Children in Poverty (CIP) is an initiative of National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA. It encourages and equips American Baptists to respond to the needs of children in poverty through ministries of caring and prophetic justice.

The initiative highlights existing ministry resources and opportunities, and provides leadership for developing new resources and opportunities for service to children.

American Baptist churches, regions and individuals continue to develop and implement programs that meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. Another important part of the CIP initiative is the opportunity that we have to celebrate and share the good news about this work throughout the denominational family.

Recommended Actions of the Month

Study guide for Linda Perlstein's book TESTED

The National Council of Churches Committee on Public Education and Literacy has created an on-line, faith-based guide to support study of Linda Perlstein's book TESTED: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade (Henry Holt and Company, 2007). The guide is appropriate for use by justice committees or adult Sunday School or congregational reading groups.

TESTED explores the test-and-punish philosophy embodied in the federal education law, now called the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was scheduled for its five-year reauthorization in 2007. The book is available in your local bookstore, and will be available in paperback later in the summer.

Why should a congregation read and discuss TESTED? It is now likely that NCLB will not be reauthorized until 2009, when there is a new President, a new Congress, and a new Secretary of Education. The delay provides an opportunity during 2008 for us, as people of faith, to reflect the reforms that will be necessary in the federal education law for our society to expand access for all children to opportunity through excellent public education.

In TESTED, the reader spends days stretching into months with the third-grade teaching team at a school struggling to retain the Adequate Yearly Progress rating required by NCLB. "Bombard, bombard, bombard those children with the kinds of questions they'll have on the test," the principal rationalizes. "You want the students at a level of automaticity with reading those test-like questions." We watch teachers collaboratively plan each day to the minute, and we listen as the children yearn for more at school—to do some science, read for fun, perform a play. Will the school raise its scores enough? Suspense mounts until the last chapter. Then the reader must weigh the benefits and costs.

The project includes a sample letter that participants can send to members of Congress.

Additional Study Resources for Churches on the No Child Left Behind Act

Late in 2005, the National Council of Churches Committee on Public Education and Literacy released "Ten Moral Concerns in the Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act." Congress did not pass the reauthorization of the federal public education law in 2007 as scheduled. It is now likely that the reauthorization will be put off until after the 2008 election.

Because many in the church are deeply concerned about this underfunded, test-and-punish law, the committee has revised and updated its statement to reflect issues that have become more apparent as this law continues to play out in communities across America. This updated "Ten Moral Concerns in the No Child Left Behind Act" will help members of congregations during this election year speak to Congressional representatives, candidates for Congress, and the Presidential candidates.

Related resources which can be used in conjunction with "Ten Moral Concerns in the Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act" are Talking Points on redefining the federal role in education and Questions for Candidates on the No Child Left Behind Act.

Action Links and Resources

Forum on Educational Accountability

The Forum on Educational Accountability has been formed to improve federal education policy by expanding on and advancing the ideas in the "Joint Organizational Statement on No Child Left Behind." Supported by more than ninety national education, civil rights, religious, children's, disability, and civic organizations, including National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA, the statement calls for significant changes to improve federal education policy. The signatories to the statement seek to shift No Child Left Behind from applying sanctions to schools for failing to raise test scores to supporting states and localities and holding them accountable as they work to make the systemic changes that improve student learning. For more on the Forum and the Joint Statement visit the Forum on Educational Accountability.

Thomas (Library of Congress)

Thomas provides a wealth of information on the legislative process including the ability to search bills by text, sponsor, word/phrase, and bill number. It also enables access to The Congressional Record and links to Congressional information from official and non-official sources. Visit Thomas.

The Children in Poverty initiative supports the NEW LIFE 2010 goal to ... vitalize a multitude of caring ministries