Influences on behavior and social systems

Oregon:

Child Research Data and Publications

The facts that I reviewed on the Child Defense Fund's Child Research Data and Publications were specific to the state of Oregon. They gave me both new and familiar information that will be a benefit for me to know as a teacher in order to best assist my students in succeeding.

The race with the largest population in Oregonian children was white non-Hispanic, at a count of 593,483 out of the entire 872,811 population. Of this entire population, 19.2% are considered poor. Shockingly, 8.1% are defined as being at an extreme poverty level. It is not uncommon for the children in Oregon to start their life fighting. Oregon has ranked eleventh for infant mortality rates, one child dying each day before reaching their first birthday. This information should unfortunately not be considerably alarming, as 11.6% of the child population in Oregon is living without healthcare (Child Defense Fund, 2011).

Many of these impoverished survivors experience challenges in their domestic experiences and habitat. Over 24,500 of Oregon children are raised by their grandparents rather than their parents. Those that do not live with family or friends are among the 8,650 that are places in foster care. Each year, one eighth of the foster care children are given a second opportunity at life, being adopted into new families (Child Defense Fund, 2011).

Challenges with poverty, health, and family life are not the end of childhood battles. While the average high school freshman student graduation rate is at a promising 76.7%, by the senior year of high school, 12,199 students drop out of the educational system. At their fourth grade year of elementary school, this same population of students is still incapable of reading at their expected grade level (Child Defense Fund, 2011).

As a teacher, these demographics will be a difficult challenge to overcome. In order to provide the students with the best opportunity to be successful in life, it will be my job duty to assist the students through these complications.