June 10 – The 2024 KIDS COUNT Data Book is out, and while West Virginia is steadily rising in last year’s overall showing, the state is still in the bottom tier of the country when it comes to children’s health.
West Virginia’s composite score ranked 35th in the nation — up from 42nd last year — in the 50-state ranking compiled annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which as a benchmark looks at everything from poverty to life after the pandemic.
However, according to the survey, the state still ranks 47th in economic well-being and 48th in education.
Also, 45% of Mountain State children between infancy and age 17 are more likely to have adverse childhood experiences compared to the 40% of their peers nationwide.
Violence, abuse, or neglect fall within the clinical definition of such experiences, including substance abuse in the household, suicide, or the incarceration of a parent or other caregiver.
Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, said the post-pandemic aftershocks, plus the state’s ever-present economic problems, are adding to the socioeconomic weight, making an already uphill climb even more difficult.
“Policymakers must recognize the inherent link between poverty and educational outcomes to truly meet the needs of our state’s children and families,” Allen said.
Two years ago in West Virginia, the authors of KIDS COUNT note, only 22% of the state’s fourth-grade youth were proficient in reading. That’s compared to 32% of students in the same group, nationwide.
According to data, only 15% of eighth-graders in West Virginia were found to be proficient in math that same year.
And it’s not just about the Mountain State, this year’s KIDS COUNT authors note.
It is everywhere.
Nationally, only 1 in 3 children meet the fourth-grade reading standard, while only 1 in 4 eighth-graders meet the proficient score in math, according to their findings.
More than 30% of students are chronically absent from the school day, KIDS COUNT and the Casey Foundation reported this year.
The foundation, meanwhile, recommends free or low-cost breakfasts and meals, a reliable internet connection and access to counselors and teachers to reverse the trend – all of which are currently part of the daily routine at Monongalia County Schools.
Mon district is also hosting a “Behavioral Blueprint” workshop this week, which will address students’ emotional well-being.
About 300 teachers are participating in the sessions, which last until Thursday.
Jennifer Austin, a behavior analytic researcher from Georgia State University who is nationally known for her children’s experiences with abuse and neglect, will deliver keynote remarks Monday.
