We have many exciting events taking place at the Center this
fall, including a conference that will bring together researchers
from several disciplines to discuss myriad aspects of the
low-wage labor market. We are also excited to announce an
upcoming seminar by one of the country’s leading experts on the
causes and consequences of housing eviction. Check out our
website for the latest research and policy briefs, and to find
out about additional upcoming events.
Truancy in California is a pervasive problem that
disproportionately impacts children in high-poverty schools. Our
study examined how school safety and connectedness relate to
truancy in California’s high-poverty middle and high schools.[1]
We found that children who perceive their schools to be unsafe
and feared being in fights were more likely to skip school.[2]
Students who reported that they were more closely connected to
their schools, particularly students who reported having a
teacher or adult who cared about them, were more likely to
attend. School-wide initiatives enhancing both school safety and
connectedness may lead to improved school attendance at
California’s most disadvantaged schools.
In 2010, an estimated 2.7 million children and one in nine
African-American children had an incarcerated parent.[1]
Incarceration creates challenges for inmates’ families. Resources
that inmates had contributed are removed, while incarceration
introduces new expenses. Children with incarcerated fathers have
worse educational outcomes[2] and poorer mental health[3] than
otherwise comparable children. Employment assistance and less
restrictive visitation rules may mitigate the economic and
emotional effects incarceration has on families.
