. It also looks at the reasons for these challenges, and what can be done to help the city's children overcome these obstacles.

 The Report Card highlights some disturbing information about the state of Danbury children's preparedness for future success.

 Only 54% of Danbury's low income third graders are reading at the proficient level, according to the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT). According to Elaine Zimmerman, Executive Director of Connecticut's Commission on Children, "Jails are built according to how many students can read beyond a third grade level."

Parents should recognize that their children's inability to read well by third grade may be an indicator of their future and should seek remedies through Danbury's agencies.

 According to the study, one of the best indicators for how well a child will do when they enter school is whether or not they have attended pre-school. “Preschool attendance in Danbury is 10 percentage points below the state average,” said Caroline LeFleur, communications director at Danbury Children First.

 “The social aspect of learning how to act within a group is sometimes more important than knowing their ABCs,” said LeFleur. “However, having parents read to children at home is so important, because children will be better readers when they come to school. Making sure your child can read by third grade is especially important, because after third grade, children are reading to learn, not learning to read.”

"Approximately 70% kids attend some sort of preschool education," said Eilleen Costello, Danbury school readiness coordinator, "So the children who dont go, even those who come from a literacy rich environment, are at a disadvantage.  Pre-school helps with social and interpersonal skills, learning how to line up, to follow simple directions, to understand routines, and many of those who don't go, have a harder adjustment."

 Poverty can play a part in whether or not children will perform at their best. The report card notes that 46% of Danbury Public School students are on the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program, an indicator of poverty.  Further study shows that 46% of Danbury's low income students are not reading at a third grade level, and research shows that ¾ of these children may never catch up.

 However, the flipside is that 52% of children in poverty are doing fine in school. The study shows that regardless of race, ethnicity or income level, children whose parents are involved in their children's education are more likely perform well in all aspects of their education.

 Other areas of concern include the rate of obesity in 21% of Danbury's kindergarten children, and that more than 24% of births in Danbury are to mothers who don't have a high school education, making it difficult for them to support their children's learning at home.

 The Partnership is bringing together early childhood providers, social service agencies, and parents to tackle the challenges and put the strategies in place to alleviate the problems Danbury's children face.

 Some of those strategies include incorporating more physical movement into the lives of pre-schoolers, making sure schools are family friendly so that parents feel comfortable getting involved in their children's education, offering more literacy programs and bringing pre-school provider and teachers together to provide a good first year experience for children.

 Danbury has a wealth of agencies to assist families who need help in paving a better academic road for children. Contact Danbury Children First for more information. Copies of the Report Card can be downloaded at www.danburypromiseforchildren.org